Meanwhile, at the UN, the Bush administration is suggesting the Security Council and other bodies end public debate on the Israel-Palestine conflict. On Tuesday, US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad told the Security Council that discussion has become futile.

US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad: “If these types of meetings do not contribute to that effort, or worse, if they fuel the tensions that impede constructive engagement, then we need to ask ourselves whether the public format of debates in New York truly help create the environment necessary to facilitate the pursuit of the two-state solution.”

The UN General Assembly annually passes resolutions calling for an end to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.