Israeli Amb. Danon: Kerry Defending 'Indefensible' UN Resolution

Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon Thursday slammed Secretary of State John Kery's speech about a UN Security Council resolution against Israeli settlements as a "failed attempt defend the indefensible."

"The resolution was a shameful, one-sided resolution against Israel," Danon told MSNBC's Chris Jansing about the United States' decision to abstain from voting on the controversial resolution. "When I sat in the Security Council on Friday, I was ashamed to see the U.S. supporting Venezuela and other countries, supporting such a one-sided resolution."

There was a similar resolution presented in 2011, Danon said, but then-U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice vetoed it. Another similar resolution was presented in 2015, he continued, but the United States lobbied members of the Security Council and blocked it.

"Last Friday, the United States supported the resolution," said Danon, and Kerry is trying to justify the position that "there is no connection between Israel and Jerusalem. That our presence in the holy site of Jerusalem is illegal. This is outrageous, and we hope that the new administration will change this policy."

Thousands of homes have been built over the past eight years on the West Bank, housing more than a half-million settlers, Stephanie Ruhle said, but Danon said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is "willing to negotiate everything."

"There's no negotiations for the Palestinians," said Danon. "It's much easier to come to the Security Council, to pass resolutions rather than to negotiate with Israel, with the prime minister."

Also, it's not only about the settlements, but about "the very existence of Israel," as the Palestinians and Hamas do not want to recognize the Jewish state.

"The PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) was established in 1964 before we occupied, if you want to call it, or liberated Somalia," said Danon. "It's not about the existence of the settlements. It's about the existence of Jews in Israel."

Netanyahu has accused President Barack Obama's administration of orchestrating the Security Council's resolution, which Kerry denied on Wednesday, but Danon said there is evidence there was interference.

"There's no coincidence that in the Security Council, everybody knows that the U.S. is a pen holder on every resolution that contains something about Israel," said Danon. "For generations, and when something is coming to the Security Council, people look at the U.S. and ask for their advice."

Further, he said that before the vote, one ambassador told him that he was going to abstain in the vote, but the United States asked that it be supported.

"Unfortunately, we know it's not the case, and we know, and we have fact," said Danon. "We will show it to the new administration, that the U.S. was very involved with this resolution."