Hillary Clinton, Lazio criticize U.S. abstention in Security Council on Palestinian-Israeli violence
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. decision to abstain from a resolution passed Saturday by the U.N. Security Council condemning "acts of violence, especially the excessive use of force against Palestinians" was opposed Sunday by first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and her Republican opponent for the open New York Senate seat, Rep. Rick Lazio.
The United States, by abstaining, chose not to exercise its veto power over the resolution. Fourteen of the 15 members of the Security Council approved it.
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Richard Holbrooke, right, raises his hand to indicate an abstention by the United States during the U.N. Security Council vote
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Hillary Rodham Clinton said she did not believe the decision by her husband's administration was the right one. "I believe we should have vetoed it," she said during a debate Sunday with Lazio.
"I believe that it was a wrong move not to have vetoed it, that it was inaccurate and one-sided," Clinton said. "It did not address the violence that I believe is fomented by Chairman [Yasser] Arafat and the Palestinian Authority.
"It did not address what Israel has tried to do, such as showing good faith by pulling out of Lebanon and the fact that there's violence on that border. I was very disappointed because, to me, the responsibility lies clearly with Chairman Arafat."
Lazio agreed with his opponent: "In fact, I did issue a statement immediately disagreeing [with the resolution] and expressing my strong disappointment with ... America not using its veto power. I don't know why we have a vote if we don't exercise it in a case like this."
The abstention, Lazio said, "sends all the wrong messages about whether or not we stand firmly behind our democratic ally in the Middle East. They need to know that we stand behind them, stand by their side."
Albright: 'Not an easy decision'
"We tried very hard to get this resolution to be more evenhanded; the Palestinians in many ways are putting the Israelis under siege," U.S.
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said on NBC's "Meet the Press."
Albright added, "This was not an easy decision, believe me, but I think vetoing it would have created further problems in the region for us as the honest broker."
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Richard Holbrooke talks to reporters about the U.S. decision to abstain from the vote on the U.N. Security Council's resolution on the Middle East ( 408 K/32 sec. AIFF or WAV sound)
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Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Lieberman said the abstention was "a tough call, but the right decision, because it preserves the United States' capacity to mediate a peace there, and, most important, stop the hostilities.
"The resolution now has indirect criticism of Israel and commits the Security Council to act more aggressively to stop the hostilities," Lieberman told CNN. "That is what we need to happen."
Bush campaign endorses move
The communications director for Texas Gov. George W. Bush said the GOP presidential candidate supported the decision to abstain. "I think the governor feels that the administration acted appropriately in abstaining from that vote," Karen Hughes said on ABC's "This Week."
Hughes added, "He felt that it was a one-sided resolution. And Governor Bush knows that President Clinton is working round the clock to try to stop the violence. And that's the first step.
"We need to stop the violence. We've got a long bipartisan tradition in this country of supporting the peace process. And we want to encourage the peace process."
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