© AP/Jeff Kowalsky
On Friday, the UNSC passed a resolution in a 14-0 vote, with the only abstention from the United States, condemning Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The resolution states that Israel should immediately and completely cease all settlement activities on "occupied Palestinian territory," including in East Jerusalem. Following the adoption of the resolution, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered to revise the UN-Israel relationship.
Following the vote in the UNSC, Trump called the situation around the resolution "the big loss" for Israel, adding that it would make the settlement of the crisis involving Israel and Palestine more difficult.
Muhammed Asad Awawi, who teaches history and the Palestinian issues in the Open University in Jerusalem, told Sputnik that Trump's rhetoric shows that he would likely abolish the resolution.
"Trump is calming tensions caused by the US position and shows that when he becomes president, everything will be changed and the resolution would be canceled," Awawi said.
He added that in order to ensure the implementation of the adopted resolution the Palestinians should call on Moscow, because of its increased role in the region and to develop ties with other Arab countries.
According to the expert, the Palestinians should unite in order to protect the interests of the nation.
Mustafa Barghouti, the general secretary of the Palestine National Initiative party, said that Washington had repeatedly vetoed the UNSC resolutions in order to back Israel and Trump could continue such policy and to veto the resolution, following the beginning of his presidency.
"When Trump comes to power, then we will see violation of the international law and annexation of other state's territory... I am sure that Trump will definitely veto the resolution, that's why we have not got much time for activities," Barghouti told Sputnik.
He added that Trump's presidency would not be an easy period for the Middle Eastern settlement, as the US president-elect had criticized the foreign policy of the incumbent administration and held talks with several other leaders, including the Middle Eastern ones, even before the inauguration.
According to the expert, the Palestinians should respond to the situation if the resolution is not implemented even by filing a lawsuit to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Dan Arbell, a Strategic consultant and Senior Fellow in Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution, told Sputnik that Israel would not make major steps following the adoption of the resolution until Trump's inauguration and would make efforts to obtain his support on the issue.
"I think it [Israel] will [continue constructing its settlements] and will try to show that this resolution has no bearing on actual settlement policy in Israel. I think the main thing for Israel will be to wait for President-elect Trump become president and then seek his support for continued settlement building," Arbell, who had worked in Israel's Foreign Ministry for 26 years, said.
According to the expert, the US position during the vote in the UNSC is in line with Obama's policy, who has opposed the construction of settlements since the beginning of his tenure.
Over 500,000 Israeli settlers live in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, which Israel captured during the 1967 war.
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