WASHINGTON, D.C?—?Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-08) released the following statement Thursday regarding the House’s bipartisan vote [H. Res. 11] objecting to the anti-Israel resolution passed by the United Nations Security Council in December:

“Israel and the United States share a special relationship, cultivated and reaffirmed in word and action. Unfortunately, the current administration’s recent failure to defend Israel from a one-sided initiative at the U.N. harms our critical alliance by breaking with decades of precedent and undermining the prospect for productive negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Support for a safe and secure Israel transcends political parties and should be the cornerstone of any Middle East foreign policy. Our foreign policy must recognize that a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can only come about through direct, bilateral negotiations between the two parties.”

H.Res. 11 calls for the repeal of UN Security Council Resolution 2334 which effectively states that the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem and the Western Wall are “occupied territory.” Additionally, it makes clear that the Obama Administration’s failure to veto this resolution violated longstanding U.S. policy to protect Israel. The U.S. has vetoed 42 anti-Israel resolutions since 1972.