Israel delays key vote

Israel yesterday delayed a vote on permits for hundreds of settler homes at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's request to avoid further conflict with Washington before a speech by Secretary of State John Kerry, an official said.

But while a Jerusalem planning committee postponed the request for building permits for nearly 500 homes, it did grant approval for a highly controversial settler building in east Jerusalem, according to the Ir Amim NGO.

Discussion on the hundreds of other homes was pulled from the agenda in a move following last week's UN Security Council resolution demanding a halt to Israeli settlement building.

It also came with Kerry set to make a major speech in Washington on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at 1600 GMT.

Friday's UN Security Council resolution demanded a halt to Israeli settlement building in Palestinian territory. It passed 14-0, with the United States abstaining. By declining to use its veto, Washington enabled the adoption of the first UN resolution since 1979 to condemn Israel over its settlement policy.

Netanyahu reacted furiously, accusing US President Barack Obama's administration of being behind the resolution and vowing not to abide by it.

US President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office on January 20, has signalled a far more favourable policy towards Israel and called for the US to veto the resolution.

"We cannot continue to let Israel be treated with such total disdain and disrespect. They used to have a great friend in the US, but..." he wrote on Twitter on Wednesday. "Not anymore. The beginning of the end was the horrible Iran deal, and now this (UN)! Stay strong Israel, January 20th is fast approaching!"       

Trump to to take oath as US president on January 20.

Israel has already taken diplomatic steps in response to what it calls the "shameful" UN resolution.

On Tuesday, the foreign ministry said it was "temporarily reducing" visits and work with embassies of nations that voted for it. On Christmas Day, it summoned ambassadors of countries that voted for the resolution while Netanyahu also met US ambassador Daniel Shapiro.