Multiple sources from across the Jewish organizational world and in Congress are accusing the Obama administration of stabbing "Israel in the back" on Friday by choosing not to veto a United Nations resolution censuring the Jewish state, according to conversations with sources.
The resolution, which has been floating through the U.N. for some time, finally came to a vote in the Security Council on Friday, where the Obama administration reversed years of policy by abstaining from the vote instead of vetoing it.
The decision quickly drew outrage across the pro-Israel community and in Congress, where multiple sources told the Washington Free Beacon that the incoming Trump administration is likely to pursue consequences for the U.N.'s action.
Israeli officials also lashed out at the Obama administration, calling its behavior "shameful" and alleging that President Obama used the anti-Israel vote as a way to express his hostility for the Jewish state before vacating the Oval Office.
"The Obama administration has long flirted with international efforts to delegitimize Israel, so what happened today isn't really surprising," said one senior congressional aide who spoke to the Free Beacon only on background when discussing potential action against the U.N.
"The good news is that a Republican government will enable us to roll back the Obama administration's hostile anti-Israel policies," the source said. "President-elect Trump has already signaled a level of support for Israel that we haven't seen in eight years. Now we have a real opportunity to hold Iran accountable, fight BDS, and do everything possible to ensure Israel's qualitative military edge in the region."
Trump warned the U.N. shortly after the vote via Twitter that "things will be different" after his inauguration.
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) said that Congress and Trump will work together "to reverse the damage done by this administration, and rebuild our alliance with Israel."
A senior official at a national Jewish organization who works with Congress and the White House told the Free Beacon that Obama intentionally abstained from the vote in order to "stab our Israeli allies in the back."
"The only reason Republicans have kept funding for the Palestinian Authority and the United Nations is because the Obama administration said the funding was helpful to American diplomacy," the source said. "President Obama just used that diplomacy to stab our Israeli allies in the back. Republican lawmakers are already talking about how they can come together with the Trump administration to axe that spending. Democrats, many of whom will now be in trouble with constituents, are certainly not going to get in their way."
Lawmakers and national Jewish organizations quickly condemned the administration's behavior, accusing it of abandoning Israel at a time of need.
"The Obama administration's decision to abstain from today's UN Security Council vote is disgraceful," Rep. Peter Roskam (R., Ill) said in a statement. "The adopted resolution is anti-Israel and anti-peace. Congress and the incoming administration will stand with our friends and allies, and oppose all efforts to delegitimize Israel."
The Jewish Federation of North America, or JFNA, one of the country's largest and most influential pro-Israel organizations, described the administration's actions as "tragic" and said the move is likely to mar Obama's legacy.
"It is tragic that the administration chose to mar its legacy of support for the Jewish State and set back the prospects for Israeli-Palestinian peace," the organization said in a statement.
"The administration’s decision undermined a core principle of American foreign policy that has been embraced by Democratic and Republican Administrations for decades: that the only route to a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is through direct negotiations between the parties," JFNA said.
The Anti-Defamation League, a historically left-leaning organization that is headed by a former Obama administration official, said that it was "outraged" by Obama's decision to allow the anti-Israel measure to be approved.
"We are outraged over the U.S. failure to veto this biased and unconstructive UNSC resolution on Israel," said Jonathan A. Greenblatt, the ADL's CEO. "This resolution will do little to renew peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinians. It will only encourage further Palestinian intransigence vis-à-vis direct negotiations with Israel in favor of unilateral, one-sided initiatives."
"The Obama administration repeatedly stated that a solution to the conflict cannot be imposed on the parties but must be achieved directly by the parties themselves," Greenblatt added. "It is deeply troubling that this biased resolution appears to be the final word of the administration on this issue."