US spars with key allies at UN over Mideast peace approach

The U.S. is deriding the viability of reaching "international consensus" on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, further distancing itself from the two-state solution preferred by most of the world and drawing rebukes from its European allies.

President Donald Trump's Mideast negotiator, Jason Greenblatt, delivered the harsh assessment during a U.N. Security Council debate on Tuesday as the White House says it is preparing to unveil the political portion of its Mideast peace plan.

Greenblatt dismissed the prospect of reaching global consensus on sensitive issues, including the fate of Palestinian refugees and the final status of contested Jerusalem. He suggested that Security Council resolutions on those issues are unenforceable.

But his comments rankled important partners for any U.S. Mideast plan. German Ambassador Christoph Heusgen said, "It's the U.S. that has left international consensus."