The U.N. Security Council on Friday passed a resolution demanding an end to Israeli settlement building in occupied territories.

Applause erupts after @UN #SecurityCouncil passes first resolution on #MiddleEastPeaceProcess in 8 years. pic.twitter.com/mZcn1OXSnZ — NZ Mission to the UN (@NZUN) December 23, 2016

The Obama administration’s decision to let it pass represents a break from the longstanding U.S. policy of shielding Israel from U.N. reproaches.

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Israel’s settlements have been seen by critics as human rights violations and some say they are an obstacle to achieving peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

Trump argued that the U.N. resolution would be a bigger impediment to negotiations between the two sides.

"As the United States has long maintained, peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians will only come through direct negotiations between the parties, and not through the imposition of terms by the United Nations,” the president-elect said in a statement Thursday.

"This puts Israel in a very poor negotiating position and is extremely unfair to all Israelis."