President Barack Obama has been accused of “shamefully abandoning” Israel after refusing to block a United Nations resolution demanding an end to the building of settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

In one of the final acts of his presidency, the US abstained from a UN Security Council vote, refusing to use its veto and undermining its relationship with one of its historic allies.

The move was seen as a parting shot by Mr Obama, who also signed the controversial Iranian nuclear deal, after years of acrimonious relations with Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister.

It also placed him in open conflict with his successor Donald Trump who had argued strongly for a veto, calling the resolution “extremely unfair to all Israelis”.