The U.N. General Assembly voted to condemn Israel on Tuesday for its assault on Palestinian cities and for rejecting a U.N. fact-finding mission into the Israel army's actions in the Jenin refugee camp. The 189-nation assembly approved the Arab resolution 74 to four with 54 abstentions. The United States voted against it. The fact-finding mission was abandoned by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Thursday after he tried for 13 days to overcome Israeli objections to the group's mandate and composition.

After failing to get the Security Council to condemn Israel and compel it to accept the fact-finding team, the Arab nations called for an emergency General Assembly session to present their case.

Votes in the General Assembly, unlike those in the Security Council, lack binding force and legal authority.

The Palestinians had accused the Israeli army of massacres against civilians during eight days of fierce fighting in the Jenin camp.

Despite Israeli and US objections, the majority of the assembly voted to condemn "the attacks committed by the Israeli occupying forces against the Palestinian people in several Palestinian cities, particularly in the Jenin refugee camp."

Palestinian U.N. representative Nasser Al-Kidwa said that efforts in the Security Council to keep the fact-finding mission alive were blocked by the threat of a veto by the United States, one of the five permanent council members with veto power.
"The result now is that there will be no fact-finding team on what's happened in the Jenin refugee camp," said Al-Kidwa. "At the same time Israel is protected and shielded from any serious reaction from the Security Council."

PHOTO CAPTION
The United Nations General Assembly votes on a draft resolution regarding Israeli actions in occupied Palestinian territory Tuesday, May 7, 2002, at UN headquarters in New York. The Assembly voted to condemn Israel for its assault on Palestinian cities and for not cooperating with the U.N. fact-finding mission into the Israel army's actions in the Jenin refugee camp. (AP Photo/Chad Rachman)