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On December 21, 128 countries passed a UN resolution that condemns a decision of US President Donald Trump to recognize the city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The adopted resolution calls on the US to drop the decision.
35 countries declined from voting on the UN resolution due pressure from the US. 9 countries including the US and Israel rejected the resolution.
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On December 20, Trump threatened that the US will cut off financial aid to countries that would vote in favor of a draft United Nations resolution. A threat that was criticized all over the world.
U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley criticized the resolution and the UN before withdrawing from the session. Haley accused the UN of “attacking” the rights of the US as a sovereign nation.
“The United States will remember this day in which it was singled out for attack in the General Assembly for the very act of exercising our right as a sovereign nation … We will remember it when we are called upon to once again make the world’s largest contribution to the United Nations, and so many countries come calling on us, as they so often do, to pay even more and to use our influence for their benefit,” Haley said according to Reuters.
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the UN resolution too and described it as “preposterous” in a short video message. The Israeli PM also thanked Trump and said that he was satisfied at the number of countries that didn’t vote for the measure.
“Jerusalem is our capital, always was and always will be. But I do appreciate the fact that a growing number of countries refuse to participate in this theater of the absurd … So I appreciate that and especially I want to again express our thanks to President Trump and Ambassador Haley for their stalwart defense of Israel and their stalwart defense of the truth.” Netanyahu said according to the Israel Haaretz newspaper.
From its side, Palestine’s Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said during the UN session that Jerusalem is the key for war or peace in the Middle East and the whole world. Al-Maliki also stressed that the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital didn’t affect the real position of the city, but the US position as the meditator for the peace process.
“We will not be discouraged by a veto, threat or religious promise that will be used to justify colonialism and the seizure of the land [Jerusalem city],” al-Maliki said according to the Lebanese al-Mayadeen TV.
Experts believe that the UN resolution will not effect the US decision regarding Jerusalem. However, it will for sure effect any future solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
