On Monday December 18, 2017, the 15 Member UN Security Council voted 14-1 to condemn the US decision “to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital”. As expected, the USA exercised its veto. This then was followed by a vote in an UN General Assembly Emergency Session on Thursday December 21st.
The United States UN Ambassador Nikki Haley tweeted,
“The United States will remember this day in which it was singled out for attack in the @UN General Assembly for the very act of exercising our right as a sovereign nation…America will put our embassy in Jerusalem…This vote will be remembered”.
Haley’s statement and President Trump’s threat to cut off US funding to nations backing the measure encountered strong backlash. And DW TV’s correspondent said that it would not it be seen as a smart move but would further America’s isolation from the rest of the world.
Before the vote, Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu said settlement building will continue and emphatically stated in a video clip on DW TV that,
“Foreign embassies led by the United States will move to Jerusalem. Write down what I said; because it will happen.”
The measure to condemn the US plan to move her embassy passed by 128 to 9 with 35 nations abstaining and 21 nations not attending.
The Russian Federation, the UK, most of the rest of Europe, Asia, and Africa joined the Middle East in supporting the resolution. Guatemala and Togo and were among the few who voted with the US and Israel to oppose the measure. Australia, Canada and Mexico were 3 of the 35 who abstained along with Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Romania.
The UN vote was symbolic and non-binding.
Related Story: December 13, 2017 – The Middle East, so what’s next?
Photo credits: UN General Assembly courtesy of EU Council President, License: CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
