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Groton Daily Independent
Thursday, Dec. 21, 2017 ~ Vol. 25 - No. 165 ~ 23 of 44
United States on Monday vetoed a resolution supported by the 14 other U.N. Security Council members that would have required Trump to rescind his declaration on Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and not move the U.S. Embassy there.
Before Haley’s letter and tweet, Palestinian U.N. Ambassador Riyad Mansour told The Associated Press he expected “massive support” for the resolution in the General Assembly.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu accused the U.S. of intimidation.
They told reporters at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport on Wednesday before ying to New York to attend the General Assembly meeting that they believe U.N. member countries will ignore “pressure” from Haley.
Al-Maliki said he believes that countries will vote their conscience, and “they will vote for justice, and they will vote in favor of that resolution.”
“No honorable state would bow to such pressure,” Cavusoglu said. “The world has changed. The belief that ‘I am strong therefore I am right’ has changed. The world today is revolting against injustices.”
Ambassador Rhonda King of the tiny Caribbean nation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines sent Haley a letter saying that her country treasures the United States “as an enduring ally” but will vote against Trump’s action.
“Sometimes, friends differ; on Jerusalem, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines respectfully differs from the USA; and so, too, do many of the staunchest friends and allies of the USA,” King wrote. “We gently urge yet again that the government of the USA rethink its position and approach on this entire matter.”
What impact the threats from Trump and Haley will have remains to be seen.
Some diplomats predict the resolution will be supported by at least 150 countries, and possibly 180 nations.
Israel has also been conducting a global lobbying campaign against the resolution, government of cials said Wednesday. The vote will show whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has succeeded in his efforts to drum up new pockets of support in the developing world.
Netanyahu acknowledged Thursday the vote would likely pass by a wide margin but said Israel “com- pletely rejects this vote before it is made.”
Haley said in her letter, reportedly sent to over 180 countries that the Trump administration is “simply asking that you acknowledge the historical friendship, partnership, and support we have extended and respect our decision about our own embassy.”
She said the U.S. Congress decided 22 years ago that Jerusalem should be recognized as the capital of Israel and Trump followed through on that decision.
Her tweet was sharper: “At the UN we’re always asked to do more & give more. So, when we make a decision, at the will of the American ppl, abt where to locate OUR embassy, we don’t expect those we’ve helped to target us. On Thurs there’ll be a vote criticizing our choice. The US will be taking names.”
This was not the rst time that Haley threatened to keep track of U.S. opponents.
On Jan. 27, the day she arrived at the United Nations as ambassador, Haley announced a new way the United States would be doing business. The Trump administration’s goal is to show U.S. strength, speak out and defend its allies — and as for countries opposing America, “We’re taking names,” she said.
The letter on the Jerusalem vote was the rst time since then that Haley vowed to compile a list.
Her action recalled to some veteran U.N. diplomats the run-up to the Iraq war in 2002 when then U.S. President George W. Bush launched a campaign against France and other opponents of military action who refused to support a Security Council resolution to authorize war. The resolution, which former Brit- ish Prime Minister Tony Blair was pressing for and the U.S. backed, was withdrawn by Britain because it was certain to be defeated as a result of strong council opposition.
The resolution being voted on Thursday is co-sponsored by Turkey, chair of the summit of the Organiza- tion of Islamic Cooperation, and Yemen, chair of the Arab Group at the U.N.
It is very similar to the defeated Security Council resolution.
The draft resolution says Jerusalem “is a nal status issue” and reaf rms 10 Security Council resolutions on Jerusalem, dating back to 1967, including requirements that the city’s nal status must be decided in