The U.S. is employing some muscular diplomacy at the United Nations, where it faces a General Assembly vote on President Donald Trump’s declaration of Jerusalem as Israeli capital.
Trump has indicated that the U.S. would halt aid to countries that vote in favor of the UNGA resolution against his position.
“They take hundreds of millions of dollars and even billions of dollars, and then they vote against us. Well, we’re watching those votes. Let them vote against us. We’ll save a lot. We don’t care,” he said.
U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley publicly warned member states not to support an Arab resolution in the UN General Assembly resolution that would denounce Trump’s decision that this week also faced opposition at the Security Council.
Haley says the U.S. will take names of the countries that go against Trump’s stance.
While Haley used a U.S. veto to shoot down the UNSC rejection of Trump’s position – which overturns decades of Washington stance on the sensitive issue – the General Assembly is free from the threat of a veto power and is likely to reject the Trump Administration’s position.
The UNGA resolution will also likely include a call for nations, including the US, not to relocate their embassies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
But Haley said Trump takes the issue personally.
“At the UN we’re always asked to do more and give more,” Haley said in a tweet.
“So, when we make a decision, at the will of the American people, about 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.”
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. pic.twitter.com/ZsusB8Hqt4
— Nikki Haley (@nikkihaley) December 19, 2017
The General Assembly will have an emergency session Thursday and is expected to vote on a resolution calling on the U.S. to reverse the move.
The anticipated General Assembly vote comes days after Haley vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution that would seek to nullify any move to recognize Jerusalem as Israel.’s capital. That resolution did not specifically mention Trump or the U.S.
Haley defended the veto on Monday, saying that the Security Council resolution was an affront to U.S. sovereignty.
“What we witnessed here in the Security Council is an insult,” she said. “It won’t be forgotten.”
The General Assembly resolution on Jerusalem would not be legally binding but the symbolic move would signal international community’s forceful political disagreement with the U.S. declaration of the city – considered holy to all Abahamic faiths.
Haley says Washington is not asking countries to move their embassies to Jerusalem.
“To be clear, we are not asking for other countries [to] move their embassies to Jerusalem, though we think it would be appropriate. We are simply asking you acknowledge the historical friendship, partnership, and support we have extended and respect our decision about our embassy.
“The president will be watching this vote carefully and has requested I report back on those who voted against us. We will take note of every vote on this issue,” Haley wrote in a letter.
Israelis have welcomed Trump’s move but Palestinians also want Jerusalem to be capital once a two-state solution to the dispute is found.
