“This vote will be remembered.”
The United Nations General Assembly voted today to condemn President Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, moving the embassy there from Tel Aviv. 128 member states voted in favor of condemning the decision with only 9, including Israel and the United States, in favor. 35 countries, such as key American allies Canada and Australia, abstained from voting.
United States Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley tried to warn them:
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
Haley addressed the body after the vote, and she did not mince words:
Together, we feed, clothe, and educate desperate people. We nurture and sustain fragile peace in conflict areas throughout the world and we hold outlaw regimes accountable. We do this because it represents who we are; it is our American way. But, we’ll be honest with you. When we make generous contributions to the UN, we also have a legitimate expectation that our goodwill is recognized and respected. When a nation is singled out for attack in this organization, that nation is disrespected. What’s more, that nation is asked to pay for the privilege of being disrespected. In the case of the United States, we are asked to pay more than anyone else for that dubious privilege. Unlike in some UN member countries, the United States government is answerable to its people. As such, we have an obligation to acknowledge when our political and financial capital is being poorly spent. We have an obligation to demand more for our investment and, if our investment fails, we have an obligation to spend our resources in more productive ways. Those are the thoughts that come to mind when we consider the resolution before us today The arguments about the President’s decision to move the American embassy to Jerusalem have already been made. They are, by now, well known. The decision was in accordance to US law, dating back to 1995, and its position has been repeatedly endorsed by the American people ever since. The decision does not prejudge any final status issues including Jerusalem’s boundaries. The decision does not preclude a two-state solution if the parties agree to that. The decision does nothing to harm peace efforts. Rather, the president’s decision reflects the will of the American people and our right as a nation to choose the location of our embassy. There is no need to describe it further.
Instead, there is a larger point to make. 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 we will remember it when so many countries come calling on us, as they so often do, to pay even more and to use our influence for their benefit. America will put our embassy in Jerusalem. That is what the American people want us to do, and it is the right thing to do. No vote in the United Nations will make any difference on that, but this vote will make a difference in how Americans look at the UN and how we look at countries who disrespect us in the UN, and this vote will be remembered. Thank you.
Damn, girl!
Source: Truth Revolt
