Undeterred by Threats, UN Overwhelmingly Rejects Trump Jerusalem Declaration

(WASHINGTON, D.C. 12/21/17)—Today the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted in favor of a measure critical of U.S. President Donald Trump’s unilateral declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The nonbinding UN resolution was passed on Thursday with 128 countries in favor and 9 opposing with 35 abstentions.

During the emergency meeting, US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, threatened countries if they were to support the resolution, warning that the U.S. “will be taking names” and “will remember it [...] when it was singled out for attack at the General Assembly.” Trump himself has threatened to withhold “billions” of dollars of aid from countries voting in favor of the resolution. “All of these nations that take our money and then they vote against us at the Security Council or they vote against us, potentially, at the Assembly, they take hundreds of millions of dollars and even billions of dollars and then they vote against us,” Mr. Trump said. “Well, we’re watching those votes,” he added. “Let them vote against us; we’ll save a lot. We don’t care.”

Despite U.S. attempts of aid blackmail, representatives from various countries rejected the U.S. administration’s position on Israel and insisted on peace negotiations to settle the status of Jerusalem. On Monday, a similar resolution was considered in the 15-member Security Council, with 14 countries voting in favor and only the U.S. exercising its veto to kill the resolution. 

AMP National Policy Director, Dr. Osama Abuirshaid praised the resolution adopted by the international community, recognizing that, “the bullying tactics and threats by the U.S. did not work. President Trump and Amb. Haley further isolated the U.S. by breaking international law and norms. The global community sent a very clear message that it is not willing to be pushed around by bullies, and that the status of Jerusalem must be determined based on humanitarian and international law that guarantee Palestinian rights.”

As long as the U.S. and Israel continue to support oppression and act with impunity, they will continue to face almost universal condemnation. As the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement continues to grow internationally, Israel will only continue to be delegitimized and isolated until it ends the brutal occupation of Palestine and treats all people equally and with dignity.