WASHINGTON: The United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to repudiate US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

The UN body voted 128-9 to declare Mr Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital “null and void”. Thirty-five nations abstained. The resolution, however, did not mention the United States by name. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel’s rejection of the resolution and praised the countries that didn’t vote for the measure.

Pakistan told the UNGA that the US decision was a clear violation of international law, and contrary to the provision of the Security Council and General Assembly resolutions on this issue.

“We regret and reject this action and urge the United States to rescind its decision,” said Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi while addressing the session.

Cosponsored by Pakistan, resolution rejecting decision to recognise holy city as Israel’s capital adopted by a vote of 128-9

“We must also recommit to thwarting any and all attempts to violate the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, and the ultimate goal of a two-state solution,” said Ambassador Lodhi.

She described the US veto earlier this week of a similar resolution in the Security Council as “a dangerously misplaced decision,” which attempted to “legitimise a declaration that is already null and void, and lacks any legality”.

Ms Lodhi recalled that support to the Palestinian cause and defence of Al Quds Al Sharif had been a pillar of Pakistan’s foreign policy.

Washington’s threats

US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley threatened the world body with defunding over the vote, reminding them that her country by far was the single largest contributor to the United Nations and its agencies.

“Israel thanks President Trump for his unequivocal position in favour of Jerusalem and thanks those countries that voted alongside Israel, alongside the truth,” Mr Netanyahu said in a statement.

Ambassador Haley said when the US made “generous contributions to the UN, we also have a legitimate expectation that our goodwill is recognised and respected”.

She added: “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.”

The vote showed that most UN members ignored President Trump’s threat to withhold aid to the nations that opposed his declaration.

“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,” tweeted Ambassador Haley. “America will put our embassy in Jerusalem. This vote will be remembered.”

Ms Haley said that at the UN, the US was always asked to do more and give more, but when it took a decision, at the will of the American people, about where to locate its embassy, it was targeted by those who received financial assistance from it.

“In the words of the President (Trump), ‘Let them vote against us, we’ll save a lot,’” she tweeted.

This was an obvious reference to Egypt, which drafted the measure, urging nations to support the UN resolutions dating to 1967 when Israel captured East Jerusalem from Jordan. The resolutions declared Jerusalem a disputed territory whose status was to be decided through negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.

Egypt is the second closest US ally in the Middle East after Israel and also a major recipient of US aid. Pakistan, another US ally and recipient of US aid, cosponsored the move, although US relations with Pakistan were already tense before the UN vote.

Israel rejects the UN resolutions and insists that a united Jerusalem is and will remain its capital. Palestinians want Israel to cede East Jerusalem as the capital of a future independent Palestinian state.

Although only a handful of countries recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, Palestinians and their supporters fear that the US move will encourage many others also to move their embassies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Twenty-two of the EU’s 28 countries voted for the resolution, including Germany, which in the past had abstained on measures against Israel.

Five EU countries, however, broke with the EU consensus and abstained: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Poland and Romania.

India — with whom Israel has recently forged strong defence and strategic ties — voted for the measure.

Besides the United States and Israel, the other countries which voted against the measure were Guatemala, Honduras, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Togo.

US media reported that Canada also considered voting against the UN resolution but abstained after hearing President Trump’s threats, as it did not want to be seen as toeing the official US line.

which the Trump administration’s decision to defy a 50-year international consensus on Jerusalem’s status has unsettled world politics and contributed to America’s diplomatic isolation.”

The Washington Post commented that the UN resolution “carries political resonance, particularly in the Middle East” where the US decision has sparked protests and been condemned by Arab governments.

“Underscoring the US isolation on the issue, even many allies have publicly appealed to the administration to reverse its position and leave Jerusalem’s status undecided until Israelis and Palestinians negotiate terms,” it added.

“Major allies like Britain, France, Germany and Japan all voted for the resolution, though some allies, like Australia and Canada, abstained,” NYT pointed out.

Unfazed by such criticism, Ambassador Haley said the US Embassy would be moved to Jerusalem regardless of the vote. “No vote in the United Nations is going to make any difference on that,” she said. “But this vote will make a difference in how Americans look at the UN and how we look at countries that disrespect us at the UN.”

Earlier this week, Ambassador Haley sent a threatening letter to UN members, warning that President Trump “will be watching the vote carefully” and had asked her to “report back on those who voted against us.”

The warning came after the US was outnumbered 14 to 1 as it vetoed a UN Security Council resolution on Monday against Trump’s decision on Jerusalem.

Published in Dawn, December 22nd, 2017