UN Ambassador Nikki Haley has rewarded the 65 countries that did not vote for a UN resolution condemning the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital…
UN Ambassador Nikki Haley has rewarded the 65 countries that did not vote for a UN resolution condemning the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital with an invitation to a New Year’s reception.
Haley’s emailed invitation — obtained by Fox News — asks the nations who voted no, abstained from voting or didn’t cast a vote “to a reception to thank you for your friendship to the United States.”
The two-hour shindig for the nations on the Trump administration’s “nice list” is planned for the evening of Jan. 3.
The General Assembly voted 128-9, with 35 abstentions, in favor of declaring Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the Jewish state’s capital “null and void.” Twenty-one countries were absent for the vote.
Earlier Thursday, Haley tweeted her appreciation to the countries that didn’t vote against the US “for not falling to the irresponsible ways of the @UN.”
The largely symbolic, nonbinding resolution that passed Thursday was aimed at putting pressure on President Trump to reverse course on his declaration, which also included a pledge to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Several longtime US allies voted in favor of the resolution, including the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Japan.
In addition to the US and Israel, the countries that voted against it were Guatemala, Honduras, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Togo.
And among those that abstained were Canada, Mexico and Australia.
Before the vote, Haley delivered a stern warning to countries that planned to vote for the resolution.
“The United States will remember this day in which it was singled out in this assembly for the very act of exercising our right as a sovereign nation,” Haley said.
“We will remember it when, once again, we are called up to make the world’s largest contribution to the UN, and we will remember it when many countries come calling on us to pay even more and to use our influence for their benefit.”
Thursday’s meeting on the resolution — which was sponsored by Turkey and Yemen — at the UN marked the 10th time in the history of the body that the General Assembly met for an emergency vote.
