Haley called the U. S.’s veto an “embarrassment” for the UN Security Council.
On Monday, the United States used its veto power to block a United Nations Security Council resolution that aimed to nullify President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
The resolution, which received backing from every other nation on the Security Council, argued for rescinding decisions that “purport to have altered the character, status or demographic composition” of Jerusalem, according to Reuters .
U. S. Ambassador to the U. N. Nikki Haley defended another aspect of Trump’s decision — moving the U. S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem — as part of the U. S.’s right as a sovereign nation.
In her response, she shamed the Security Council for prompting the veto.
“The fact that this veto is being done in defense of American sovereignty and in defense of America’s role in the Middle East peace process is not a source of embarrassment for us; it should be an embarrassment to the remainder of the Security Council,” she said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted a video thanking both Trump and Haley:
“You lit a candle of truth. You dispel the darkness,” Netanyahu told Haley. “One defeated the many. Truth defeated lies.”
Despite the Trump administration calling its Jerusalem decision a step toward regional peace, violent protests erupted in the area, and the Palestinian militant group Hamas called for an uprising that would make Trump “regret” his decision.
The U. N.’s envoy for Middle East peace, Nickolay Mladenov, warned the Security Council of violent clashes arising after Trump’s decision.
“In the wake of the decision of the United States… the situation has become more tense with an increase in incidents, notably rockets fired from Gaza and clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces,” he said.
