U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley noted that a year has passed since resolution 2334 was adopted by the Council, saying that “given the chance to vote again, I can say with complete confidence that the United States would vote no,” and would exercise its veto power.
The resolution, which criticized Israeli settlements, passed after the Obama administration chose to abstain on 23 December 2016.
Haley criticized resolution 2334 saying that while it “describes Israeli settlements as impediments to peace,” in reality, “it was resolution 2334 itself that was an impediment to peace,” because the Security Council once again acting and “injecting itself” between Palestinians and Israelis. She further added that “if the United Nations’ history in the peace efforts proves anything, it is that talking in New York cannot take the place of face-to-face negotiations between the regional parties. It only sets back the cause of peace, not advance it.”
Haley referred to U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that he would recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital: “Resolution 2334 demanded a halt to all Israeli settlement activity in East Jerusalem – even in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City. This is something that no responsible person or country would ever expect Israel would do. And in this way, Resolution 2334 did what President Trump’s announcement on Jerusalem as the capital of Israel did not do: It prejudged issues that should be left in final status negotiations.”
Haley slammed resolution 2334 for the creation of the BDS blacklist, calling it “an ugly creation of the Human Rights Council: the database of companies operating in Jewish communities,” and calling the list “yet another obstacle to a negotiated peace.”
Haley said that the UN is “a disproportionately hostile place for the Middle East’s most enduring democracy,” Israel.
Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon attacked the proposed resolution saying that “members of the Security Council can vote another hundred times to criticize our presence in Jerusalem, but history won’t change. While the Jewish people celebrate the holiday of Hanukkah that symbolizes the eternal connection to Jerusalem, there are people who think that they can rewrite history. It’s time for all countries to recognize that Jerusalem always was and always will be the capital of the Jewish people and the capital of Israel.”
He further added that “each country has the right to establish its own capital, but when it comes to Israel, there are people who think that they can cast doubt on our decision. We are grateful to the U.S. for its steadfastness in standing with the State of Israel, and the truth.”