Solid global call against Trumps al-Quds decision

The UN General Assembly vote on a resolution drafted by Egypt, calling for a status of Jerusalem, became a referendum on Trump’s decision to recognize the city as Israel’s capital. Results should force the U.S. to take steps backwards from the decision, 128 of the UNGA’s 193 member-countries voted for the resolution, and only nine against it.

Among those voting for the resolution that “deeply regretted” the U.S. decision were its NATO allies, Germany, the U.K. and France, its Asian allies Japan and South Korea; its closest neighbours Canada and Mexico chose merely to abstain. The overwhelming majority ignored Trump and his UN Ambassador Nikki Haley’s threats that all countries that defied America would be ‘named and shamed’ and face cancellation of U.S. aid.

The suggestion was that the U.S. would exact its revenge by refusing to support these countries when they next need it at the UN. Israel showed deep derision from the UN assembly, in which Netanyahu referred to as a “house of lies”, and also the regime’s envoy called all the 128 countries “puppets forced to dance”. Such threats and epithets mark new lows in international diplomacy, and Israel and the U.S. come away looking like churlish bullies for issuing them.

With all its weaknesses, the UN is a global collective, and it is imperative to acknowledge its mandate when such a large number of nations speak in one voice.