The US just vetoed an effort in the UN Security Council that essentially called for the US to withdraw it’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel:
REUTERS – The United States was further isolated on Monday over President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital when it blocked a United Nations Security Council call for the declaration to be withdrawn.
The remaining 14 council members voted in favor of the Egyptian-drafted resolution, which did not specifically mention the United States or Trump but which expressed “deep regret at recent decisions concerning the status of Jerusalem.”
The draft also affirmed “that any decisions and actions which purport to have altered the character, status or demographic composition of the Holy City of Jerusalem have no legal effect, are null and void and must be rescinded in compliance with relevant resolutions of the Security Council.”
“We call on all sides to come and negotiate … Not to come to the Security Council or to the General Assembly, it’s a waste of time. The only way to move forward is by direct negotiations,” Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, told reporters before the vote on Monday.
The draft resolution had also called upon all countries to refrain from establishing diplomatic missions in Jerusalem.
U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley told the council before the vote: “The United States has an undiminished commitment to helping bring about final status negotiations that will lead to lasting peace. Our hand remains extended to both parties.”
While I dislike the notion that we are still committed to ‘final status’ negotiations as part of some peace deal, I realize that the Jerusalem decision by Trump a few weeks ago has severely hurt the so-called peace process and I’m totally okay with that.
Now that we’ve vetoed this decision, Erdogan and his cronies will likely try to get the larger UN to take up this issue.