Haley: UN makes ‘morally bankrupt judgement’ after passing resolution against Israel
The resolution, proposed by Algeria and Turkey, was passed with 120 “yes” votes to eight “no” votes, and 45 abstentions. It condemned Israel for using “excessive force” against the Palestinians during the recent violence in the Gaza Strip. A U.S. amendment condemning Hamas was rejected.
(June 13, 2018 / JNS) The U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday overwhelmingly voted to condemn Israel for using “excessive force” against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip in recent weeks.
The resolution, “Protection of the Palestinian civilian population,” which was proposed by Algeria and Turkey, was passed with 120 “yes” votes to eight “no” votes, and 45 abstentions. A similar resolution was rejected by the U.N. Security Council earlier this month after a U.S. veto.
“The nature of this resolution clearly demonstrates that politics is driving the day. It is totally one-sided. It makes not one mention of the Hamas terrorists who routinely initiate the violence in Gaza,” U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told the U.N. body.
In his address prior to the vote, Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon harshly criticized the countries supporting the resolution.
“The resolution before you today does not protect innocent Palestinians. It does not protect innocent Israelis. It does not condemn, does not even mention, Hamas the internationally recognized terrorist organization directly responsible the violence in our region,” he said. “By supporting this resolution, you are colluding with a terrorist organization. By supporting this resolution, you are empowering Hamas.”
Turning to the sponsors and supporters of the resolution, Ambassador Danon said: “I have a simple message for those who support this resolution. You are the ammunition for Hamas’s guns; you are the warheads for its missiles.”
Following the vote, Haley issued a statement saying that the United Nations “made the morally bankrupt judgement that the recent Gaza violence is all Israel’s fault.”
Nevertheless, Haley did praise the countries that supported her amendment to address Hamas’s role in the Gaza violence, saying that the “common practice of turning a blind eye to the U.N.’s anti-Israel bias is changing.”
“We had more countries on the right side than the wrong side,” she said.
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You can’t speak about Gaza without mentioning Hamas.
“The U.N.’s incessant focus on Israel not only brings shame to the organization. It also draws attention away from so many other pressing issues that demand the attention of the international community,” the statement said.
Netanyahu also slammed Hamas, saying it is responsible for the “terrible” situation there, as well as for the loss of life and suffering in recent weeks.
“Rather than improve the lives of the people of Gaza,” he said, “Hamas is using the civilian Palestinian population as human shields in its unremitting terror war against Israel.”