Nikki Haley Invited UN Countries That Didn't Vote to Condemn US Decision On Jerusalem to a 'Friendship' Party

TEHRAN (defapress)- After a United Nations vote condemning President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley invited all the countries that didn't vote for the resolution to a party to thank them for their "friendship to the United States" on Wednesday.

News ID: 67674

Date: 23 December 2017 - 12:45

The invite, which was sent via email, stated that a formal invitation would follow, and set the gala's date for January 3, 2018, Aol reported.

Only nine countries voted directly against the resolution, while 56 others either abstained or did not cast a ballot. The UN resolution passed overwhelmingly in the body's General Assembly with 128 countries voting in favor of it.

Haley had warned member states that Trump will take a vote on his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital “personally,” and she will report back to him on nay-sayers at the UN General Assembly.

The US continues to defend its decision to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital. The day before the emergency session, Haley sent a letter informing other countries’ representatives that all those objecting to the US position will be reported to Trump. Haley stressed that the US leader will be “carefully” following the vote.

“As you consider your vote, I encourage you to know the president and the US take this vote personally,” the letter stated, according to the newspaper.

“The president will be watching this vote carefully and has requested I report back on those who voted against us," she added.

Earlier, the ambassador said in a tweet that Washington “will be taking names” of those “criticizing our choice” during Thursday’s symbolic vote, as resolutions passed by the General Assembly are not legally binding.

US President had also threatened to cut aid to countries that vote in favour of a draft UN resolution condemning the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Trump said at the White House on Wednesday the US would be "watching those votes" in the General Assembly.

"They take hundreds of millions of dollars and even billions of dollars, and then they vote against us. Well, we're watching those votes. Let them vote against us. We'll save a lot. We don't care," Trump added.

On Thursday, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) overwhelmingly passed a non-binding resolution condemning US President Donald Trump’s decision and called on states not to move their diplomatic missions to the sacred city. The UNGA vote followed the US veto of a UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution Monday. All other UNSC members voted in favor of a motion to rescind Donald Trump’s move.

US President announced early December that Washington would be recognizing Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel’s capital, stressing that the United States would relocate the embassy in the occupied lands from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem al-Quds.

The move was hailed by Israel but condemned by the rest of the international community as one which undermines the peace talks.

Washington’s al-Quds move has raised a chorus of outcry across the international community. The Muslim world, the UN, world leaders from Europe to the Middle East to Australia, and even US allies in the West have criticized the bid, saying it would plunge the already tumultuous region into new upheaval.

Heavy clashes also broke out between Israeli troops and Palestinian protesters after Washington's decision in Jerusalem al-Qud's Old City, Hebron (al-Khalil), Bethlehem and Nablus in the West Bank as well as the besieged Gaza Strip.

According to reports, thousands of Palestinians were wounded by Israeli army's fire during protests against the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, while over 500 were detained by Israeli forces and police. Also, a number of Palestinian demonstrators have been killed in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank during the protests against the US President’s decision on Jerusalem.

People in different countries have also hit the streets to denounce Trump's recognition of Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel’s capital.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), in a statement issued following an extraordinary summit in Turkey's Istanbul, declared East Jerusalem the capital of Palestine "under occupation" and urged the US to withdraw from the peace process and back down from its Jerusalem decision.