UN General Assembly overwhelmingly passed non-binding resolution on Thursday condemning Trump’s move on Jerusalem and calling on countries not to move their diplomatic missions to the city.
A total of 128 countries defied warnings from the United States and voted in favour of the text. Donald Trump forcefully reiterated in an address before the vote by US envoy Nikki Haley to cut aid to countries that opposed the motion.
Nine countries — the US, Israel, Togo, Micronesia, Guatemala, Nauru, Palau, Marshall Islands and Honduras — voted against the resolution.
There were 35 abstentions, including a number of countries such as Colombia, Mexico, Malawi and Rwanda. A further 21 countries did not vote at all.
By abstaining, Hungary, Croatia, Latvia, Romania and the Czech Republic broke European Union consensus on the vote.
The EU had previously vehemently rejected any attempt to change Jerusalem’s status in the absence of a final peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, in a video, that “Israel completely rejects this preposterous resolution. Jerusalem is our capital — always was, always will be.”
However, he added: “I do appreciate the fact that a growing number of countries refuse to participate in this theatre of the absurd.” He thanked Trump and Haley for their “stalwart defence” of Israel.
Passing the resolution distances the prospects for peace, Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, said prior to the vote.
“If you vote for it, you’re rejecting peace,” he said, giving his back to the UN resolution as he said that he had no doubt that this resolution will end up “in the trash bin of history.”
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