The United Nations body’s debate and vote highlighted for a second time in a week the international isolation of the United States over the Jerusalem issue
The United Nations general assembly has delivered a stinging rebuke to Donald Trump, voting by a huge majority to reject his unilateral recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
The vote came after a redoubling of threats by Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN, who said that Washington would remember which countries “disrespected” America by voting against it.
Despite the warning, 128 members voted on Thursday in favour of the resolution supporting the longstanding international consensus that the status of Jerusalem – which is claimed as a capital by both Israel and the Palestinians – can only be settled as an agreed final issue in a peace deal. Countries which voted for the resolution included major recipients of US aid such as Egypt, Afghanistan and Iraq.
Although largely symbolic, the vote in emergency session of the world body had been the focus of days of furious diplomacy by both the Trump administration and Israel, including Trump’s threat to cut US funding to countries that did not back the US recognition.
But only nine states – including the United States and Israel –voted against the resolution. The other countries which supported Washington were Togo, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Marshall Islands, Guatemala and Honduras.
Play Video 1:03 'We will remember this’: US slams UN Jerusalem vote – video
Twenty-two of the 28 EU countries voted for the resolution, including the UK and France. Germany – which in the past has abstained on measures relating to Israel – also voted in favour.
Thirty-five countries abstained, including five EU states, and other US allies including Australia, Canada, Colombia and Mexico. Ambassadors from several abstaining countries, including Mexico, used their time on the podium to criticise Trump’s unilateral move.
Another 21 delegations were absent from the vote, suggesting the Trump’s warning over funding cuts and Israel’s lobbying may have had some effect.
While support for the resolution was somewhat less than Palestinian officials had hoped, the meagre tally of just nine votes in support of the US and Israeli position was a serious diplomatic blow for Trump.
Immediately after the vote the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, described the result as a “victory for Palestine”. The Palestinians’ UN envoy, Riyad Mansour, described the result as a “massive setback” for the US.
“They made it about them,” Mansour told AFP. “They did not make it about Jerusalem, so when you make it about them and to only be able to get nine votes to say ‘no’ to it, I think it was a complete failure for their campaign.”
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, rejected the UN vote out of hand.
“Israel thanks President Trump for his unequivocal position in favour of Jerusalem and thanks the countries that voted together with Israel, together with the truth,” said a statement from Netanyahu’s office.
Trump threatens to cut aid to countries over UN Jerusalem vote Read more
Speaking to the assembly before the vote, Haley – who earlier in the week told members that the US “would be taking names” – returned to the offensive.
“I must also say today: when we make generous contributions to the UN, we also have expectation that we will be respected,” she said. “What’s more, we are being asked to pay for the dubious privileges of being disrespected.”
Haley added: “If our investment fails, we have an obligation to spend our investment in other ways … The United States will remember this day.”
Q&A Why is recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital so contentious? Show Hide Of all the issues at the heart of the enduring conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, none is as sensitive as the status of Jerusalem. The holy city has been at the centre of peace-making efforts for decades. Seventy years ago, when the UN voted to partition Palestine into Jewish and Arab states, Jerusalem was defined as a separate entity under international supervision. In the war of 1948 it was divided, like Berlin in the cold war, into western and eastern sectors under Israeli and Jordanian control respectively. Nineteen years later, in June 1967, Israel captured the eastern side, expanded the city’s boundaries and annexed it – an act that was never recognised internationally. Israel routinely describes the city, with its Jewish, Muslim and Christian holy places, as its “united and eternal” capital. For their part, the Palestinians say East Jerusalem must be the capital of a future independent Palestinian state. The unequivocal international view, accepted by all previous US administrations, is that the city’s status must be addressed in peace negotiations. Recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital puts the US out of step with the rest of the world, and legitimises Israeli settlement-building in the east – considered illegal under international law. Photograph: Thomas Coex/AFP
In his own speech Israel’s UN ambassador, Danny Danon, said UN members who backed the resolution were being manipulated. “You are like puppets pulled by your Palestinian masters,” he told the session.
While Thursday’s resolution was in support of existing UN resolutions on Jerusalem and the peace process, the clumsy intervention by Trump and Haley also made the vote a referendum on Trump’s often unilateral and abrasive foreign policy.
The debate and vote highlighted for a second time in a week the international isolation of the United States over the Jerusalem issue, following a similar vote in the security council on Tuesday in which it was outnumbered 14-1.
Trump's bullying and bluster on Jerusalem is bad news for the UN | Patrick Wintour Read more
The threatening US posture, which had been denounced as both counter-productive and “bullying”, only seemed to have hardened the resolve of countries in opposing Trump’s 6 December move.
The resolution, co-sponsored by Turkey and Yemen, called Trump’s recognition “null and void” and reaffirmed 10 security council resolutions on Jerusalem, dating back to 1967, including requirements that the city’s final status must be decided in direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.
It also “demands that all states comply with security council resolutions regarding the holy city of Jerusalem, and not to recognise any actions or measures contrary to those resolutions”.
Earlier on Thursday, as it had become clear that the US and Israel would be heavily defeated, Netanyahu preemptively denounced the vote calling the UN a “house of lies”.
“The state of Israel rejects this vote outright,” Netanyahu said. “Jerusalem is our capital, we will continue to build there and additional embassies will move to Jerusalem.
“Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, whether or not the UN recognises this. It took 70 years for the United States to formally recognise this, and it will take years for the UN to do the same.”
Michael Oren, Israel’s deputy minister for diplomacy, called for Israel to cut its ties with the UN and expel the organisation from its Jerusalem offices.
“We must evict the UN from the scenic Governor’s House, where its bloated staff does nothing, and give this historic site to a school, a hospital or – best yet – a new US embassy.”
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Haley's warning: "The United States will remember this day"
The UN General Assembly has decisively backed a resolution effectively calling on the US to withdraw its recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
The text says that any decisions regarding the status of the city are "null and void" and must be cancelled.
The non-binding resolution was approved by 128 states, with 35 abstaining and nine others voting against.
It came after US President Donald Trump threatened to cut financial aid to those who backed the resolution.
Following the vote, state department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the US was exploring "various options" and no decisions had yet been made.
How did UN members vote?
The nine who voted against the resolution were the US, Israel, Guatemala, Honduras, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Togo
Among the 35 abstaining were Canada and Mexico
Those voting in favour included the other four permanent members of the UN Security Council (China, France, Russia and the UK) as well as key US allies in the Muslim world
There were 21 countries who did not turn up for the vote.
Read more: How did your country vote?
What is so contentious about Jerusalem's status?
The status of Jerusalem goes to the heart of Israel's conflict with the Palestinians.
Israel occupied the east of the city in the 1967 Middle East war and regards the entire city as its indivisible capital.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Why the city of Jerusalem matters
The Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state and its final status is meant to be discussed in the latter stages of peace talks.
Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem has never been recognised internationally, and all countries currently maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv. However, President Trump has told the US state department to start work on moving the US embassy.
What does the UN resolution say?
The 193-member UN General Assembly held the rare emergency special session at the request of Arab and Muslim states, who condemned Mr Trump's decision to reverse decades of US policy earlier this month.
The Palestinians called for the meeting after the US vetoed a Security Council resolution that was similar to the text approved on Thursday.
The text put forward by Turkey and Yemen does not mention the US, but expresses "deep regret at recent decisions concerning the status of Jerusalem".
It also says "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".
What do Israel and the Palestinians say?
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had promised to reject the results of the vote, calling the UN a "house of lies".
Afterwards he said in a statement: "Israel thanks President Trump for his unequivocal position in favour of Jerusalem and thanks those countries that voted alongside Israel, alongside the truth."
A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called the vote "a victory for Palestine".
How does the US see it?
In a speech before the vote, US permanent representative Nikki Haley stressed that the US decision did not prejudge any final status issues, and did not preclude a two-state solution if the parties agreed to that.
"The United States will remember this day, on which it was singled out for attack in the General Assembly for the very act of exercising our right as a sovereign nation," she said.
"America will put our embassy in Jerusalem. That is what the American people want us to do. And it is the right thing to do. No vote in the United Nations will make any difference on that."
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Trump: "We're watching those votes"
On Wednesday, Mr Trump warned he might cut financial aid to states who voted in favour of the resolution.
"They take hundreds of millions of dollars and even billions of dollars and then they vote against us," he said. "Well, we're watching those votes," he added. "Let them vote against us. We'll save a lot. We don't care."
Will Trump act in retaliation?
Analysis by Sebastian Usher, BBC Arab affairs analyst
The result of the UN General Assembly vote was inevitable: the US knew that the majority of states would vote for the resolution. But there may have been slightly more abstentions and votes against than had been expected - which will be some comfort to the Trump administration.
There's little surprise in the countries that voted against - the likes of Micronesia, Nauru and Togo had nothing to gain from voting against the interests of the US, which helps support them.
Canada, Mexico and Poland were amongst those that abstained, in a move that will do nothing to harm their relations with the US.
The votes for the resolution from powerful US allies, such as France, Germany and the UK, could be seen as a slap in the face for President Trump - but all would argue that they simply voted in line with the existing status quo at the UN. There was no pressing reason for them to switch from this stance.
But the real test of the vote will be whether the Trump administration acts on its threats to reconsider financial aid to some of those who backed the resolution. Key, too, will be whether the resolution will give fresh impetus to the protests against the US decision that have been going on ever since it was announced, but have yet to really catch fire.
(CNN) The United Nations voted overwhelmingly to condemn President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel despite threats from the US to pull funding from the world body.
Some 128 countries voted for the resolution, while nine voted "no," and 35 nations abstained, including Canada, Mexico and Australia.
The vote came after US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley issued a direct threat, saying that the US will think twice about funding the world body if it voted to condemn Trump's decision.
"The United States will remember this day in which it was singled out for attack in this assembly," Haley said. "We will remember it when we are called upon to once again make the world's largest contribution" to the UN and when other member nations ask Washington "to pay even more and to use our influence for their benefit."
Haley said the US will put its embassy in Jerusalem regardless of the vote.
"That is what the American people want us to do and it is the right thing to do," Haley said. "This vote will make a difference in how Americans look at the UN," she said. "And this vote will be remembered."
Haley's remarks followed a threat from Trump himself, who mentioned the UN vote at a Wednesday Cabinet meeting. "We're watching those votes," the President said. "Let them vote against us, we'll save a lot. We don't care."
Later Thursday an invitation was sent around to the 64 countries in addition to the US that did not support the resolution on Jerusalem, to attend a reception with Haley in January. The event was labeled as a means to thank the countries for "their friendship to the United States," according to a copy of the invite obtained by CNN.
Few countries seemed cowed, as nation after nation blasted the US at the emergency session of the UN General Assembly, condemning the Jerusalem decision as illegal, destabilizing, and a violation of international law.
Haley's stance also provoked a fiery tweet from John Brennan, who served as CIA director under President Obama: "Trump Admin threat to retaliate against nations that exercise sovereign right in UN to oppose US position on Jerusalem is beyond outrageous. Shows @realDonaldTrump expects blind loyalty and subservience from everyone—qualities usually found in narcissistic, vengeful autocrats."
Trump Admin threat to retaliate against nations that exercise sovereign right in UN to oppose US position on Jerusalem is beyond outrageous. Shows @realDonaldTrump expects blind loyalty and subservience from everyone—qualities usually found in narcissistic, vengeful autocrats. — John O. Brennan (@JohnBrennan) December 21, 2017
The US was joined in its "no" vote by Israel and a slew of small nations, including Micronesia, Nauru, Togo and Tonga, Palau, the Marshall Islands, Guatemala and Honduras.
Other abstainers included the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Croatia and South Sudan.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Trump and the countries that abstained in a statement issued shortly after the vote.
"Israel rejects the decision of the United Nations and, at the same time, we show gratitude to the high number of countries that abstained from this resolution," Netanyahu said. "Israel thanks President Trump on his unequivocal position in favor of Jerusalem and thanks other countries that voted together with Israel, together with the truth."
In the aftermath, Haley's office said the support the US did get counted as a victory of sorts, pointing out that nine countries voted against, 35 countries abstained, and 21 were absent.
"While the resolution passed, the vote breakdown tells a different story," a spokesman for the US mission said. "It's clear that many countries prioritized their relationship with the United States over an unproductive attempt to isolate us for a decision that was our sovereign right to make."
Before the vote, at least one world leader took the time to call out Trump directly.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a self-styled leader of the greater Muslim world, blasted the President during a speech in Ankara on Thursday.
"Mr. Trump, you cannot buy Turkey's democratic free will with your dollars, our decision is clear," Erdogan thundered.
"What is the cradle of democracy doing?" Erdogan said. "They are looking for people they can buy with their dollars." And he issued an appeal to other world leaders, saying, "do not, for the sake of a few dollars, sell off your democratic free will."
State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said the US would "explore various options" following the UN vote. Nauert said the White House and NSC told the State Department on Thursday afternoon that "the President's foreign policy team has been empowered to explore various options going forward with other nations, however no decisions have been made."
Nauert also said that "the UN vote is really not the only factor the administration would take into consideration in dealing with our foreign relations."
But at least one UN analyst said that the US threats about funding had an element of political theater about them, noting it would be hard for the US to pull support from countries such as Yemen, Pakistan or Afghanistan, and that the threats weren't likely to sway votes.
On issues relating to Palestinians, the US and Israel always either find themselves in a minority, or with a handful of other friends like the Marshall Islands in the face of overwhelming majorities in the General Assembly, said Richard Gowan, a New York-based UN expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations.
And despite the threats from Trump, "There's safety in numbers for most members of the UN," Gowan said.
"Smaller countries, poorer countries may get a little nervous when they hear the President's rhetoric," said Gowan, "but they will also gain confidence that all the big members of the Arab bloc are pretty much guaranteed to vote against the US position, as well as the Europeans."
US officials say the decision to recognize Jerusalem and move the US embassy there from Tel Aviv reflects the basic reality. Israel's seat of government sits in Jerusalem, say US officials who add that their decision has no bearing on a final resolution of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, or on the fate of holy sites of the world's three largest faiths.
The fate of Jerusalem is so fraught, however, that it is considered a "final status" issue, only to be decided at the end of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. No country bases their diplomatic mission in Jerusalem as a result.
Apart from Israel, none of the US' closest allies spoke before the vote. "No General Assembly resolution will ever drive us from Jerusalem," said Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon. "The United States simply stated a fact. They officially declared what has always been true. Jerusalem always has been and always will be the capital of Israel."
"Those who support this resolution are like puppets," Danon said, "puppets controlled by the strings of your Palestinian masters."
Otherwise, speaker after speaker at the UN emphasized US isolation, with the Palestinian representative declaring that the decision destroyed Washington's ability to act as a mediator in peace talks and left it with few allies by its side.
"What does this decision serve?" asked Ambassador Riyad Mansour. "It serves the Israeli government in implementing its colonial plans. It serves the powers of extremism ... Does the United States not wonder why it stands isolated," Mansour asked, "and why even its closest allies couldn't turn a blind eye to this decision?"
"The world is not for sale," said Venezuela's representative to the UN, Samuel Moncada Acosta, "and your threats imperil global peace."
"This decision is an outrageous assault to all universal values," Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said. "This is bullying," he said of the US approach. "We will not be intimated." And addressing the US directly, he added, "you can be strong, but this doesn't make you right."
Maleeha Lodi, the Pakistani representative to the UN, said, "we regret and reject" the decision. "We must uphold the prevalent and time-honored norms, both legal and moral," she said. The world "cannot and will not be complicit in any illegal activity."
Turkey co-sponsored with Yemen the draft resolution which calls on all countries to refrain from establishing diplomatic missions in Jerusalem. Any decision that alters the character, status or demographic composition of Jerusalem should "have no legal effect, are null and void and must be rescinded in compliance with relevant resolutions of the Security Council," it reads.
Some polling counters Haley's claim that the decision to move the embassy reflects the will of the US people. A University of Maryland Critical Issues poll released December 1 found that 63% of Americans oppose moving the embassy to Jerusalem, including 44% of Republicans. The pollsters questioned 2,000 people and had a margin of error of 2.19%.
A December 13 Monmouth University poll that found Trump at record low approval ratings also found that 39% of Americans thought moving the embassy to Jerusalem was a bad idea, while only 23% thought it was a good idea. Some 51% of respondents said it would lead to greater regional instability, while 10% said it would make the region more stable.
Correction: This article has been updated to reflect that 64 countries other than the US did not support the UN resolution and the fact that Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu spoke at the UN.
