US President Donal Trump has threatened to cut aid to countries that will today (Thursday, December21) vote in favour of a UN draft 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 was quoted by an International News Agency.
The UN General Assembly will hold an emergency session on Thursday to vote on the controversial US decision.
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The motion is expected to pass easily in the 193-member UN body, but it will be non-binding.
Trump’s comments came after Nikki Haley, US ambassador to the UN, sent threatening letters to UN member states, urging them to vote against the motion.
Referencing tomorrow's UN vote criticizing the US embassy move. In the words of the President, "Let them vote against us, we'll save a lot." pic.twitter.com/eUGWD4cCBR
— Archive: Ambassador Nikki Haley (@AmbNikkiHaley) December 20, 2017
Haley also said on Twitter “the US will be taking names” of countries that vote in favour of the resolution.
At the UN we're always asked to do more & give more. So, when we make a decision, at the will of the American ppl, abt where to locate OUR embassy, we don't expect those we've helped to target us. On Thurs there'll be a vote criticizing our choice. The US will be taking names. pic.twitter.com/ZsusB8Hqt4
— Archive: Ambassador Nikki Haley (@AmbNikkiHaley) December 19, 2017
Riyad al-Malki, Palestinian foreign minister, on Wednesday accused the US of “threatening” member countries of the UN General Assembly in advance of the vote.
Malki said American officials were “committing another mistake when they have distributed this famous letter trying to threaten countries, [and] threaten their sovereign decision to choose how to vote” adding that the UN session would show “how many countries will opt to vote with their conscience”.
Trump on December 6 declared Jerusalem to be Israel’s capital and announced the intention to move its embassy to the city.
The contentious move prompted large-scale protests and condemnation from leaders around the world.
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