UNITED NATIONS (AP) — U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley says she vetoed a U.N. resolution demanding that President Donald Trump rescind his declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel “in defense of American sovereignty and in defense of America’s role in the Middle East peace process.”
She told the Security Council after casting the first U.S. veto in more than six years that “the United States will not be told by any country where we can put our embassy.”
Haley stressed that Trump “took great care not to prejudge final status negotiations in any way.”
The resolution was approved by the 14 other council members.
Haley accused some unnamed countries of “trying to distort the president’s decision to serve their own agendas,” and insisted the U.S. position “is fully in line with previous Security Council resolutions.”
Haley noted that the U.S. has given more than $5 billion to the Palestinians since 1994, more than any other country and she said: “The United States has never been more committed to peace in the Middle East.”
She called the vote “an insult,” and added, “It won’t be forgotten.”
Haley said “It’s one more example of the United Nations doing more harm than good in addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
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