Trump threatens Jerusalem foes with U.S. funding halt
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Wednesday to cut off U.S. funding to countries that support a resolution criticizing his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
“We’ll save a lot. We don’t care,” he said, alluding to U.S. aid.
The president strongly supported U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley who said Tuesday that the United States “will be taking names” of countries that vote in favour of a General Assembly resolution Thursday declaring that Jerusalem’s status can be changed only by direct IsraeliPalestinian negotiations.
“For all these nations, they take our money and then vote against us. They take hundreds of millions of dollars, even billions of dollars and then they vote against us,” Trump told reporters at a cabinet meeting in Washington with Haley sitting nearby.
“We’re watching those votes. Let them vote against us.”
In a letter to over 180 of the 193 UN member states and an even tougher tweet Tuesday, Haley hinted at possible U.S. retaliation but Trump’s comments made clear to recipients of U.S. assistance that billions of dollars could be at stake.
Haley’s threat drew sharp criticism from the Palestinian and Turkish foreign ministers before they flew to New York for the General Assembly vote.
They accused the U.S. of intimidation.
Nihad Awad, national executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, tweeted after Trump’s comments: “Our government should not use its leadership at the UN to bully/blackmail other nations that stand for religious liberty and justice in Jerusalem. Justice is a core value of Christianity, Judaism and Islam.”
Ambassador Rhonda King of the tiny Caribbean nation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines sent Haley a letter saying that her country treasures the United States “as an enduring ally” but will vote against Trump’s action.
“Sometimes, friends differ; on Jerusalem, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines respectfully differs from the USA; and so, too, do many of the staunchest friends and allies of the USA,” King wrote.
“We gently urge yet again that the government of the USA rethink its position and approach on this entire matter.”
Before Haley’s letter and tweet, Palestinian UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour told the Associated Press he expected “massive support” for the resolution in the General Assembly.
What impact the threats from Trump and Haley will have remains to be seen.
Israel has also been conducting a global lobbying campaign against the resolution, government officials said Wednesday.
The vote will show whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has succeeded in his efforts to drum up new pockets of support in the developing world.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport before flying to New York that they believe United Nations member countries will ignore “pressure” from Haley.
Al-Maliki said he believes that countries will vote their conscience today, and “they will vote for justice.”