Countries complaining about terrorism must vote for anti-Hamas motion at United Nations, says Danny Danon

Any country that votes against an American-sponsored UN resolution condemning Hamas when it comes to a vote this week will have no right to turn to the UN when it is victimized by terrorism, Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said.

Danon’s comments came Saturday during the Israel-America Council conference in Florida. The vote on the resolution condemning Hamas was originally scheduled to take place on Monday, but because of Palestinian requests is not expected to be voted on until Thursday.

The EU has announced that its 28 countries will support the resolution. This decision came after the original draft was altered slightly from an earlier draft, with reference made to “bearing in mind relevant UN resolutions” when reaffirming support for a “just, lasting and comprehensive peace between Israelis and Palestinians, in accordance with international law.”

The text does not refer specifically to a two-state solution, although this solution is anchored in numerous other “relevant UN resolutions.”

The altered draft text also makes specific reference to Palestinian Islamic Jihad when demanding that Hamas and other militant actors “cease all provocative actions and violent activity, including by using airborne incendiary devices.”

In June, when the US brought an amendment to a UN resolution condemning Israel for Gaza violence that would have also condemned Hamas, all 28 EU countries voted for it. Though that amendment passed with a majority of 62-58, with 42 abstentions, it was not adopted because of a procedural issue that it garner a two-thirds majority.

Danon said that the resolution affords the world an opportunity to take a strong stand against terror.

“There is a historic opportunity here, and we expect the countries of the world to join together in as one front against Hamas’s terrorism,” he said.

The US mission at the UN issued a statement saying that if the UN “cannot bring itself to adopt this resolution, then it has no business being involved in the peace discussions.”

The issue before the UN is “not whether it supports one form or another of a Middle East peace plan,” the statement read. “The issue is as plain as the resolution’s text.

“Each country will be asked to vote for or against the activities of Hamas, along with other militant groups like Palestinian Islamic Jihad.”