Congress votes to rebuke UN
WASHINGTON -- The House overwhelmingly approved a bipartisan measure Thursday that rebukes the United Nations for criticizing Israeli settlements as Republicans used the debate to accuse President Barack Obama of turning his back on the Jewish state.
Lawmakers voted 342-80 for the non-binding resolution that declares unwavering support for Israel and insists that the United States reject any future U.N. actions that are similarly “one-sided and anti-Israel.”
“Our government abandoned our ally Israel when she needed us the most,” said House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis. “It is time to repair the damage done by this misguided hit job at the U.N.”
The measure divided Democrats. Nearly 80 opposed the measure because they said it contained inaccuracies and distorted the complexities of the Middle East peace process. They also accused Republicans of attacking Obama unfairly in the waning days of his presidency.
“The point of the measure seems to be to bash Obama on the way out,” said Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., who along with many other Democrats still voiced strong support for Israel. They said Obama deserved credit for engineering last year’s new, long-term security agreement that gives Israel $38 billion in U.S. military aid, including $5 billion for missile defenses.
A similar bipartisan measure to reprimand the U.N. has been introduced in the Senate. “Israel is always the bad guy in the eyes of the United Nations,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., one of the measure’s co-sponsors.