Grateful Israelis hail Haley
She’s the toast of Tel Aviv. Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN, has emerged as a darling to Israel for vowing not to let the world body bully the Jewish state.
“I have never taken kindly to bullies, and the UN has bullied Israel for a very long time,” she told President Reuven Rivlin, who called her a “dear friend of Israel.”
“We are not going to let that happen anymore. It is a new day for Israel in the United Nations,” she added Wednesday.
Rivlin thanked Haley for her protection of Israel, saying it marked a “new era.”
“We appreciate your strong stand on the world’s most important stage, in support of the security of the people and the state of Israel,” he said. “Israel is no longer alone at the UN. Israel is no longer the UN’s punching bag.”
In an earlier meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also praised Haley.
“Thank you for all your help and standing up for Israel, standing up for the truth, which is standing up for America. Actually, I think it’s standing up for the UN as it was originally conceived,” Netanyahu said, the Times of Israel reported.
“People appreciate truth. We have an ancient Hebrew saying that when somebody tells a truth, you can feel it. So people feel it, they not only understand it, they feel it. And we feel it.”
Haley said she was surprised by how much love Israelis have showered on her.
“You know, that’s all I’ve done — tell the truth — and the reaction is kind of overwhelming,” Haley said, calling Israel-bashing at the UN a “habit.”