UN to vote on Haley’s last stand: condemning Hamas
UNITED NATIONS, United States: The UN General Assembly will vote Thursday on a USdrafted resolution condemning the Palestinian Hamas movement, in what could mark US Ambassador Nikki Haley’s parting gesture at the United Nations.
Haley, who will step down as UN ambassador at the end of the year, has repeatedly accused the United Nations of having an anti-Israel bias and strongly supports Israel in its latest confrontation with Hamas in Gaza.
If adopted, it would mark the first time the 193-nation assembly has taken aim at Hamas, the Islamist militant group that has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2007.
The United States has won crucial backing from the European Union, with all 28 countries set to support the US measure that condemns Hamas for firing rockets into Israel and demands an end to the violence.
Diplomats however warn the session could go awry over procedural issues, notably whether a majority of two-thirds will be required for adoption or a simple majority.
There was also much diplomatic wrangling after the Palestinians presented an amendment to the US text to include a reference to UN resolutions that condemn Israeli settlements, call for negotiations on East Jerusalem and pledge support for the two-state solution.
In negotiations with the Europeans, the United States agreed to add a mention of “relevant UN resolutions” without specifying which ones. The US text does not refer specifically to the two-state solution.
After talks with the Europeans late Wednesday, the Palestinians agreed to withdraw their amendment and instead table a separate resolution, diplomats said.
That move increased the chances that the US measure will be adopted, as well as the Palestiniandrafted resolution. EU countries plan to support both measures.
Haley rattled the United Nations when she arrived in January 2017 vowing that the United States will be ‘taking names’ of countries that oppose President Donald Trump’s foreign policy.
Ahead of the vote on Thursday, the US ambassador sent a letter to all UN missions to make clear that “the United States takes the outcome of this vote very seriously.”
The vote at the assembly could be a crowning achievement for Haley as she prepares to step away from public life. — AFP