US Vetoes

From the BBC:
"Jerusalem: US vetoes UN resolution rejecting Trump's declaration"

The US has vetoed a draft UN Security Council resolution rejecting President Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The text put forward by Egypt affirmed that any decisions on the status of Jerusalem had "no legal effect, are null and void and must be rescinded ". The 14 other members of the council voted in favour of the motion. The US permanent representative, Nikki Haley, described it as an "insult" and warned that it would not be forgotten. "It's one more example of the United Nations doing more harm than good in addressing the Israeli Palestinian conflict," she added. "Today, for the simple act of deciding where to put our embassy, the United States was forced to defend its sovereignty. The record will reflect that we did so proudly."  Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem has never been recognised internationally, and all countries currently maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv. However, President Trump has told the US state department to start work on moving the US embassy.  The draft resolution avoided any specific mention of the US or Mr Trump in order to gain maximum support, says the BBC's Nada Tawfik in New York. It instead urged "all states to refrain from the establishment of diplomatic missions in the holy city of Jerusalem".  It also demanded that "all states comply with Security Council resolutions regarding the Holy City of Jerusalem, and not to recognise any actions or measures contrary to those resolutions." A veto by Washington was inevitable, our correspondent adds, But the four other permanent members of the Security Council - China, France, Russia and the UK - and 10 non-permanent members voted in favour.  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Ms Haley on Twitter for using the veto.   But a spokesman for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called the move "unacceptable and threatens the stability of the international community because it disrespects it".

^ The US was completely in the right to veto this resolution. ^

www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-42394264