NEW YORK —-The United States vetoes a United Nations Security Council resolution Monday denouncing President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel earlier this month. The resolution called on “all states to refrain from the establishment of diplomatic missions in the Holy City of Jerusalem,” and demanded that countries “comply with Security Council resolutions regarding the Holy City of Jerusalem, and not to recognize any actions or measures contrary to those resolutions.”
Following the veto, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu posted a recorded video message thanking U.S ambassador to the U.N Nikki Haley, ‘Thankyou Ambassador Haley, On Chanukah, you spoke like a Maccabee. You lit a candle of truth and dispelled the darkness,’ said Netanyahu, ‘One defeated the many, and the truth defeated the lies,’ he added.
Ahead of the vote, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon harshly criticized the resolution, saying that 100 UN votes would do nothing to change the fact that Jerusalem “is, has always been and will always be” the capital.
“Every other country in the world has the right to designate its capital city. But when it comes to Israel, somehow this most basic national right is questioned and condemned. We thank the United States for standing with Israel and staying loyal to the truth,” Danon said.
Ambassador Danon noted that Jews around the world are now celebrating the holiday of Chanukah. “It seems that some of those who wish us well have forgotten exactly why we celebrate Chanukah. Chanukah is about the liberation of Jerusalem…It is about reinstating Jewish sovereignty more than two-thousand years ago over our capital, Jerusalem.”