Jerusalem: 128 UN members voted against Trump’s decision, abstentions included Australia
Despite supposed warnings from the United States to cut off foreign aid, some members of the United Nations voted against American President Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Australia was not one of them, refusing to join other countries in voting for the US to drop its decision.
Up to 128 UN members voted in favour of a nonbinding resolution criticising the decision, nine voted against it and 35 countries abstained during an emergency special session. Down Under, along with other Pacific nations, was not among the more than 100 countries.
The vote came after Trump and Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN, said that the US will be taking names of nations backing the resolution. The Jerusalem vote was something that Trump would watch very closely as he did not want to miss which voted for and against it. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan hit Trump about his comments, telling the POTUS that he cannot buy Turkey's democratic will with his dollars.
'A victory for Palestine'
But amid Trump and the US envoy’s tweets that appeared to warn about US funding cuts, the resolution passed. The final tally was read by UN General Assembly President Miroslav Lajčák.
A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the Thursday’s vote was "a victory for Palestine.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on the other hand, rejected the vote as "preposterous.”
Australia abstained
Aside from Australia, abstentions included the Solomon Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu and Tuvalu. Canada, Mexico, Philippines, Argentina, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Rwanda, Uganda, South Sudan and Colombia also joined Australia in abstaining, Radio NZ reports.
Gillian Bird, the Aussie UN ambassador, said that Australia wanted to see the US play a leadership role in brokering peace. "We do not wish to see any party isolated from the process,” Bird said. After the vote, she told the General Assembly “there is much in this resolution with which we agree.”
New Zealand backed up the resolution calling for Trump's country to withdraw the decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The country’s foreign policy position supports a two-state solution.
Haley told the General Assembly ahead of Thursday's vote that the US will remember this day in which it was singled out for the attack in the General Assembly. Countries which joined the US and Israel in voting no were Honduras, Marshall Islands, Guatemala, Micronesia, Palau, Nauru and Togo.
