Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the UN as a “house
of lies” ahead of a vote on Thursday on a draft resolution calling
on the United States to withdraw its recognition of Jerusalem as
Israel’s capital.
“The State of Israel totally rejects this vote, even before (the
resolution‘s) approval,” Netanyahu said in a speech at a hospital
dedication in the port city of Ashdod.
The 193-member UN General Assembly will hold a rare emergency
special session on Thursday at the request of Arab and Muslim
countries to vote on the draft resolution, which the U.S. vetoed on
Monday in the 15-member UN Security Council.
Generating outrage from Palestinians and the Arab and Muslim
world, and concern among Washington’s Western allies, President
Donald Trump abruptly reversed decades of U.S. policy on December 6
when he recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
Palestinians have protested daily in the occupied West Bank and
in the Gaza Strip since Trump’s announcement, throwing stones at
security forces and burning tires.
Gaza militants have also launched sporadic rocket fire.
Eight Palestinians have been killed by Israeli gunfire during
the demonstrations and dozens wounded, Palestinian health officials
said.
Two militants were killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza after
a rocket attack.
Trump threatened on Wednesday to cut off financial aid to
countries that vote in favour of the UN draft resolution, and his
ambassador to the world body, Nikki Haley said the U.S. “will be
taking names”.
Netanyahu, in his speech, thanked Trump and Haley for “their
brave and uncompromising stance”.
He repeated his prediction that other countries would eventually
follow Washington’s lead in pledging to move their embassies from
Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
“The attitude towards Israel of many countries, on all
continents, outside the walls of the UN, is changing and will
ultimately permeate into the UN-the house of lies,” he said.
Most countries regard the status of Jerusalem as a matter to be
settled in an eventual Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement,
although that process is now stalled.
Israel considers Jerusalem its eternal and indivisible capital
and wants all embassies based there.
Palestinians want the capital of an independent Palestinian
state to be in the city’s eastern sector, which Israel captured in
the 1967 Middle East War and annexed in a move never recognised
internationally.
Reuters/NAN
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the UN as a “house
of lies” ahead of a vote on Thursday on a draft resolution calling
on the United States to withdraw its recognition of Jerusalem as
Israel’s capital.
“The State of Israel totally rejects this vote, even before (the
resolution‘s) approval,” Netanyahu said in a speech at a hospital
dedication in the port city of Ashdod.
The 193-member UN General Assembly will hold a rare emergency
special session on Thursday at the request of Arab and Muslim
countries to vote on the draft resolution, which the U.S. vetoed on
Monday in the 15-member UN Security Council.
Generating outrage from Palestinians and the Arab and Muslim
world, and concern among Washington’s Western allies, President
Donald Trump abruptly reversed decades of U.S. policy on December 6
when he recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
Palestinians have protested daily in the occupied West Bank and
in the Gaza Strip since Trump’s announcement, throwing stones at
security forces and burning tires.
Gaza militants have also launched sporadic rocket fire.
Eight Palestinians have been killed by Israeli gunfire during
the demonstrations and dozens wounded, Palestinian health officials
said.
Two militants were killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza after
a rocket attack.
Trump threatened on Wednesday to cut off financial aid to
countries that vote in favour of the UN draft resolution, and his
ambassador to the world body, Nikki Haley said the U.S. “will be
taking names”.
Netanyahu, in his speech, thanked Trump and Haley for “their
brave and uncompromising stance”.
He repeated his prediction that other countries would eventually
follow Washington’s lead in pledging to move their embassies from
Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
“The attitude towards Israel of many countries, on all
continents, outside the walls of the UN, is changing and will
ultimately permeate into the UN-the house of lies,” he said.
Most countries regard the status of Jerusalem as a matter to be
settled in an eventual Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement,
although that process is now stalled.
Israel considers Jerusalem its eternal and indivisible capital
and wants all embassies based there.
Palestinians want the capital of an independent Palestinian
state to be in the city’s eastern sector, which Israel captured in
the 1967 Middle East War and annexed in a move never recognised
internationally.
Reuters/NAN