The voting results are displayed on the floor of the United Nations General Assembly in which the United States declaration of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital was declared “null and void” on December 21, 2017 in New York City.. (photo credit: SPENCER PLATT / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES/AFP)
In a blow to Israel’s right to self-defense the United Nations General Assembly voted not to condemn Hamas violence and in favor of international protection for the Palestinian people along the Gaza border, in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.
The dramatic three hour debate ended on Wednesday evening with resounding applause for the Palestinians as a resolution that censured Israeli actions in Gaza with 45 abstentions and no mention of Hamas.
An American amendment condemning Hamas was struck down, even though it had a slim majority, 62-58 and 42 abstentions. The vote just barely fell short of the required two-thirds majority to pass.
Prior to the vote, United States Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley said that her country’s amendment “reflects the minimum truth of what is going on in Gaza. It is the least that any self-respecting international organization or nation can do for the cause of peace.”
“To those who are unsure about how to vote, I ask, what part of our amendment is objectionable? Is it objectionable to condemn Hamas for firing the rockets at civilians?” Haley asked.
“Today’s choice for the General Assembly is simple. It is the choice between using our time here to advance peace and security, or using it to stoke hatred and conflict. This vote will tell us much about which countries are serious about accuracy and reconciliation and which countries are bound by their political agendas,” she said.
Israel’s Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon told the General Assembly prior to Haley’s statement that if the UN approved the Palestinian resolution, “it will have signed in writing its unequivocal support for terrorism against Israel.”
“Let us not pretend,” Danon said. “If ISIS were to attack Stockholm tomorrow, ISIS would be held responsible for the attack. If al-Qaeda assaulted Paris, the UN would issue the strongest condemnation of al-Qaeda,” he added.
“Only when Hamas attacks Israel does the U.N. seek to blame Israel,” Danon said.
“The moral majority in this chamber should not tolerate a different standard for Israeli victims of terror,” he said.
“I have a simple message for those who support this resolution. You are the ammunition for Hamas’s guns. You are the warheads for Hamas’s missiles,” Danon said.
The U.N. General Assembly debate was called by Algeria, Turkey and the Palestinian Authority to put forward a resolution that supported a U.N. protection force for Palestinians.
The PA turned to the U.N. General Assembly after the U.N. Security Council rejected a similar draft two weeks ago.
This resolution calls on U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres to submit a written report within 60 days with recommendation on how to ensure the safety of the Palestinian population “under Israeli occupation” including “recommendations regarding an international protection mechanism.”
The PA called for the session through a mechanism called the Uniting for Peace Resolution, designed in the Cold War era to circumvent UNSC veto by the former Soviet Union.
There are those who contend that the resolution gives the U.N. General Assembly the ability to act in cases where the UNSC is deadlocked.
The U.N. has rejected that interpretation, arguing it does not grant such power to the UNGA.
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