Trump Threatens to Cut Aid over UN Jerusalem Resolution
Image Courtesy: Nitesh Kumar
The US President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to withdraw financial aid from countries which backed the United Nations resolution against the US's move of recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The Egypt sponsored resolution, which was vetoed by the US, expressed “deep regret at recent decisions concerning the status of Jerusalem”. The US was outnumbered, as 14 of the UN Security council’s members backed the resolution.
"They take hundreds of millions of dollars and even billions of dollars, and then they vote against us," Trump was quoted as saying.
"We're watching those votes. Let them vote against us. We'll save a lot. We don't care," he added.
Trump’s warning mostly targets the UN members in Africa, Asia and Latin America, many of which receive billions of dollars in US aid, which makes them vulnerable.
“Egypt, which drafted Monday’s UN security council resolution, is particularly vulnerable, receiving $1.2bn in US aid last year. But Trump’s comments may also resonate elsewhere – including in the UK, which is hoping to negotiate a quick post-Brexit trade deal with Washington.” notes, British journalist Peter Beaumont.
Britain, France, Italy, Japan and Ukraine, key US-allied were among the 14 UNSC members that voted in favour of the resolution on Monday.
Trump's remarks came after the US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley tweeted saying that "The US will be taking names" of those criticising the US choice at the UN General Assembly, Xinhua reported.
The UN General Assembly (UNGA) will meet for a rare emergency session to discuss the status of Jerusalem on Thursday, after the US vetoed earlier an Egypt-drafted request, asking Washington to withdraw its decision to recognise the city as Israel's capital. Though the resolutions passed in UNGA are non-binding, unlike the security council, there are no veto rights for permanent members of UN.
The draft resolution at UNGA reaffirms 10 security council resolutions on Jerusalem dating back to 1967. The resolution “affirms that any decisions and actions which purport to have altered, the character, status or demographic composition of the holy city of Jerusalem have no legal effect, are null and void and must be rescinded”.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) described the Trump’s threat to countries voting against his Jerusalem decision as extortion and blackmail.
(with inputs from IANS)
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