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STORY: UN / JERUSALEM US VETO
TRT: 04:07
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ARABIC / ENGLISH / FRENCH / NATS
DATELINE: 18 DECEMBER 2017, NEW YORK CITY
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, UNHQ exterior
18 DECEMBER 2017, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. Pan right, Security Council voting
4. Wide shot, US ambassador voting
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Nikki Haley, Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations:
“What we witnessed here today in the Security Council is an insult. It won’t be forgotten. It’s one more example of the United Nations doing more harm than good in addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Today, for the simple act of deciding where to put our embassy, the United States was forced to defend its sovereignty. The record will reflect that we did so proudly.”
6. Wide shot, Security Council
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Nikki Haley, Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations:
“When the American people see a group of countries whose total contributions to the Palestinian people is less than one percent of UNRWA’s budget – when they see these countries accuse the United States of being insufficiently committed to peace – the American people lose their patience.”
8. Wide shot, Security Council
9. SOUNDBITE (French) François Delattre, Permanent Representative of the French Republic to the United Nations:
“The result of today's vote reflects the desire of 14 members of this Council to reaffirm their collective commitment to international law, including the resolutions of this Council, on an essential issue, the status of Jerusalem, which is decisive for any prospect of peace. It stressed the will of a large majority of the members of the Council not to recognize any decision contrary to the resolutions, as requested by the draft submitted by Egypt.”
10. Wide shot, Security Council
11. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations:
“It is truly regrettable that the United States chose to ignore international law and abandon international consensus regarding the Question of Palestine to please the oppressive Israeli occupation at the expense of our legitimate rights and the justness of our cause. With this veto, the United States missed an opportunity to correct its illegitimate decision regarding Jerusalem, and went further in its historic mistake.”
12. Wide shot, US and Israeli ambassadors
13. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations:
“This illegitimate and irresponsible unilateral decision did not change anything for Palestinians. Jerusalem still is and will remain forever the beating heart of Palestine. Our history, our culture, our heritage, and our religion, as Muslims and Christians, are deeply attached to this city and are woven from the fragrance of its history. The cradle of civilizations and the land of the celestial messages is stronger than blockade, dominance, and monopoly.”
14. Wide shot, US and Israeli ambassadors
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Danny Danon, Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations:
“Those who voted for today's resolution have only reaffirmed the UN's decades-long double standard when it comes to Israel. They are guilty of blatant hypocrisy. 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.”
16. Med shot, Palestinian ambassador
17. SOUNDBITE (English) Danny Danon, Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations:
“Just 100 years after the miracle of Hanukah, our Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. The Jewish people were exiled from Jerusalem. But the connection between Jerusalem and the Jewish people was never broken. It will never be broken -not by the Romans, not by the Babylonians, not by the Ottoman Turks, not by the British Empire, and not by the United Nations.”
18. Wide shot, Security Council
After vetoing a draft resolution calling on countries not to establish diplomatic missions in Jerusalem, United States ambassador Nikki Haley said, “What we witnessed here today in the Security Council is an insult; it won’t be forgotten.”
The draft was put forward by Egypt on behalf of the Arab group and received 14 out of 15 votes in the Security Council. The draft aimed at reaffirming previous Council resolutions regarding the Question of Palestine and called on coutnries not to establish diplomatic missions in Jerusalem.
Speaking to the Council today (18 Dec) following the vote, Haley expressed her regret that some were trying to distort President Trump’s decision to move to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. She said her country had the courage to recognize what she called the reality Jerusalem has been the political, cultural, and spiritual homeland of the Jewish people for thousands of years.
Haley said the US would not be told by any country where it can put its embassy adding that the accusation that the US was setting back the prospects of peace in the Middle East is a scandalous charge.
Haley stressed that the United States remains committed to the Middle East peace process. She said the decision to veto the resolution was in defence of US sovereignty and in the best interest of the Israeli and Palestinian people.
French ambassador said the Egyptian draft “stressed the will of a large majority of the members of the Council not to recognize any decision contrary to the resolutions.” He said the result of today’s vote reflected “the desire of 14 members of this Council to reaffirm their collective commitment to international law, including the resolutions of this Council, on an essential issue, the status of Jerusalem, which is decisive for any prospect of peace.”
Palestinian ambassador Riyad Mansour expressed his regret that the United States “chose to ignore international law and abandon international consensus regarding the Question of Palestine to please the oppressive Israeli occupation at the expense of our legitimate rights and the justness of our cause.” He said US missed an opportunity to “correct its illegitimate decision regarding Jerusalem, and went further in its historic mistake.”
Mansour said the idea presented that international law and Security Council resolutions are the problem rather than illegal settlement activities was a farce. He said the US statements made today in both Council meetings are proof of the US bias in favour of Israel and hinders its role in any future peace process. He called for a new approach to the peace process under the umbrella of the United Nations.
Mansour stressed that no veto could retroactively nullify Security Council resolutions which are legally binding. He said it is strange that the country which used veto power today is the same country which reaffirms the Council’s authority and the importance of respecting its resolutions in all other matters.
Israeli ambassador Danny Danon said Council members who voted in favour of the draft “have only reaffirmed the UN's decades-long double standard when it comes to Israel” and are “guilty of blatant hypocrisy.” He said 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.”
Danon said Jerusalem was declared the capital of the Jewish people 3000 years ago by King David and it has been Israel’s capital for 70 years. He added that Jews all over the world celebrate Hanukah, during which the Maccabees drove out the Hellenists and reclaimed Jerusalem.
Danon stressed that Council members could vote again and again to denounce Israeli presence in Jerusalem but would never succeed in changing the bible or rewriting history. He called on all countries to recognize that Jerusalem is, always has been, and always will be the capital of the Jewish people and the State of Israel.
