Alwaght- Foreign ministers of Turkey and Iran blamed the US bullying over 190 member of the UN into voting against a pro-Palestinian draft resolution that calls for Trump administration’s declaration of al-Quds (Jerusalem) as the capital of Israeli regime to be withdrawn.
“We expect strong support at the UN vote, but we see that the United States, which was left alone, is now resorting to threats. No honorable, dignified country would bow down to this pressure,” said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu before leaving Istanbul with his Palestinian counterpart for the emergency meeting in New York on Thursday.
Iranian foreign minister also in his official twitter account rebuked Washington’s intimidation, saying “Trump regime exposes contempt for democracy through its threats against those who dare resist its thuggish demands at the UN—all while Trump insults Iran crudely as “dictatorship”. US version of democracy stops at rhetoric of "either with us or against us".
The US vetoed on Monday a UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution on al-Quds that was approved by 14 members, even the UK and France, of the 15-meber world body. In response to the US decision to use its veto power Muslim countries proposed to hold an emergency UN General Assembly on Thursday to vote on a draft resolution with the aim of countering Trump’s provocative decision to relocate US embassy from Tel Aviv to al-Quds. The isolated US leaders who see themselves devoided of veto power privilege at the UN General Assembly have this time resorted to threats to prevent a pro-Palestinian document from being approved.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley on Twitter has come up with a warning for those taking part, saying “At the UN we're always asked to do more and give more. So, when we make a decision, at the will of the American people, about where to locate OUR embassy, we don't expect those we've helped to target us”.
“On Thursday there’ll be a vote criticizing our choice. The US will be taking names,” she added.
On Wednesday, amplifying Haley’s threat, Donald Trump vowed to withhold “billions” of dollars in US aid from countries that vote in favor of the UN resolution rejecting his recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
“Let them vote against us,” he said. “We’ll save a lot. We don’t care. But this isn’t like it used to be, where they could vote against you and then you pay them hundreds of millions of dollars,” he noted. “We’re not going to be taken advantage of any longer.”
Turkey is hoping to “push through” a UNGA resolution that criticizes the US.
“We want America to turn back from this wrong and unacceptable decision,” the Turkish foreign minister said earlier in the Azeri capital Baku, where he met Iranian and Azeri ministers. “God willing, we will push through the General Assembly a resolution in favor of Palestine and Jerusalem,” he said.
“From now on, we will be more active in defending the rights of Palestinians. We will work harder for the international recognition of an independent Palestinian state,” he told reporters in Baku.
US provocative decision to recognize Palestinian holy city of al-Quds as Israeli regime capital has triggered massive protests in the occupied Palestinian territories, Muslim countries and even was faced with tough opposition from Washington’s closest allies.
The Israeli regime lays claim to the entire city as its “capital,” while Palestinians maintain that the flashpoint city is the undisputed capital of a future independent Palestinian state.
