Trump admin stands by Israel, rejects UN resolution backed by UK and France
The U.S. rejected a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, standing by Jerusalem. France, the U.K., Russia and China all supported the resolution, which received 14 votes in favor and one vote against, meaning it was not adopted by the council.
"It is inexplicable that many members of this council still refuse to acknowledge that Hamas could end this conflict tomorrow by surrendering and laying down its arms. It is unconscionable that the U.N. still has not labeled and sanctioned Hamas as a terrorist organization," U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Dorothy Shea said.
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In her remarks, Shea also stated that the Security Council could not "reward Hamas’ intransigence" after the terror group rejected multiple ceasefire proposals.
Hamas was not condemned in the draft resolution, which only included a demand that terror organizations in Gaza release the remaining 58 hostages.
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon thanked the U.S. for voting against the resolution.
"We thank the United States for standing on the right side. For standing on the side of truth, justice, and moral clarity. Thank you for refusing to abandon the hostages and for refusing to legitimize the lies of this resolution," Danon said in a statement.
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U.K. Ambassador to the U.N. Barbara Woodward defended her country’s decision to vote in favor of the resolution, saying that "the intolerable situation in Gaza needs to end." She said that the U.K. is "determined to see an end to this war," condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza and called on the Jewish state to ease restrictions on humanitarian aid.
Director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust Anne Bayefsky slammed the resolution and its "obscene equation between the hostages — who have been starved, tortured and executed over the past 19 months — and Palestinian prisoners." However, Bayefsky argued that the resolution was not just about the U.N. attacking Israel, it’s about members of the international body taking a swipe at President Donald Trump.
"Make no mistake, this is an attack on the United States, and President Trump in particular, by the French and the British, who are attempting to use the United Nations to sideline and belittle the U.S.," Bayefsky told Fox News Digital.
Shea also had a warning for the world body. "Engaging in this performative process at a time when serious questions are being asked about the utility of the U.N., its funding and use of resources is shameful. This council should not be used in this way. This council must hold itself to a higher standard."
Earlier on Wednesday, Danon issued a statement against the resolution, saying it "undermines" humanitarian aid efforts and "ignores the reality on the ground."
"It ignores the one party still endangering civilians in Gaza: Hamas. The group that hijacks trucks and stockpiles the aid to their benefit," Danon said. "If you care about the people of Gaza, then stop protecting those who started this war and continue to prolong it. If you care about aid, then help ensure it reaches civilians and not terrorists."
Ultimately, Danon said that the resolution "betrays the very people it claims to protect."