America's ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley is warning countries that the Trump administration will be paying attention to the voting record of a general assembly vote later this week. The UN is set to vote on a resolution condemning the Trump administration's announcement that it recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and plans to move its embassy there in the future.
Ambassador Haley has been using the usual diplomatic channels at the UN to make the American position clear and find allies that will vote against the resolution, but she also took her arguments public with a tweet aimed at being clear -- the US will take names.
"At the UN we're always asked to do more & give more," Haley wrote. "So, when we make a decision, at the will of the American ppl, abt where to locate OUR embassy, we don't expect those we've helped to target us. On Thurs there'll be a vote criticizing our choice. The US will be taking names."
At the UN we're always asked to do more & give more. So, when we make a decision, at the will of the American ppl, abt where to locate OUR embassy, we don't expect those we've helped to target us. On Thurs there'll be a vote criticizing our choice. The US will be taking names. pic.twitter.com/ZsusB8Hqt4
— Nikki Haley (@nikkihaley) December 19, 2017
The vote in the UN General Assembly comes after a similar resolution was shot down at the Security Council when Haley invoked the American veto in a vote that went 14-1 against the United States. In her statements to the body, Haley stressed that as sovereign country, the United States maintained the right to determine if and when to establish embassies in foreign countries and where to locate them.
The United States will not be told by any country where we can put our embassy. pic.twitter.com/vSmPerYT4q
— Nikki Haley (@nikkihaley) December 18, 2017
The Jerusalem Post reports on what it calls a warning letter circulated to other countries at the UN ahead of the vote in which Haley expanded on her promise to keep track of how other countries vote:
“To be clear, we are not asking for other countries [to] move their embassies to Jerusalem, though we think it would be appropriate. We are simply asking you acknowledge the historical friendship, partnership, and support we have extended and respect our decision about our embassy.
“The president will be watching this vote carefully and has requested I report back on those who voted against us. We will take note of every vote on this issue,” Haley wrote.
Resolutions against Israel regularly sail through the United Nations with little opposition. At the Security Council, the 14-1 vote means that allies and permanent members such as Britain and France voted to condemn the US decision to move the embassy.