New York, NY. . . Leaders of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations today commended the U.S. for vetoing yet another ill-conceived and counterproductive resolution on Jerusalem, this time seeking to impose its will on the sovereign diplomatic decision by the U.S. to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and the place in Israel where its embassy should be located.
Stephen M. Greenberg, Chairman and Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman & CEO of the Conference of Presidents, said, “We deeply appreciate the principled action by the Trump administration in casting a U.S. veto today which prevented the Security Council from adopting a resolution challenging American recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
The U.S. acted as a sovereign state in choosing where to locate its embassy. Unlike the outrageous stream of biased and condemnatory anti-Israel resolutions regularly adopted in the General Assembly, UNESCO, the Human Rights Council and other UN bodies, the U.S. decision on Jerusalem did not prejudge or seek to foreclose any outcome agreed to in negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.
The proposed resolution was yet another ill-conceived attempt by the Palestinians to enlist the UN in their ongoing efforts to evade negotiations. It is time for the international community to stop abetting Palestinian attempts to use the UN to circumvent negotiations. The Palestinians should present their grievances at the negotiating table.