A defiant US accused the UN Security Council of a “double standard” towards Israel, while other states united to condemn violence against Palestinians during the unrest that followed the American decision to relocate its embassy.
US Ambassador to UN Haley says there is a double standard in UN Security Council because it ignores Iran's actions but highlighting Gaza
— Ragıp Soylu (@ragipsoylu) May 15, 2018
Washington’s envoy to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said:
“The United States deplores the loss of life, but there is a lot of violence in the region. And the double standard is all too common in this chamber, and is working overtime today.”
U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley denies yesterday's violence along Gaza border had anything to do with U.S. Embassy move to Jerusalem. https://t.co/N1eOpbMfF5 pic.twitter.com/VhvMQ5DpRd
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) May 15, 2018
Haley added that December’s decision to relocate the US mission from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem “does not undermine the prospect of peace in any way”.
Nikki Haley is on tv talking about Hamas being responsible for the Palestinians protesting yesterday. These people had no weapons. They had tires to burn. There was a dead baby. While Netanyahu celebrates.
— Chelsea Handler (@chelseahandler) May 15, 2018
The representative blamed the deaths of a reported 60 Palestinians on Monday exclusively on Hamas “incitement” to attack the Gaza-Israel border and said the group was “pleased” by the scale of confrontations, in which over 2,700 people were wounded, according to the Palestinian authorities.
Having listened to a series of speeches by other envoys, Haley then walked out of the hall as soon as the Palestinian envoy began his address.
The moment when @nikkihaley walked out of Security Council chamber just as @Palestine_UN ambassador began speaking. Because sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. pic.twitter.com/wCjDE1KHVg
— Akshaya Kumar (@AkshayaSays) May 16, 2018
Haley’s rhetoric contrasted with the downcast tone of the rest of the speakers, including Washington’s close allies.
UK’s ambassador to the UN, Karen Pierce, called the violence, which produced the worst single-day death toll since the Israeli-Hamas war in 2014, “shocking and appalling” and wondered if extensive use of live fire by the Israeli Army was “justified.”
We are appalled by the loss of life in Gaza.
It is concerning that the peaceful protests have been exploited by extremists elements.
We urge restraint in the use of live fire.
Any further escalation is in no-one’s interest.
UK remains committed to a two-state solution. pic.twitter.com/I5XcasZZ9T
— Karen Pierce (@KarenPierceUN) May 15, 2018
Similar calls were delivered by other Western states, including France, Sweden , and the Netherlands.
In his statement, Russia’s deputy representative Dmitry Polyansky said that the four-year stalling of the peace process has left a vacuum, producing a “cycle of violence.”
The fieriest speech came from a non-permanent member, Bolivia, whose envoy, Sascha Llorenti, began by reading out the names of the Palestinian dead, before launching a scathing critique of “illegal Israeli occupation” that is aided by unconditional support from Washington, whose decision to become the first country to move its embassy to Jerusalem is another vote of confidence for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
(RT, PC, Social Media)
