Haley: 'We’ll veto UNSC resolution for force to protect Palestinians'

The debate comes after the UNSC failed to issue a statement against the more than 180 rockets and mortars that Palestinians in Gaza fired against Israeli towns and cities on Tuesday.

By TOVAH LAZAROFF
US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley speaks at UN headquarters in New York (photo credit: LUCAS JACKSON/REUTERS)
US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley speaks at UN headquarters in New York
(photo credit: LUCAS JACKSON/REUTERS)
The United Stated pledged to veto a United Nations Security Council resolution that calls for an international protection force for the Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank and east Jerusalem.
The Kuwaiti draft which will be debated on Friday afternoon in New York, was initially written in response to the IDF shooting of Palestinians during violet riots on Israel’s border with Gaza, during an eight week event dubbed the Great March of Return.
The debate comes after the UNSC failed to issue a statement against the more than 180 rockets and mortars that Palestinians in Gaza fired against Israeli towns and cities on Tuesday.
An initial draft of the text spoke only of Israeli violence against Palestinians. An amended text, included a line: “deploring the firing of rockets from the Gaza strip against Israeli civilian areas”, but still made no mention of the terrorist group that controls the Gaza Strip.
“The United States will unquestionably veto Kuwait’s draft resolution,” US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said last Thursday. The US is one of five nations who have veto power at the UNSC.
“It is a grossly one-sided approach that is morally bankrupt and would only serve to undermine ongoing efforts toward peace between the Israelis and Palestinians,” Haley said.
“There is not one single mention of Hamas in the resolution, when Hamas is chiefly responsible for the recent violence in Gaza,” Haley said.
“The text criticizes “excessive” and “indiscriminate” use of force by Israeli forces against Palestinian civilians in Gaza, when in fact, it is Hamas that fired [over] 70 rockets indiscriminately into Israeli towns this week,” Haley said.
“The resolution calls on Israel to immediately cease its actions in self-defense, but makes no mention of Hamas’ aggressive actions against Israeli security forces and civilians,” Haley said.
It also “calls for immediate steps toward ending Israeli restrictions on access into Gaza, while making no mention of Egypt’s restrictions and no mention of Hamas’ deliberate attacks against Israel’s determined efforts to provide humanitarian access into Gaza at the Kerem Shalom crossing,” Haley said.
“Those who choose to vote in favor of this resolution will clarify their own lack of fitness to take part in any credible negotiations between the two parties,” she added.
Ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour told the UNSC on Wednesday, “it is time for the security council to act to ensure international protection for the Palestinian people for as long as this illegal, abhorrent occupation continues, and their right continue to be violated including the rights of our refugees.”
The draft resolution “is a modest first taste in this regard. We urge all to support it. It is inexcusable for the international community to continue standing idly by, expressing only regret yet failing to act even as the rights safety and well being and dignity of our people continue to be so grossly and systematically violated, accounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
After the meeting he told reporters that adopting the resolution would be a “responsible” move.
But should the UNSC fail to approve the resolution, the Palestinians plan to turn to the UN General Assembly, where nations do not have veto power.
Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said on Thursday, “A biased resolution that condemns Israel yet fails to mention the terrorists of Hamas who are responsible for the violence against Israelis and Palestinians is not worthy of consideration by the Security Council.”
“I urge all members of the Council not to support this hypocritical resolution that denies Israel the basic right of defending its citizens, and instead to stand with the United States against the Hamas terrorists,” he said.
Russia, which holds the rotating UNSC Presidency for the month of June, will preside over the debate.