US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, addressing the American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference in Washington, accused the United Nations of “bullying” Israel in a speech supporting the nation.
“At the UN and throughout the UN agencies, Israel does get bullied. It gets bullied because the countries that don’t like Israel are used to being able to get away with it,” Haley told the audience Monday, adding, “That just doesn’t sit well with me.”
“The UN spends more than half of its time singling out one country,” she said. “We will not stand for it any longer.”
Haley has been a staunch advocate of the Trump administration’s decision in December to move the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, explaining that President Donald Trump “recognized a reality that American presidents had denied for too long.”
“Jerusalem was, is and always will be Israel’s capital,” Haley added.
Shortly after the embassy announcement in December, Haley had exercised the US veto power at the UN to sink a Security Council resolution critical of the White House’s unilateral move to recognize the city as Israel’s capital. Haley cast the veto, blocking the resolution introduced by Egypt, despite the 14 other members of the Security Council voting in favor.
“We will not tolerate a situation that a world body of 198 countries can spend half their time attacking one country: Israel,” Haley said to cheers on Monday. “What used to be a monthly Israel bashing session now at least has more balance. But we’re never gonna put up with bullying.”
Vice President Mike Pence also spoke at AIPAC on Monday night, and reaffirmed his own support for Israel and for the administration’s decision to move the US Embassy there to Jerusalem.