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Netanyahu Praises US Envoy Haley for Supporting Israel at United Nations

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has praised the Trump administration and US ambassador to the United Nations at the UN before the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) voted to condemn Israel's excessive force on the border with Gaza Strip.
Sputnik

"Israel appreciates the firm support of the Trump administration in Israel at the United Nations and Ambassador Haley's resolute statement today, which exposed the hypocrisy of the bias against Israel at the UN,” the prime minister of Israel said in a statement, as quoted by the Jerusalem Post.

UNGA Votes to Condemn Israel's 'Excessive Force' Against Gaza Protests
The United Nations General Assembly held its 10th emergency meeting on Wednesday on Israel's response to protests along the border with Gaza. The assembly passed a resolution condemning excessive use of force by Israeli soldiers against Palestinians in Gaza and calling for their international protection.

In his statement, Netanyahu stressed that "the unceasing focus of the United Nations in Israel shames the organization," saying that it diverts attention of the international community from other "burning issues." The prime minister added that Israel would “continue to seek ways to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.”

The UNGA resolution was adopted by a vote of 120-8, with 45 nations abstaining. It largely followed the Kuwait-drafted resolution that was vetoed by the United States at the UN Security Council earlier this month.

UNGA Jerusalem Vote is Pretext for Trump to Slash Foreign Aid – Analyst
The US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, criticized the resolution for making no mention of Hamas, a militant group controlling the Gaza exclave.

"Today the UN made the morally bankrupt judgment that the recent Gaza violence is all Israel's fault. It is no wonder that no one takes the UN seriously as a force for Middle East peace," she said in a statement.

The US amendment to include Hamas criticism and a mention of the Israeli right to "self-defense" failed to pass after getting only 62 votes.

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