JOHANNESBURG – Botswana has hit back at the ‘bullying’ by United States (US) ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley for her threatening stance to member nations with regards to their vote on the status of Jerusalem.
Speaking at an emergency session on the status of Jerusalem on 21 December, Haley warned the United States “will remember this day.”
While not asking other countries to move their embassies to Jerusalem, Haley said, “The President will be watching this vote carefully and has requested that I report back on those countries who voted against us.
“We will take note of each and every vote on this issue.”
Botswana, in a press release, said that “the threatening and grossly inappropriate communication, whose purpose would be to undermine the Sovereignty of Botswana as an independent country, also demonstrates unprecedented diplomacy.”
The press release affirmed that “Botswana will not be intimidated by such threats and will exercise her Sovereign right and vote based on her foreign relations principles, which affirm that Jerusalem is a final status issue, which must be resolved through negotiations in line with relevant United Nations resolutions.”
Botswana encouraged other member nations to support the resolution rejecting the US’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
Botswana Government response to USA over threatening Jerusalem letter authored by US Ambassador Nikki Haley #sabcnews #UNGA pic.twitter.com/RRFTn9LfPd
— Sherwin Bryce-Pease (@sherwiebp) December 23, 2017
While not asking other countries to move their embassies to Jerusalem, Haley said, “The President will be watching this vote carefully and has requested that I report back on those countries who voted against us.
“We will take note of each and every vote on this issue.”
Halley said that notwithstanding the vote, “America will put our embassy in Jerusalem. No vote in the United Nations will make any difference on that. But this vote will make a difference on how Americans look at the UN and on how we look at countries who disrespect us in the UN.”
US Ambassador Nikki Haley sends letter to some UN member states to warn them ahead of UNGA Jerusalem vote, read last paragraph! #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/vdoVQI18p4
— Sherwin Bryce-Pease (@sherwiebp) December 20, 2017
Under pressure
A senior diplomat said the resolution backfired in some instances. Canada, the diplomat said, was going to vote against the resolution but changed its vote because it was unhappy with the tone the US had taken.
Mr Gowan says the US did not act strategically.
“Nikki Haley, who has a good reputation with other ambassadors for pragmatism, overreached by trying to turn this vote into a sort of loyalty test,” he said.
“The US was always going to lose badly, and Haley should have worked around that more astutely. But she may have been under pressure from the White House to make as much fuss as possible.”
A spokesperson for the US mission said the vote breakdown told a different story.
“It’s clear that many countries prioritised their relationship with the United States over an unproductive attempt to isolate us for a decision that was our sovereign right to make,” they said.
Indeed, the pressure from Washington did have a small impact.
A senior European diplomat voiced concern over the EU not being able to speak with one voice in Thursday’s debate.
The United Nations nevertheless voted by 128 votes to nine, with 35 abstentions, to reject the US decision on Jerusalem.
Addition Reporting from BBC
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