World shuns US threats, rejects Trump's decision on Jerusalem: Maleeha

UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Maleeha Lodhi on Thursday said that a resounding majority of UN member states has defied US threats, rejecting Trump’s controversial move of recognizing Jerusalem as capital of Israel at UN General Assembly.

Lodhi said that World's big nations have conveyed a strong message to the United States that they principally stand with Palestine as UN General Assembly on Thursday adopted by a decisive vote of 128 to nine, with 35 abstentions, a motion rejecting the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel´s capital.

Addressing at the UNGA, She said  that Pakistan needs not to go after financial assistance. She said that the country   can not be intimidated by threats, adding that  Pakistan will continue its support for  justified demands of the Palestinian people.

Maleeha Lodhi added that no Muslim country voted against the resolution, even major recipients of US aid such as Egypt, Afghanistan and Iraq also rejected US decision.

Ambassador Lodhi said that Trump’s move represented a serious violation of international law, urging the United Sates to give up its threatening and undiplomatic way of seeking the support for its illegal move that caused a severe blow to the Middle East peace process.

Maleeha said that the votes suggest that some of the countries are under US influence as  seven countries, included Guatemala, Honduras, Togo, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and the Marshall Islands joined Israel and the United States in opposing the measure, with 35 abstentions.

She urged the United Sates to revisit its decision, adding that Pakistan stands with international community in expressing its strong opposition at the decision of the US Administration to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in order to avoid the potentially grave repercussions in the region and beyond.

The vote came after a redoubling of threats by Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN, who said that Washington would remember which countries “disrespected” America by voting against it.