14 Security Council members criticize US action on Jerusalem

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — One by one, 14 members of the U.N. Security Council spoke out against President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel at an emergency meeting today, some with regret and some with anger at the 15th member, the United States.

It wasn't the first time the U.S. stood alone in defending its close ally, Israel, in the U.N.'s most powerful body. Over decades, it has vetoed many council resolutions it viewed as harmful to Israel.

But this was a rare rebuke for an action the United States took that in the eyes of the rest of the council and most of the world clearly violates U.N. resolutions and decisions that Jerusalem is an issue to be resolved by Israel and the Palestinians in peace negotiations on a two-state solution.

The Trump administration has been working on a new Mideast peace proposal, and U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley told the council the U.S. is more committed to peace "than we've ever been before – and we believe we might be closer to that goal than ever before."

She gave no details but noted past Israeli-Palestinian agreements have been signed on the White House lawn, and if there is a new agreement there is "a good likelihood" it will be signed there as well "because the United States has credibility of both sides."

But Palestinian U.N. Ambassador Riyad Mansour who spoke after council members said the Trump administration's decision on recognition "undermines and essentially disqualifies its leadership role to seek peace in the region."

He said "one party cannot continue to monopolize the peace process," especially one that is biased in favor of "the occupying power," Israel.

Mansour urged the Security Council to denounce what he called the "irresponsible" U.S. decision and reaffirm its position on the status of Jerusalem – that the holy city's status must be decided during Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations. And it must "affirm its rejection of all violations of that status," he said.

Israel's U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon, speaking immediately afterward, praised Trump's courage and urged all nations to follow the United States by recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moving their embassies to the holy city.

"There will never be peace without Jerusalem as the capital of the state of Israel," he said. "And that will never change."