While the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly last Thursday for a resolution effectively rebuking U.S. President Donald Trump for recognizing the disputed city of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and pledging to move the U.S. embassy there, Malawi was one of the 35 abstaining.
This vote by many of the brave nations came despite threats by Trump and U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley that the U.S. would take punitive measures, such as reducing foreign aid and cutting contributions to the U.N., against countries voting in favor of the resolution.
The General Assembly resolution didn’t explicitly refer to the U.S., instead asserting that unilateral decisions such as Trump’s have no legal effect and must be rescinded. In the vote, 128 countries voted in favor and 9 against, with 35 abstaining.
“This vote will be remembered,” Haley said during the General Assembly debate, adding the emergency meeting and the vote were signs of disrespect toward the U.S. for exercising its sovereignty by deciding to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
The countries that voted for the resolution— or, as Trump sees it, against him—include four of the five biggest recipients of U.S. aid: Afghanistan, Iraq, Egypt, and Jordan. They also include countries that Trump has courted since taking office—Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, India, Pakistan, and Vietnam. They also include every country in Western Europe, though Trump might not care about that.
Thirty-five countries abstained, among them our country Malawi, included were five EU states, and other US allies including Australia, Canada, Colombia and Mexico. Ambassadors from several abstaining countries, including Mexico, used their time on the podium to criticize Trump’s unilateral move.
Malawi certainly took US and Ambassador Nikki Haley’s threats serious enough to be a no vote. However there are times you have to take a stand after all we are a sovereign nation. Dependents on Foreign aid to support our national Budget puts as in this un-attainable position.
In 1947, the United Nations adopted a Partition Plan for Palestine recommending the creation of independent Arab and Jewish states and an internationalized Jerusalem. The plan was accepted by the Jewish Agency for Palestine, and rejected by Arab leaders. The following year, the Jewish Agency declared the independence of the State of Israel, and the subsequent 1948 Arab–Israeli War saw Israel’s establishment over most of the former Mandate territory, while the West Bank and Gaza were held by neighboring Arab states.
Israel has since fought several wars with Arab countries, and it has since 1967 occupied territories including the West Bank, Golan Heights and the Gaza Strip (still considered occupied after 2005 disengagement). It extended its laws to the Golan Heights and East Jerusalem, but not the West Bank. [37] Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories is the world’s longest military occupation in modern times. Efforts to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict have not resulted in peace. However, peace treaties between Israel and both Egypt and Jordan have been signed.
How independent can we really claim to be if we cannot through our voice in the UN condemn the actions undertaken by Trump and support displaced Palestinians?
This no vote was simply cowardly. There is nothing wrong in cozying up to Israel like Malawi has done and continues to do, but Malawi needed to send a message. H.E Necton Mhura Malawi’s Permanent representative needs to let his bosses in Malawi know that there was no courage in this vote.
