Two weeks after the U.N. General Assembly passed a resolution criticizing the American recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley hosted a reception for the 64 other countries that refused to back the measure.
The "Friends of the U.S." reception was held on Wednesday for the ambassadors of the eight countries (including Israel) that voted against the resolution in addition to the U.S., the 35 countries that abstained, and the 21 whose envoys did not show up for the vote.
"It's easy for friends to be with you in the good times, but it's the friends who are with you during the challenging times that will never be forgotten. Thank you to the 64," Haley said at the reception, before reading out the list of countries.
The event also included a video message from U.S. President Donald Trump.
"I want to thank all of all the nations represented here tonight for standing with the United States during the recent United Nations General Assembly vote on the status of Jerusalem," Trump said.
"Rest assured that your actions on Thursday, December 21, will go down as a very important date, [and] were noted and greatly appreciated. The United States remains committed to achieving lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians. There's no reason that peace should not be entered into. We will continue to work with the partners like you to ensure a peaceful and prosperous future for the region, for the people, for the world. Thank you, God bless you, and have a great new year."
Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon later posted on Facebook: "I was honored to take part in a reception hosted by Ambassador Nikki Haley for the countries that stood by the U.S. during the U.N. vote on Jerusalem. The leadership shown by the U.S. unveiled the hypocrisy of the Palestinians, who speak of peace while doing all they can to avoid negotiations. Israel has no better friend than the United States, and the U.S. has no more steadfast ally than Israel. We thank Ambassador Haley and the American people for their strong stance on behalf of truth and historical justice."
