Trump criticises United Nations as ‘talk shop’
Incoming United States President Donald Trump has criticised the United Nations, describing the global body as a mere talk club.
In a tweet on Monday, Trump, however, said the 193-member
body has great potential, according to NAN in New York.
“The United Nations has such great potential but right now
it is just a club for people to get together, talk and have a good time.
“So sad,” Trump said.
Trump’s remarks might not be unconnected with Monday’s UN
Security Council’s Resolution, which condemned the Israeli settlements in
Palestinian territory.
It will be recalled that a statement from Trump on Thursday
had asked the U.S. to veto the resolution.
“The resolution being considered at the United Nations
Security Council regarding Israel should be vetoed.
“As the United States has long maintained, peace between the
Israelis and the Palestinians will only come through direct negotiations
between the parties, and not through the imposition of terms by the United
Nations.
*Donald Trump
“This puts Israel in a very poor negotiating position and is
extremely unfair to all Israelis.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also successfully
lobbied Egypt, which proposed the draft resolution, to withdraw it, enlisting
the help of Trump to persuade Cairo to drop the bid.
Following the pressure that Trump reportedly put on Egypt,
the sponsor of the resolution, Egypt withdrew it on Thursday and the vote was
consequently delayed till Friday.
However, the resolution was put forward on Friday by
Malaysia, New Zealand, Senegal and Venezuela.
However, the Obama’s administration disregarded Trump’s
directive and had gone ahead to abstain from voting on the resolution when it
finally came up on Friday, drawing criticisms from the president-elect and his
team.
The 15-member Council adopted the resolution by a vote of 14
in favour and with one abstention – the U.S., which abstained from voting
rather than veto the resolution.
Trump thereafter threatened that “things will change” at the
global international organisation when he assumesthe U.S. presidency from January
20, 2017.
The White House had, in a response by Obama’s Deputy
National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications, Mr Ben Rhodes,
cautioned Trump’s and his team, saying asking them to wait till January 20,
2017 and stop meddling in Obama administration’s policies.
“On the President-elect, the first thing I’d just say is
that there’s one President at a time. President Obama is the President of the
United States until January 20, and we are taking this action (abstention), of
course, as U.S. policy,” he said.
Rhodes explained that there was no any communication between
the White House and the President-elect or his staff between when Obama made
his decision and when the vote took place.
“So I’m not aware that President Obama and the
President-elect spoke about this, but again, I’m not — President Obama
definitely made no reference to that, so I can’t confirm that this hasn’t come
up at all, but I’m not aware of any particular conversation they had about
this.
“We did hear from the President-elect’s team. Again, our
position has been there’s one President at a time.
“We’re going to make our decision on this and, frankly,
believe that it’s important that there’s a principle here that the world
understands who is speaking on behalf of the United States until January 20 and
who is speaking on behalf of the United States after January 20.
“And look, the new team will have every opportunity after
January 20, to pursue their own policies, to take different approaches. I’m
certain that they will on any number of issues.
“We’re just reflecting the simple principle that I think has
guided the President-elect transitions historically. Which is that there is one
President at a time and we’re going to execute our duties until the new team is
in place and the new President is inaugurated,” Obama’s aide said.
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