House Criticizes U.N. Vote
The U.S. House voted 342-80 on Thursday, Jan. 5, to oppose the “one-sided and anti-Israel” U.N. Resolution 2334.
The passage of the nonbinding House resolution was one of the first actions of the 115th Congress and came 13 days after a U.S. abstention allowed Resolution 2334 to pass the U.N. Security Council, 14-0.
The sense-of-the-House resolution, introduced by Reps. Ed Royce (R-Calif.) and Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), says the U.N. measure hampers efforts to start direct talks between the Israelis and Palestinians, contributes to the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, and undermines the long-standing U.S. position to veto U.N. resolutions that are one-sided against Israel or aim to impose a final deal.
The House resolution also warns against any effort to impose a solution at the peace conference being held in Paris on Jan. 15. Israel is not attending that conference, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the House resolution.
Of the 80 no votes, 76 were cast by Democrats, including three Georgians: John Lewis of Atlanta, Hank Johnson of Lithonia and Sanford Bishop Jr. of Albany.
But another Democrat, David Scott of Atlanta, was one of two Georgia congressmen who spoke on the House floor in favor of the pro-Israel measure. The other was Republican Rick Allen of Augusta.
Scott called the U.N. resolution “shameful and deceitful because they wanted to put all of the blame on Israel when it is the Palestinians who refuse to even meet to discuss or to even talk about a two-nation state.”
He added: “We have been blessed with divine intervention all through our history to be that shining light on the hill, to let all of our great work show for the world. We have an opportunity here tonight for this Congress to stand up and show that light for Israel.”
“This is betrayal of the worst kind,” Allen said a few minutes later. “Anti-Israel policies will not be tolerated. We are partners in this world and allies in democracy.”
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