UN Rejects Donald Trump’s Recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital

The UN General Assembly voted by 128 to 9 in favour of calling America’s declaration “null and void”, while 35 countries abstained.

President Trump had threatened to withhold billions of dollars in aid for countries that voted against America.

A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the result was “a victory for Palestine”.

Forecasters had predicted at least 150 nations would back the resolution, suggesting Mr Trump’s threat had some impact.

The countries which joined the US and Israel in voting against the resolution were Togo, Palau, Micronesia, Honduras, Guatemala, Marshall Islands and Nauru.

The vote followed a UN Security Council resolution which was vetoed by the US after the other 14 member countries – including Britain and France – backed it.

Turkey’s president heavily criticised Mr Trump for threatening to cut off US funding to countries that oppose his decision.

Before the vote, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he hoped the United States would be “taught a lesson” and accused Mr Trump of seeking countries whose “decisions can be bought with dollars.”

“Mr Trump, you cannot buy Turkey’s democratic will with your dollars. Our decision is clear,” he said.

Acknowledging the resolution was likely to be passed ahead of the result, Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu branded the UN a “house of lies” and said it “completely rejects” the vote.

Mr Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem earlier this month triggered protests across the Muslim world and drew strong international condemnation.

In a telephone call on Tuesday, Prime Minister Theresa May discussed “different” positions on Mr Trump’s decision to move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, agreeing the US needed to “bring forward new proposals for peace”.