UNITED NATIONS – US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley onTuesday criticized Middle Eastern countries for not doing enough to helpPalestinians and move the peace process forward, saying that they need to”step up.”
“It is time for the regional states in particular to step up and reallyhelp the Palestinian people, instead of just making speeches thousands ofmiles away,” Haley said at a monthly meeting of the UN Security Council onthe Middle East.
“Where are the Arab countries when it comes to encouraging reconciliationbetween Palestinian factions, which is essential to peace? Where are theArab countries when it comes to denouncing Hamas terrorism? Where are theArab countries when it comes to supporting compromises that are necessaryfor peace?” she said.
Haley highlighted American assistance to the Palestinians, saying that inaddition to aid to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA),Washington provided $300 million in bilateral aid last year, and “over sixbillion — with a B — dollars in bilateral assistance to Palestinians”since 1993.
“How much have the Arab countries — some of whom are wealthy countries –how much have they given to the Palestinians?” she asked.
“Last year, Iran s contribution to UNRWA was zero. Algeria s contributionto UNRWA was zero. Tunisia s contribution to UNRWA was zero,” Haley said,without mentioning the significant reduction in the US contribution to theagency this year.
Her French counterpart Francois Delattre asked the US to reconsider thatdecision, calling on Washington “to shoulder its responsibilities andmaintain its commitments on this crucial issue” to help fill the estimated$200 million gap in UNRWA.
Olof Skoog of Sweden, the current president of the council, let hisfrustration with US policy show, saying: “Everyone is waiting for acredible peace plan.”
“We haven t seen that yet. It is now about a year since we were informedabout a plan and we have not seen it yet. It is a problem that there is nocredible plan on the table,” Skoog said.
Israel s ambassador, Danny Danon, meanwhile demanded internationalcondemnation of militant group Hamas, while his Palestinian counterpartRiyad Mansour denounced the law recently passed by the Israeli parliamentdefining the country as the nation state of the Jewish people. – APP/AFP