Nikki Haley Blames Hamas for Gaza Violence, Defends Israel: No Country ‘Would Act With More Restraint’
Ambassador Nikki Haley gave a speech at the United Nations on Tuesday, doubling down on the White House’s position that Hamas was entirely responsible for yesterday’s violent outbreak in the Gaza strip.
After dozens of Palestinians were killed and thousands were injured near the Israeli border, the Trump Administration insisted Hamas was to blame for the “gruesome and unfortunate propaganda attempt.” Haley noted Hamas’ track record of antagonizing Israeli security forces and declared in her address that “no country in this chamber would act with more restraint than Israel has.”
“Let’s remember that the Hamas terrorist organization has been inciting violence for years, long before the United States decided to move our embassy,” Haley said. “Make no mistake, Hamas is pleased with the results from yesterday.”
Indications suggest that some of the demonstrators in Gaza were protesting the new U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. However, Haley said that the embassy’s relocation had “no bearing” on the issues of contested borders, negotiations for peace, or yesterday’s deadly events.
“Those who suggest that the Gaza violence has anything to do with the location of the American embassy are sorely mistaken. Rather, the violence comes from those who reject the existence of the state of Israel in any location. Such a motivation, the destruction of a United Nations member state, is so illegitimate as to not be worth our time in the Security Council, other than the time it takes to denounce it.”
UPDATE – 12:37 p.m. EST Multiple sources indicate that shortly after Haley delivered her speech, she walked out of the room as Palestinian ambassador Riyad Mansour prepared to speak.
JUST IN: Nikki Haley walks out of UN Security Council session on Gaza as Palestinian envoy starts to speak https://t.co/maCMX6xLty
— Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) May 15, 2018
safe to say the US is no longer an honest broker of Mideast peace if it doesnt even listen to the other side… WOW ===> U.S. Amb Nikki Haley left the UNSC meeting on the MidEast and the Palestinian question just as Palestinian Representative Riyad Mansour was to speak
— Ayman Mohyeldin (@AymanM) May 15, 2018
Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN: 'Moving the embassy to Jerusalem doesn't undermine the prospects for peace in any way.'
To prove her point, Nikki Haley walks out of the UN Security Council session on Gaza as soon as the Palestinian envoy starts to speak
— Joel Taylor (@JoelTaylorhack) May 15, 2018
Watch above, via Fox News.
[Image via screengrab]
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