On Wednesday, The Washington Free Beacon reported that Congressional leaders told the publication that Congress is gearing up to cut off U.S. funding to the United Nations in light of last week’s anti-Israel vote. On Friday, the U.N. voted 14-0 in favor of a resolution that declared Israel’s settlements in the West Bank and Jerusalem illegal and in violation of international law. On Wednesday, Secretary of State John Kerry defended the US’ decision to abstain from voting to let the resolution pass and said that Israel’s settlements were a threat to the two-state solution. The WFB reported that not only is Congress planning on cutting funding to the UN, but they’re also ready to fight back against more Anti-Israel actions that they expect the Obama Administration will implement before leaving office in January.
The WFB also reported that multiple sources told them that in addition cutting US funding to the UN, Congress could push to expel Palestinian diplomats from US soil and reduce ties with nations who voted in favor of the measure.
The Obama Administration has been under fire for its involvement in not only letting the resolution pass, but in being a part in the crafting of it. The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said Wednesday following John Kerry’s speech that Israel has “absolutely incontestable evidence that the United States organized, advanced, and brought this resolution to the United Nations Security Council.”
The Washington Free Beacon first reported on Monday that senior officials in the Obama Administration had played a key role in the development of the anti-Israel UN resolution. The publication reported that Vice President Joe Biden called Ukraine’s President before the vote on Friday to confirm that the Eastern European nation would approve the resolution.
On Saturday, Texas Senator Ted Cruz tweeted that he too believed the United States should stop funding the United Nations in the wake of the anti-Israel resolution. He also said that he looks forward to working with South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham and President-elect Trump to “significantly reduce or even eliminate U.S. funding of the United Nations.”
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