Haley sends ‘friendship’ invites to countries that didn’t vote against US Jerusalem decision

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley issued thanks to the countries that did not vote for a U.N. resolution condemning the United States’ decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Haley on Thursday sent invitations to a January reception to the eight countries that voted “no” on the resolution, as well as the 35 countries that abstained from the vote and the 21 that did not cast a vote.

Haley’s invitation asks the nations who voted “no,” abstained from voting or didn’t cast a vote “to a reception to thank you for your friendship to the United States.”

{mosads}The invitations come a day after 128 countries bucked the U.S. and voted for a resolution pushing back on their recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

The resolution was largely symbolic and was aimed at putting pressure on President Trump to reverse course on the move.

Various longtime U.S. allies voted in favor of the resolution, including the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Japan.

Canada, Mexico and Australia chose to abstain from the vote, while the U.S., Israel, Togo, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Marshall Islands, Guatemala and Honduras voted against the resolution. 

Haley sent a stark warning to countries planning to vote for the resolution prior to Thursday’s vote.

“The United States will remember this day in which it was singled out in this assembly for the very act of exercising our right as a sovereign nation,” Haley said.

“We will remember it when, once again, we are called up to make the world’s largest contribution to the U.N., and we will remember it when many countries come calling on us to pay even more and to use our influence for their benefit.”