Nikki Haley: U.S. has credibility with both Israel, Palestinians
UNITED NATIONS -- Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., says the U.S. still has credibility as a mediator with Israel and Palestinians following President Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
"The United States has credibility with both sides. Israel will never be, and should never be, bullied into an agreement by the United Nations, or by any collection of countries that have proven their disregard for Israel's security," Haley told the U.N. Security Council on Friday.
Haley said the U.N. has done "much more to damage the prospects for Middle East peace than to advance them."
She added, "We will not be a party to that. The United States no longer stands by when Israel is unfairly attacked in the United Nations. And the United States will not be lectured to by countries that lack any credibility when it comes to treating both Israelis and Palestinians fairly."
The U.S. and Israel were outnumbered in the emergency council meeting Friday and were roundly criticized for Mr. Trump's decision. A joint statement by France, the U.K., Sweden, Italy and Germany called for Mr. Trump to "bring forward detailed proposals for an Israel-Palestine settlement," CBS News Pamela Falk reports.
Hundreds of Palestinians clashed with Israeli forces in the West Bank and Gaza on Friday in protests which were part of a so-called "Day of Rage" over Mr. Trump's decision. Dozens were wounded in skirmishes, and at least one Palestinian was killed in Gaza, according to the French news agency AFP.
Demonstrators were furious with the U.S. for, in their view, unilaterally siding with Israel, CBS News correspondent Seth Doane reports.
Bracing for violence, hundreds of additional Israeli security forces were deployed early Friday morning, while the faithful of all ages, including young men, were allowed into the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem's Old City. One of the holiest sites for Muslims, the mosque is at the heart of the controversy over Mr. Trump's decision, Doane reports.