The UN General Assembly passed a resolution rejecting US President Donald Trumps decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel with an overwhelming majority of 128 countries voting in its favour and only 9 opposing it. The support to the resolution followed despite the fact that Trump had threatened to cut off aid to countries which opposed the US move. The US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley had warned that in case the resolution was supported, US will remember it when we are called upon once again to [contribute] to the United Nations. There were more threats. But despite that no major country supported US. Even India which in recent years has emerged as one of the closest US allies voted against the country. There was no other option. The US by recognizing Jerusalem as Israeli capital had made it inordinately difficult for its allies to support it. Earlier, in response to Trumps move, Organization of Islamic Countries declared East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital. By his Jerusalem move, Trump has forced the world to confront US, thereby putting the worlds sole superpower in an embarrassing situation. Its threats and warnings have failed to browbeat the world into toeing its illegitimate line on Jerusalem.
And this is a sad global state of affairs. When a global power which is expected to maintain and strengthen a rules based international order and lead by example chooses to unilaterally and unjustly support one country against the rest of the world, it is bound to create fresh reasons for conflict in the world. However, recognizing Jerusalem as Israels capital is not the only major departure from the expected behaviour of US as the world power, earlier too Trump has embarked on policy decisions and the actions whose implications have left the world in a poorer state.
Trump has even trashed the multilateral agreements which previous administration had played an instrumental role to rally the world around. One such critical agreement was the Paris Climate accord. Trump unilaterally withdrew from it saying it was unfair to US. However, more than a withdrawal from US global engagements and commitments, it is the US abandonment of the human rights discourse that is a source of great concern. Trump’s vicious campaign rhetoric, the anti-Muslim tone and even policies of the new US Government have detracted from the US moral authority. So much so, the country seems now hardly in a position to lecture other countries on the human rights and democracy. It has also made the leaders of the other countries less mindful of the human rights. Because they don’t think they will be held accountable for it. This state of affairs portends a dangerous world. In the absence of the US and international oversight and the weakening of the global institutions, the countries around the world are getting away with the murder. As the only super power, the world thus desperately needs US to regain its moral consciousness.
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