WASHINGTON – United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, speaking at the American Israeli Political Affairs Commission’s annual conference in D.C. on Monday, reiterated her commitment to strengthening the U.S.-Israel relationship and holding the United Nations accountable for its bias against the Jewish State.
The nearly 20,000-person crowd at the Verizon Center responded to Haley’s remarks several times with enthusiastic standing ovations throughout her Q&A with Start-Up Nation author Dan Senor.
“The days of Israel-bashing are over,” Haley said to the crowd, which responded with applause. The former South Carolina governor said, “We don’t have a greater friend than Israel,” and she promised she would ensure that the U.N. will “never again” be allowed to “do what we saw happen with Resolution 2334.” UN Res 2334 calls for a halt to Israeli construction in the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem. Some interpreted the Obama administration’s decision to abstain from voting against the resolution as a parting shot to Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Because the United States is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, a veto from them would have automatically prevented the resolution from passing.
Last month, Haley issued a scathing criticism of the U.N. Security Council for their “breathtaking” double-standards and anti-Israel bias after emerging from her monthly meeting at the international body.
Haley is the daughter of Indian parents, whom she says reminded her every day how lucky she was to live in the United States. She spoke of many similarities between India and Israeli cultures, including their tendency to be hardworking and philanthropic. She also noted how both groups are steadfast in their commitment to a particular cause, especially when faced with opposition: “We’re aggressive, we’re stubborn, and we don’t back down from a fight.”
Regarding what many view as a disastrous nuclear deal with Iran, Haley said, “You can put sanctions on a country. To take sanctions away, it is very hard to go back.”
Last week, Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), six other Republican, and seven Democrat sponsors introduced a bill to impose sanctions on Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). A newly released report details alleged information about the locations and functions of the IRGC’s terrorist training camps.
President Donald Trump’s administration may designate the IRGC a financial terrorist organization (FTO). One of the only Iranian groups that have expressed vocal opposition to this idea is the alleged pro-Tehran regime lobbying group, the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), the group largely responsible for helping the nuclear deal go through.
Haley also referred to her successful withdrawal of a report in the U.N. that falsely accused Israel of running an apartheid regime over the Palestinians. “For anyone who says you can’t get anything done at the U.N., they need to know there’s a new sheriff in town.” At one point during the talk, she joked, “I wear heels. It’s not for a fashion statement. If I see something wrong, I’m going to kick.”
As governor of South Carolina, Haley signed the first anti-BDS legislation to be made into law in any state capitol in America. She attributed her success in passing that legislation to telling “the truth.”
She said she wanted to make sure that the United States started “believing” again. “Believing isn’t saying things when it’s comfortable. Believing is saying things even when it’s not comfortable.”