Belize stands with Palestinians at U.N., votes against U.S.

In international news, the United States of America recently decided to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The United Nations held a vote today on a resolution opposing that decision. Ahead of the vote, American U.N. representative Nikki Haley maintained that in the next few years the U.S. would move its mission in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem despite international opposition. U.S. President Donald Trump further threatened to cut financial aid to states who voted for the resolution. The status of the famous holy city is disputed between the Israelis and Palestinian people as part of their ongoing dispute over the entire Israeli territory. Nonetheless, one hundred and twenty-eight countries voted in favor of the resolution, including Belize. Nine voted against; joining the U.S. and Israel against the resolution were Guatemala and Honduras. Guatemala is a regular ally of both countries, while Honduras’ leader Juan Orlando Hernandez was congratulated by the U.S. in the wake of recent national elections which the Honduras opposition believe was stolen from them. Thirty-five nations abstained, including Canada, Mexico, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago. So will the U.S. act on its threat? In Belize’s case, the U.S. is seen as an ally of Guatemala in our own territorial referendum and there are questions about whether the relationship between Washington and Belmopan may change in that regard. That’s all left to be seen.