The United States has voiced strong opposition to the appointment of a former Palestinian prime minister to lead the United Nations political mission in Libya.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres notified the U.N. Security Council in a letter Thursday that he plans to name Salam Fayyad to the position. Fayyad served as prime minister of the Palestinian Authority from 2007-2013.
Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad attends an opening reception of Conference on Cooperation among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development in Tokyo, Feb. 13, 2013.
But U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley released a statement Friday saying the United States is “disappointed” at the choice.
“For too long the U.N. has been unfairly biased in favor of the Palestinian Authority to the detriment of our allies in Israel,” Haley said in her statement. She added, “Going forward, the United States will act, not just talk, in support of our allies.”
Israel Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon released a statement Friday, praising the Trump administration for its support of his country.
“This is the beginning of a new era at the U.N., an era where the U.S. stands firmly behind Israel against any and all attempts to harm the Jewish State,” Danon said.
The United Nations has not issued a formal comment.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to visit the United States February 15, the same day that the United Nations holds its monthly meeting on Middle East issues.
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