In politics, the dictatorship of the majority is often viewed as the essence of participatory democracy. As long as the people who have the vote are acting as representatives of the masses, it is well and good. The United Nations General Assembly has just done this. It took one look at the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital city by President Donald Trump of the US and promptly declared it null and void. The legislative body voted 128 to 9, with 35 abstentions on the issue.
President Donald Trump made his formal declaration of the policy change on December 6, and added salt to injury by threatening to deal with countries opposed to his move. The UN has for decades recognized Tel Aviv as Israeli capital, and the US toed the line by locating its embassy there. Jerusalem had remained no man’s land, so to say.
Leaders of US allies had warned Mr. Trump that the move would undermine peace efforts and spark violence. They explained that the decision to change the status of Jerusalem unilaterally was provocative because the eastern sector of the city is also claimed by Palestinians as the capital of their future state. That area includes some of the holiest ancient sites to three major religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
The matter disturbed the Holy See so much that Pope Francis had to issue a statement, “I make a heartfelt appeal so that all commit themselves to respecting the status quo of the city, in conformity with the pertinent resolutions of the United Nations. I cannot keep quiet about my deep worry about the situation that has been created in the last few days.” The Catholic Pontiff did not mince words.
Although the US lawmakers passed a law in 1995 recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, the matter could not be implemented. The law urged the President to move the US embassy to the city. But none of the occupants of the White House before Trump – Obama, Bush, and Clinton – obeyed the law. They all shunned it in the interest of peace, and found ways that allowed them to delay the move.
The US Ambassador to the world body, Nikki Haley, felt really bad after the vote. According to her, “The United States will remember this day in which it was singled out for attack in the General Assembly for the very right of exercising our right as a sovereign nation. We will remember it when we are called upon once again to make the world’s largest contribution to the United Nations. And we will remember when so many countries call on us, as they so often do, to pay even more and to use our influence for their benefit”. That is hitting the point home. But the world can live with that.
