UNITED NATIONS: The US Congress is setting the stage to cut off funding to the United Nations in the wake of a vote last week in which the Obama administration refrained from vetoing a UN resolution condemning the expansion of Israeli settlements.

President-elect Donald Trump and most congressional leaders were upset with the UN vote. Trump tweeted after the vote that “things will be different” once he enters the White house on Jan 20.

Congressional leaders told a Washington newspaper that other punitive actions by Congress could include the expulsion of Palestinian diplomats from the United States and scaling back ties with foreign nations that voted in favour of the measure.

With anger over the issue still fresh, leading members of the Congress told the Washington Free Beacon that they would not waste time in seeking retribution against the UN.

This could include cutting off US funding and stripping the Palestinian mission’s diplomatic privileges.

“The disgraceful anti-Israel resolution passed by the UNSC was apparently only the opening salvo in the Obama administration’s final assault on Israel,” Senator Ted Cruz told the newspaper.

“President Obama, Secretary (of State John) Kerry, UN Ambassador Samantha Power and their colleagues should remember that the United States Congress reconvenes on Jan 3, and under the constitution we control the taxpayer funds they would use for their anti-Israel initiatives.”

“The Congress must stop the current administration’s vicious attack on our great ally Israel, and address the major priorities of the incoming administration,” Cruz said, expressing his desire to work with the Trump administration to reset US relationship with Israel.

Curiously enough, the anti-Obama message being circulated by Senator Ted Cruz’s office is quite similar to the Israeli government’s official reprimand of the administration.

Published in Dawn, January 4th, 2017