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The UN and Israel in the Nikki Haley Era

(Commentary) Jon Lerner - How did it happen that former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who had never been to either Israel or the UN before accepting the diplomatic assignment as America's UN ambassador, would come to earn a reputation as a pathbreaker, a reputation now widely endorsed by both friends and enemies of Israel? I have thoughts on these questions, having served as Haley's deputy. Four factors account for Haley's extraordinary performance. First, President Donald Trump supported everything Haley did at the UN. Had he not, she would not have been able to do it. Second, Trump does not micromanage people he trusts. Trump and Haley got along quite well. They spoke frequently and he valued her counsel. Third, Haley was a member of the president's Cabinet and National Security Council. She was a policymaker, not just a messenger. Fourth, Haley decided early in her tenure that American interests at the UN, and American principles more broadly, required steadfast support for Israel. There was a gross disparity between the size of American financial assistance the Palestinians received and the extreme degree to which they rhetorically or otherwise opposed American policies. The Palestinian Authority refused even to meet with any U.S. representative, yet between UNRWA and direct aid, the U.S. was sending them well over half a billion dollars a year. Haley challenged and disproved some important basic assumptions about Middle East policy. It turns out that the U.S. can support Israel strongly and still work closely with Arab states to promote common interests. Even if future U.S. administrations revert back to the policies of the past, these old assumptions will remain disproven.
2019-04-22 00:00:00
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