In a Thursday vote that was more for show than for substance, the United Nations General Assembly in a vote of 128-9 (with 34 abstentions) condemned the United States for rightfully declaring Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. And during NBC Nightly News, the network flaunted the decision by the elitist body, touted their rebuke of the U.S., and described the U.S. as somehow acting like a “bully.” All while ignoring the U.N.’s history of targeted anti-Semitism.
“Let's turn now to the dramatic vote at the U.N. delivering a scathing rebuke to the U.S. and condemning President Trump's decision on Jerusalem,” anchor Lester Holt enthusiastically announced at the start of the segment. “The vote in defiance of warnings from Ambassador Nikki Haley who said the U.S. would be taking names of countries who oppose America on this move.”
The network’s Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Andrea Mitchell, who has a long history of siding with brutal dictators and other radicals, seemed excited to report how the bloated bureaucracy “overwhelmingly condemning the U.S. for recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital.” “The only country planning to move its embassy there,” she huffed.
“Countries cheering the final tally, 128-9, including major American allies Britain, France, Germany, and Japan. All opposing the U.S. 35 countries, including Canada, abstaining, but still against the White House decision,” Mitchell continued to hype.
Mitchell was irritated by the Trump administration saying they were taking down the names of those who opposed the U.S., their threats to cut off foreign aid, and the threat to cut most of the over $3 billion in welfare the U.S. spends on the U.N. “Threatening to withdraw American support from countries that voted against us, threatening to take names, it makes us appear as a bully,” former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Nicholas Burns told her.
“So the State Department tonight trying to spin the vote and this rebuke as a victory because the tally could have been worse,” Mitchell Chided as she wrapped up her report.
For all their smears of the U.S. acting like a bully, they failed to mention the U.N.’s long history of singling out Israel as a target for their anti-Semitism. In extremely sharp contrast, CNN’s Jake Tapper alluded to the U.N.’s pervasive anti-Semitism in his truly powerful takedown during The Lead earlier in the day:
But here is a bit of context you might not know: According to U.N. Watch, which monitors the United Nations, the United Nations General Assembly from 2012 to 2015 has adopted 97 resolutions, specifically criticizing an individual country and of those 97, 83 of them have focused on Israel. That is 86 percent. Now certainly Israel is not above criticism, but considering the genocide of the Rohingya people in Myanmar, the lack of basic human rights in North Korea, the children starving in the streets of Venezuela, the citizens of Syria targeted for murder by their own leader using the most grotesque and painful of weapons, you have to ask, is Israel truly deserving of 86 percent of the world's condemnation? Or possibly is something else afoot at the United Nations? Something that allows the representative of the Assad government to lecture the United States for moving its embassy?
NBC’s support of the morally questionable United Nations over the United States was sponsored by Wonderful Halos oranges, T.Rowe Price, and Biotene.
Relevant portions of the transcript below:
NBC Nightly News
December 21, 2017
7:02:40 PM EasternLESTER HOLT: Let's turn now to the dramatic vote at the U.N. delivering a scathing rebuke to the U.S. and condemning President Trump's decision on Jerusalem. The vote in defiance of warnings from Ambassador Nikki Haley who said the U.S. would be taking names of countries who oppose America on this move. NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Andrea Mitchell has details.
[Cuts to video]
(…)
ANDREA MITCHELL: The warning after the United Nations overwhelmingly condemning the U.S. for recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The only country planning to move its embassy there. Countries cheering the final tally, 128-9, including major American allies Britain, France, Germany, and Japan. All opposing the U.S. 35 countries, including Canada, abstaining, but still against the White House decision. The President warning yesterday he's keeping score.
DONALD TRUMP: We're watching those votes. Let them vote against us. We'll save a lot. We don't care.
MITCHELL: Haley herself sending a letter to diplomats that the President and the U.S. take this vote personally. Raising eyebrows by tweeting, the U.S. will be taking names. Protests throughout the Muslim world ripping the President's decision, fearing it could end hopes for peace talks despite U.S. denials. Already Palestinian leaders telling Vice President Pence he is not welcome in Bethlehem for planned meetings.
NICHOLAS BURNS: Threatening to withdraw American support from countries that voted against us, threatening to take names, it makes us appear as a bully.
[Cuts back to live]
MITCHELL: So the State Department tonight trying to spin the vote and this rebuke as a victory because the tally could have been worse. Still, U.S. Officials, multiple officials telling NBC News tonight that the President's long-awaited Middle East peace plan is now going to be delayed for months.
