President Obama — whose antipathy toward Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Middle East’s oldest democracy appears to have predated his accession to the White House — fired one final shot at the Jewish state by abstaining on a United Nations Security Council resolution that reversed decades of United States policy, reversed assurances given in the Oslo Accords, and declared the Old City of Jerusalem “occupied Palestinian land.” In effect, Obama rewarded Palestinian intransigence. After all, Israel made peace proposals to the Palestinians in 2000 and 2008, but the Palestinians never responded.
In effect, out of personal pique, arrogance and ambition, Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry are willing to encourage the de-legitimization of Israel, the U.N.’s continued rejection of Jewish heritage, and even legitimize terrorism given the U.N.’s previous blessing of suicide bombing as legitimate self-defense.
President-elect Trump’s team has said that he will retaliate against the United Nations, and perhaps the Palestinian Authority, in response to the Security Council vote. He should. The vote was meant to undermine peace, rather than build it. Here’s what he can do:
-
Cut all funding for The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, which was supposed to close shop 60 years ago, as well as all U.N. agencies that have unilaterally recognized Palestine.
-
Move forward with plans to place the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem and recognize Jerusalem, including the Old City, as Israel’s capital.
-
Close the Palestinian Authority’s shadow embassy in Washington, D.C. After all, the Palestinian Authority has violated agreements dating back more than two decades.
-
The U.S. could recognize that the Oslo Accords are now null and void and that Israel can take unilateral actions in the West Bank and Gaza given that the Palestinians have walked away from the agreement that established the Palestinian Authority in those territories.
-
The U.S. could end all programs administered through its consulate in East Jerusalem.
-
The U.S. Congress could take a no-nonsense approach toward the Palestinian Authority’s support for terrorism by implementing the Palestine Liberation Organization Commitments Compliance Act and cut off all funding to the Palestinian Authority until it ceases all support for terrorism, especially the payment of pensions to imprisoned terrorists.
-
The new State Department could designate the Palestine Liberation Organization as a terrorist group.
- The U.S. could suspend funding for the U.N. until it institutes internal reforms, such as a ban on business- or first-class travel for its employees.
Michael Rubin is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. He is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and a former Pentagon official. Thinking of submitting an op-ed to the Washington Examiner? Be sure to read our guidelines on submissions.
