Byrne Votes to Stand with Israel, Reject Flawed UN Resolution

Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-AL) voted today in favor of House Resolution 11, which objects to the United Nations (UN) Security Resolution relating to Israel. The House resolution calls the UN action an obstacle to Israeli-Palestinian peace.

House Resolution 11 passed on a bipartisan vote of 342 to 80.

Congressman Byrne, a stronger supporter of Israel, delivered a speech from the floor of the House of Representatives in support of the legislation.

Byrne said: “Honestly, given the many blunders from the Obama Administration on the world stage, I guess this most recent action shouldn’t be all that surprising. But this action is one of the most irresponsible acts ever by an outgoing President. It will be a dark stain on an already disastrous legacy.

“Now is the time to be standing up for Israel, not turning away from them. It is my hope and my belief, that under President-elect Trump, the United States will once again stand arm in arm with Israel, and this resolution is an important step in that direction.”

A complete transcript of Congressman Byrne’s remarks can be found below.

Byrne said: “Mr. Speaker, there is no greater friend to the United States than Israel. Israel is a beacon of hope in a very dangerous part of the world. They are an important economic and military partner of the United States, and they play a critical role when it comes to fighting radical Islamic terrorism.

“Given the importance of the U.S.-Israel relationship, I was deeply disappointed to see the United Nations recently pass a flawed, anti-Israel resolution that will only make it more difficult to achieve peace in the Middle East.

“Even more disappointing was the fact the United States just stood by and did nothing as it happened. Instead of vetoing the resolution, the U.S. Ambassador “abstained” from voting at all.

“In other words, the United States turned our back and looked the other way as the UN passed a flawed resolution attacking Israel.  This represents a dangerous break in a long-standing and bipartisan policy to protect our sole democratic ally in the region from one-sided resolutions at the UN.

“And, let’s be clear: this resolution does absolutely nothing to make peace more likely in the region. Instead, it muddies the water and only further complicates what is already a very complex issue.

“No solution to the ongoing problems with Israel and the Palestinian Authority is going to come from an international body, like the United Nations, telling them what to do. Any real solution must come through negotiations between the involved parties.

“Honestly, given the many blunders from the Obama Administration on the world stage, I guess this most recent action shouldn’t be all that surprising. But this action is one of the most irresponsible acts ever by an outgoing President. It will be a dark stain on an already disastrous legacy.

“By abstaining and allowing this resolution to pass, the Obama Administration has upset decades of bipartisan policy as it relates to Israel and put a pathway to peace even further out of reach.

“Now is the time to be standing up for Israel, not turning away from them. It is my hope and my belief, that under President-elect Trump, the United States will once again stand arm in arm with Israel, and this resolution is an important step in that direction.

“So, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this rule and the underlying legislation.”