The UN General Assembly has voted 128-9 with 35 abstentions, including one from Canada, to declare U.S. President Donald Trump’s declaration of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital “null and void.”Thursday’s vote, while a victory for the Palestinians, was significantly lower than its supporters had hoped for, with many forecasting at least 150 “yes” votes. It is noteworthy that 21 countries were absent.In that sense, it was a victory for the United States, with Trump’s threat to cut off U.S. funding to countries that oppose his decision having an impact.The vote in the UN General Assembly placed Canada in a difficult situation because Trump had threatened to retaliate against countries that support a resolution calling on him to rescind his plan to relocate the embassy.A spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said the Canadian government is disappointed the resolution landed on the floor of the General Assembly.“This resolution is one-sided and does not advance prospects for peace to which we aspire, which is why we will abstain on today’s vote,” Adam Austen said.“Canada’s long-standing position is that the status of Jerusalem can be resolved only as part of a general settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. This has been the policy of consecutive governments, both Liberal and Conservative.”Austen said Canada wants to emphasize that Jerusalem has special significance to Jews, Muslims and Christians.“Denying the connection between Jerusalem and the Jewish, Muslim and Christian faiths undermines the integrity of the site for all. We also reiterate the need to maintain the status quo at Jerusalem’s Holy sites.”Freeland had discussed the issue with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday, and suggested they agreed to disagree.“Canada and the United States have different views on issues and I think that we have a strong enough relat ...
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