The U.N. was poised to do something it has never done, condemn the terrorist group Hamas for firing rockets at Israeli civilians.

Yet at the last minute the enemies of freedom pulled an outrageous stunt requiring a 2/3 vote to pass the resolution, instead of the normal 50% majority.

While the resolution did in fact get a majority (87 in favor of condemning Hamas, 57 opposing condemning Hamas, and 33 nations abstaining), it fell far short of the newly required 2/3 majority in the U.N. General Assembly. Were it not for the absurd 2/3 requirement – a poison pill proposed at the last minute by Kuwait – this vote would have passed.

This is an outrageous betrayal of Israel and all those innocent civilians who have been the victims of Hamas terror. It was a cowardly stunt to prop up a terrorist entity.

The Palestinian Authority, Arab nations, and other nations that despise Israel have repeatedly turned a blind eye to the terror inflicted by Hamas on Israel. We have detailed how Hamas – a recognized terrorist group who’s charter actually states “the time [Judgment Day] will not come until Muslims fight the Jews and kill them” – has fired rockets near schools, residential areas, churches, and other civilian areas as a human shield to inflict terror on Israel. Hamas rockets have even targeted an Israeli kindergarten just hours before little children would have been present.

Yet the world has remained silent. It is despicable.

According to a draft that was circulated, the resolution would have:

1. Condemns Hamas for repeatedly firing rockets into Israel and for inciting violence, thereby putting civilians at risk;
2. Demands that Hamas and other militant actors including Palestinian Islamic Jihad cease all provocative actions and violent activity, including by using airborne incendiary devices;
3. Further condemns the use of resources by Hamas in Gaza to construct military infrastructure, including tunnels to infiltrate Israel and equipment to launch rockets into civilian areas, when such resources could be used to address the critical needs of the civilian population. . . .

The Trump Administration worked vigorously on this resolution, including obtaining the support of the entire European Union. Yet the last-minute Kuwaiti stunt supported by nations like Iran doomed the resolution.

This vote will be remembered. The Trump Administration has previously made clear that it is taking a different approach to the U.N. Gone are the days where the U.S. will continue to freely give aid to nations who do not support U.S. prerogatives.

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley made the Trump Administration’s point very clear when she called out Arab nations for standing with terror:

Today we spoke some hard truths. We can’t talk about peace in the Middle East until we can agree on a basic condemnation of Hamas and its terrorism. The UN had a chance to do that today, and it failed. pic.twitter.com/MF7DEtu2Ml

— US Mission to the UN (@USUN) December 6, 2018

We believe this vote should – and will – have consequences. Hamas should never be allowed indiscriminately terrorize Israeli men, women, and children with impunity. And the enemies of freedom who pulled this stunt should not only be ashamed of publicly supporting terror, but they should face serious consequences from the U.S. and other nations, including reduction and loss of financial aid packages.