Thank you so much. It’s great to be with everyone tonight, and Tony, thank you for that introduction.
I also want to thank Danny for his kind remarks.  I feel like Danny and I are fellow veterans of a particularly long and taxing military campaign. We both went into battle every day at the United Nations for the United States, Israel and our enduring partnership.  Over time, I came to regard Danny not only as a trusted colleague, but as a friend.  So, thank you, my friend.
I want to congratulate Ambassador Alfred Moses on being recognized this evening for his 18 years of leadership of this organization.  Ambassador, your leadership has been essential for the success of UN Watch. Congratulations and we thank you.  
I want to give a shout out to UN Watch for holding this gala for the first time in New York City.  This marks a significant milestone for the organization. Congratulations on escaping the high prices and crowded streets of Geneva for the affordable serenity of New York City.
I’m honored to receive this award tonight.  Hillel and UN Watch were an irreplaceable source of facts and moral clarity when I was at the United Nations. Hillel is another guy you want in the foxhole with you at the UN.  He’s fighting the good fight, every single day. I’m grateful to know he and his colleagues found me as reliable a voice for human rights as I found them. And I know our work will continue.
I will continue to have your back Hillel.
 
There is another, more basic reason why I am pleased to be honored by UN Watch tonight.  Among the many, many organizations devoted to monitoring the United Nations, UN Watch is virtually alone in its dedication to what passes for a revolutionary idea at the UN.  They judge the United Nations by, quote, “the yardstick of its own charter.”
 “The yardstick of its own charter.” These are words that cause people to break out in a cold sweat at Turtle Bay.
The United States is a member of the United Nations because we believe in its purpose – the promotion and protection of peace, security and human rights.  We believe in holding the UN to the standard of its founding principles.  But you don’t have to spend too much time at the UN to see that what causes it to fall short of its principles isn’t just a few isolated people or a few isolated actions.  
 There is a culture at the United Nations that causes it, time and again, to fail to live up it its charter.  It’s a culture of hypocrisy, entitlement, and unaccountability.
It’s also a culture of bullying. 
I know something about bullying.  
 When I grew up, we were the only Indian family in a small southern town in South Carolina.  We weren’t white enough to be white, or black enough to be black.
My parents were immigrants.  My father wore a turban. He still does to this day.  My mother wore a sari.  
The people in our town didn’t know who we were, what we were, or why we were there.
There were times when I was bullied growing up.
So I know it when I see it.  And I’ll never forget the first time I personally saw the culture of bullying at the United Nations.
Every month at the Security Council, there’s a session devoted to the Middle East.  I came to refer to it as the monthly Israel-bashing session. This had gone on for decades.
I was shocked at what I witnessed.
I came out of that first session and publicly said, if we want to talk about security in the Middle East, we should talk about Iran, or Syria, or Hezbollah, or Hamas, or ISIS, or the famine in Yemen.  There are about ten major problems facing the Middle East, and Israel doesn’t have anything to do with any of them. 
Just about every month after that, I spoke about something other than Israel.  I can’t say that we solved the problem, but I can say that several other countries followed our lead.  What used to be a monthly Israel-bashing session, now, at least, has a little more balance.
 The United Nations is a club.  And like any club with rules and a culture, there is a constant pressure to abide by the rules; to conform to the culture.
 When it comes to Israel, my predecessor, Ambassador Daniel Patrick Moynihan, called giving in to the anti-Israel pressure at the UN quote “joining the jackals.”  He captured perfectly how that culture corrupts everyone it touches, not just with regard to Israel, but with many issues of conscience.
 For the previous administration, being on the wrong side of a lopsided vote at the UN was a thing to be avoided.  It was seen as America being, quote, “isolated,” as if that’s automatically a bad thing.
 Ambassador Moynihan wisely pointed out the danger in trying to be popular at the UN.  He said the only way countries like the United States can avoid confrontation at the United Nations isn’t by understanding the perspectives of others, but by adopting them.
This is the pressure that all pro-human rights countries feel.  It’s just easier not to rock the boat. When the crowd is all going one way, it’s hard to be the only one going in the other direction.
But standing alone on behalf of American interests and values is not something to be embarrassed by.  Standing alone for freedom and human dignity is something to be proud of.  
 In America, we don’t celebrate the mob.  We celebrate the person who has the courage and conviction to stand up to the mob.
Now we’re seeing an example of this cultural corruption playing out in real time.
Canada has long been, balanced and fair-minded towards Israel at the United Nations.  It has opposed the pull of the anti-Israel culture.
But Canada is now seeking one of the rotating two-year seats on the Security Council.  It faces a vote in the General Assembly.  
Two weeks ago, Canada surprised Israel’s friends by voting for a North Korean resolution that challenges the legitimacy of Israel.  This is a resolution that Canadian governments for years have voted against.
One observer said Canada is making a quote “Faustian bargain” – trading its integrity for a seat on the Security Council. 
I speak from experience when I say that the United Nations presents many such opportunities to strike a deal with the devil.  Standing up for our principles and our allies is a constant struggle – which is another reason why I am so grateful to UN Watch. 
The United Nations’ greatest failure when measured by the yardstick of its own charter is the Human Rights Council.  
Eleanor Roosevelt saw the Human Rights Council as a place for conscience, not politics.  She knew that if it was allowed to become a forum for hypocrisy and political point-scoring, it would do more to hurt the cause of human rights than it would to help it.
Tragically, this is precisely what has happened.  Instead of protecting human rights, the Human Rights Council has long protected the tyrants, dictators, and strongmen who abuse them.
Not long after I became ambassador I went to Geneva, where the Human Rights Council sits, and put the United States on record: If the Human Rights Council was going to be a legitimate voice for universal human dignity, it needed to make urgent reforms.  Chief among them were preventing human rights abusers from gaining seats on the Council and getting rid of the notorious Agenda Item Seven. Agenda Item Seven singles out Israel. No other country – not China, Cuba, Syria, or North Korea – is subject to this kind of unfair scrutiny.  
My team at the UN spent a year trying to reform the Human Rights Council from the inside.  
What we found surprised us.  
It’s honestly difficult to say which was worse: the tolerance we encountered for human rights violators on the Council, or the hypocrisy of the countries that should have known better.
Of course China and Russia opposed our reform efforts.  They have no problem with full-scale human rights abuses.
Frustratingly, almost all of the pro-human rights countries we spoke to agreed on the need for reform of the Council.  But they refused to take a stand in public. They gave in to the culture of corruption. 
Many encouraged us to remain on the Council because the United States, they said, provided the last shred of credibility the Human Rights Council had.   
And that was precisely why we decided to leave.  The United States should not lend any credibility to this cesspool of political hypocrisy and corruption.
Even more disappointing – if that’s possible – was the reaction of the nongovernmental institutions – the NGOs – that work alongside the UN on human rights.  They agreed with the need to keep human rights abusers off the Council.  
So you can imagine our surprise when the NGOs came out publicly against our reforms.  They encouraged countries to vote against us.  
Groups like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch sided with Russia and China.
They told us they believed that opening up the Human Rights Council to changes would result in hostile amendments in the General Assembly that would make the Council even worse.
 I can’t think of a clearer example of the corrupting culture of the United Nations.  They are allowing the world’s worst actors to call the shots on human rights because … well, it could be worse.
In stark contrast, UN Watch has been a loud, principled, and consistent voice challenging the status quo. This organization has refused to go along with the crowd.  You have had the courage and conviction to stand up to the mob. And for that, I thank you.
The United States rightly ended our participation in the Human Rights Council last year.  Just two months ago, Maduro’s Venezuela was welcomed as a member.
Maduro’s Venezuela, where political opponents by the thousands are jailed and tortured.
Where the dictator has crushed the independent legislature and media.  
Where the corruption and poverty has gotten so bad that the Venezuelan people dig through trash cans and slaughter zoo animals to feed their families.
Where the average Venezuelan adult has lost 24 pounds. 
I know no one at UN Watch would ever say, “I told you so.”  So I’ll say it for you.
We told you so.  We told you the Human Rights Council is corrupt.  We told you nothing will get better until there is serious reform. 
But being tragically correct about the corruption of the Human Rights Council is not enough.  It’s not nearly enough.
Venezuelans are suffering and dying while the UN honors their government with a seat on its premier human rights organization.  
With us tonight is Diego Arria, the former Venezuelan ambassador to the UN.
 Ambassador Arria has watched his country’s sad descent from a thriving democracy to the impoverished narco-state it is today.
The day after Venezuela was elected to the Human Rights Council, Ambassador Arria began a public campaign to have it removed under the founding rules of the Council. 
If you take nothing else away from this evening, please take this:   If we are serious about being advocates of human rights, Venezuela’s membership on the Human Rights Council cannot stand.
Please support Ambassador Arria in this effort.  Make your voice heard. At stake is not just the health of the United Nations and the Human Rights Council. 
At stake is the ability of the Venezuelan people to reclaim their freedom and human dignity.  
The revolutionary notion that we are all children of God and entitled to His gifts is embedded in the founding purpose of the United Nations.  It is at the heart of the American idea 
This evening is a celebration of this truth.  And I thank you for being a part of it.  
It has been my honor to speak to you tonight.  As long as I have a voice, I will never stop being the proud ambassador of this cause.  I hope you will continue to join me.
Thank you and God bless you.

The post Remarks by Nikki Haley on receiving UN Watch's Eleanor Roosevelt Award appeared first on UN Watch.

Perhaps Canada’s vote in favor of self-determination for Palestinians on a UN resolution — an initiative sponsored by Egypt, among others — will be discussed during the trip [to Africa].

An affront against Israel that Minister Champagne does not see as a change of course. In fact, it is — because for fifteen years, Ottawa was always, with the United States, against the UN resolutions condemning the Jewish state.

“There is no policy change. It’s one vote out of 17 [on the subject]. “

— François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Foreign Affairs

“There are times, sometimes, when Canada has to make its voice heard, and we did it in this way, but that does not change our support for Israel and the Canadian Jewish community,” says the Minister.

This stance inspired former US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley to react with vitriol. Ottawa has “made a pact with the devil,” she jeered, attributing this move to the Canadian quest for a seat on the Security Council.

“These are words that surprised me,” said François-Philippe Champagne. “I know in what state of mind Canada did it. I will leave others their comments, but I think people understand very well why Canada did this.”

The post Canada's foreign minister 'surprised' by Nikki Haley's criticism of his U.N. vote against Israel appeared first on UN Watch.

Excerpt from Nikki Haley’s remarks at UN Watch’s Inaugural New York Gala Dinner, Dec. 5, 2019:

“It’s just easier not to rock the boat.

When the crowd is all going one way, it’s hard to be the only one going the other direction.

But standing alone on behalf of American interests and values is not something to be embarrassed about. Standing alone for freedom and human dignity is something to be proud of.

In America, we don’t celebrate the mob. We celebrate the person who has the courage and conviction to stand up to the mob.

Now we’re seeing an example of this cultural corruption playing out in real time.

Canada has for a long time been balanced and fair-minded towards Israel at the United Nations. It has opposed the pull of the anti-Israel culture.

But Canada is now seeking one of the rotating two-year seats on the Security Council. It faces a vote in the General Assembly.

Two weeks ago, Canada surprised Israel’s friends by voting for a North Korean resolution that challenges the legitimacy of Israel. This is a resolution that Canadian governments for years have voted against.

One observer said Canada is making a “Faustian bargain,” trading its integrity for a seat on the Security Council.

I speak from experience when I say the United Nations presents many such opportunities to strike a deal with the devil.

Standing up for our principles, and our allies, is a constant struggle, which is another reason why I am so grateful to UN Watch.”
 

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Thank you. I’m so proud of the work our team did. We were thankful to have you as a valued partner. ❤️🇺🇸 https://t.co/gIJZMk3YWu

— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) September 5, 2019

 
Previous UN Watch honorees include Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Lord David Trimble, former French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, and former Spanish Prime Minister José María Aznar.
UN Watch is a key player in the fight against anti-Israeli bias at the UN, advocating with high officials, holding perpetrators to account, and educating public opinion, including with powerful UN speeches viewed by millions across the globe.

________

UN Watch’s Hillel Neuer interviewed Nikki Haley earlier this year, for a talk organized by the Montreal Jewish community:

.@NikkiHaley on @HillelNeuer: "Please help me give the biggest thank you to Hillel. Because, you want to look at courage—that is courage. He fights every day.

I’m cheering for you every day. You’re fighting the good fight. And if anything starts to go wrong, I’ve got your back." pic.twitter.com/V3cKw0hcmZ

— UN Watch (@UNWatch) April 14, 2019

Fabulous and actually heart warming video of Nikki Haley @NikkiHaley interviewed by Hillel Neuer @UNWatch. This video demonstrates why Haley epitomises the best of America: immigrant. fighter. straight talker. stands by allies and friends. https://t.co/rwNwrsGxTT via @YouTube

— ד״ר עינת וילף Dr. Einat Wilf (@EinatWilf) April 23, 2019

The post Nikki Haley To Be Honored By UN Watch appeared first on UN Watch.

Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley enthralled a sold-out audience of 1,200 at Montreal’s historic Shaar Hashomayim synagogue last week, in a discussion of her views on the UN, Israel and human rights that was moderated by UN Watch executive director Hillel Neuer.
Haley on UN Watch: “Please help me give the biggest thank you to Hillel, because let me tell you, you want to look at courage—that is courage. He fights every day. Every day. If you aren’t following what he does with UN Watch, go find it. Go watch him. Because I’m cheering for you every day. You’re fighting the good fight, and we need you to keep your energy up and keep going, and if anything starts to go wrong, I’ve got your back.”
Vetoing UN condemnation of U.S. embassy move to Jerusalem: “That was one of my proudest moments. I felt like I was fighting for the truth and for what was right. And I was mad. Every country has the sovereign right to put their embassy wherever they choose. The U.S. always chooses to have its embassy in the capital. Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. The rest of the world can’t hide what we know as fact. The President had great courage to do it.”
UN’s anti-Israeli bigotry: “What I saw at the Security Council reminded me of what it felt like to be bullied when I was a kid. I have no patience for bullies. They were kicking Israel just because—without facts. For me, it was disgusting… So I started talking about other issues going on in the Middle East, and then eventually Israel-bashing changed. Ambassadors got embarassed after getting called out. Over time, it started to stop, but I think we have a long way to go.”
Speaking Truth: “My mom taught me to tell the truth. We also have to fight for those who can’t fight for themselves. You can do it, too. If you see something, say something. If there’s someone suffering, do something about it.”
Reasons for anti-Israel votes: “The Arab countries have a lot of oil and a lot of money, and they started picking up all these other countries to vote with them. If you actually go into the quiet corners of the UN, most countries don’t hate Israel, most envy Israel.”
Obama’s role in UN Resolution 2334: “It was terrible… the U.S. led that resolution. Other countries actually didn’t want to do it. It was the U.S.’s saddest hour. I vowed that would never happen again under my watch. If you don’t have the backs of your friends, why would anybody trust you?”
On Israel today: “Israel has earned the right to stand on its own and call people out, because it’s a good, strong country that I truly look at as a beacon of light in a neighborhood that has a lot of problems.”
 

The post Nikki Haley interviewed by UN Watch's Hillel Neuer appeared first on UN Watch.

[A]ll of that potential is being squandered by a government that cares only for preserving its own power, rather than promoting the freedom and welfare of its people. Through violence, massive repression, corruption, and financial mismanagement, the Maduro regime is showing its true colors as a dictatorship. It is denying the voice of its own people by imprisoning political opposition, rejecting its own democratically elected National Assembly, and putting forth sham elections that everyone understands are phony.
[Text] [Video 42:47]

RT @USUN: “Today’s so-called ‘election’ in Venezuela is an insult to democracy. We will continue to stand with the Venezuelan people fighting for a brighter future for their country. It's time for Maduro to go.”

— Archive: Ambassador Nikki Haley (@AmbNikkiHaley) May 20, 2018

On Cuba:

Today, the crime is the Cuban government’s continued repression of its people and failure to meet even the minimum requirements of a free and just society… What you cannot know because your government won’t let you know is that there were credible reports of almost 10,000 politically motivated detentions in Cuba in 2016 alone. That’s a massive increase in detentions over recent years.”
[Text] [Video 53:34]

Great meeting with ambassador @nikkihaley

Honored and humbled by your friendship and your commitment with stoping the threats to the democracy in the region as the Castro’s Regime.#CubaDecide pic.twitter.com/SxMu5yi6I3

— Rosa María Payá A. (@RosaMariaPaya) March 2, 2018

On Nicaragua:

The Ortega regime has long controlled the media by ensuring that television and radio stations are in the hands of family, friends, and corrupt allies. Ortega banned opposition parties and rigged the Nicaraguan constitution to allow him three uninterrupted five-year terms…In classic authoritarian fashion, Ortega is attempting to destroy the most respected institution that is rightfully standing up for the Nicaraguan people: the Catholic Church.

[Text] [Video 1:41:04]

RT @USUN: We remain deeply concerned about continued human rights violations by the government of Nicaragua and call for an immediate end to this violence. The United States stands with the Nicaraguan people. pic.twitter.com/0qwmFKkZRQ

— Archive: Ambassador Nikki Haley (@AmbNikkiHaley) June 1, 2018

@nikkihaley I appreciate your efforts in raising a voice for the voiceless at the @UN, particularly those in Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Cuba who are being politically persecuted. The community of human rights defenders from Nicaragua, wish you boundless success wherever you go! pic.twitter.com/qQGJ7EfJCz

— Félix Maradiaga (@maradiaga) October 9, 2018

On Syria:

The Assad regime and its enablers, Russia and Iran, have a playbook for this war. First, they surround a civilian area. Next, they make the preposterous claim that everyone in the area is a terrorist, so every man, woman, and child becomes a target. Then comes the ‘starve and surrender’ campaign, where they keep attacking until the people no longer have food, clean water, or shelter. It’s a playbook of death. The Assad regime has spent the last seven years refining it with Russia and Iran’s help.
[Text] [Video 1:49:30]

On Saudi Arabia:

Countries like… Saudi Arabia occupy positions that obligate them to, in the words of the resolution that created the Human Rights Council, ‘uphold the highest standards’ of human rights. They clearly do not uphold those highest standards.
[Text] [Video]

On Iran:

Iran’s leaders abuse their own people. The Iranian people deserve better. The Iranian people know the horror of chemical weapons attacks. And so it is sad and horrifying, the irony that the Iranian regime now supports a dictator in Syria who uses these same evil weapons against his own people.
[Text] [Video 32:53]

RT:”Our hopes & prayers are with the millions of people suffering from repressive govts in NKorea,Venezuela,Cuba & esp in Iran, where the Iranian people are finding their voice.The Iranian govt is being tested by its own people.We pray freedom & human rights will carry the day.” pic.twitter.com/2KncUVfiiq

— Archive: Ambassador Nikki Haley (@AmbNikkiHaley) December 31, 2017

I admire @nikkihaley for her great courage to defy dictators, the missing factor @UN! She is a great champion, and advocate for human rights all over the world! She will be remembered for her firm stance against Iranian regime+their little puppet, B Assad! U R an inspiration! https://t.co/Cs3pGed57x

— Peymaneh Shafi (@Peymaneh_Sh) October 9, 2018

On Myanmar:

We cannot be afraid to call the actions of the Burmese authorities what they appear to be: a brutal, sustained campaign to cleanse the country of an ethnic minority. And it should shame senior Burmese leaders who have sacrificed so much for an open, democratic Burma.
[Text] [Video 22:35]

RT @USUN: The US placed sanctions on security forces responsible for human rights violations in Burma. We’ll continue to shine a light on these atrocities & take action against the perpetrators. In addition we’ll keep calling for the release of journalists Wa Lone & Kyaw Soe Oo. pic.twitter.com/TlSivAxYKV

— Archive: Ambassador Nikki Haley (@AmbNikkiHaley) August 17, 2018

On North Korea:

The systematic human rights violations and abuses of the North Korean government are more than the cause of its people’s suffering. They are a means to a single end: Keeping the Kim Jong Un regime in power.
[Text] [Video 46:51]

On China:

Religious freedom is one of our most precious rights, one that should be enjoyed by all no matter where they are born. The Government of China banning online sales of the Bible is an assault on their citizens’ freedoms & on Christianity. Read more, here: https://t.co/YW9GzZIISE

— Archive: Ambassador Nikki Haley (@AmbNikkiHaley) April 6, 2018

Great to hear this from ⁦@nikkihaley⁩ @usun on #China #Xinjiang “political education” camps: 'straight out of George Orwell.’ Will other ambs, ⁦@antonioguterres⁩ follow suit? ⁦@hrw⁩ ⁦@hrw_chinese⁩ https://t.co/HLG2VGEais

— Sophie Richardson (@SophieDRich) October 17, 2018

On Russia:

When Russian forces entered the Crimean capital in 2014, it was a direct violation of the UN Charter. Russian forces seized the parliament building and imposed an illegitimate referendum on the people. Since then, Russia has pushed into eastern Ukraine, creating a humanitarian crisis that threatens millions.
[Text] [Video 1:28:11]

Unbelievable that Russia is stalling a vote on a ceasefire allowing humanitarian access in Syria. How many more people will die before the The Security Council agrees to take up this vote? Let’s do this tonight. The Syrian people can’t wait.

— Archive: Ambassador Nikki Haley (@AmbNikkiHaley) February 23, 2018

 
On Democratic Republic of the Congo:

The government must now work to release political prisoners, end politically motivated prosecutions, and guarantee the rights of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression. These changes are desperately needed – right now – in the Congo … The use of excessive force against civilians who simply want a say in determining their future is against everything the United Nations is supposed to stand for – that is ‘respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction.’
[Text] [Video]

 
On Burundi:

We’ve seen numerous instances where the Burundian government services use torture to crack down on protesters. This has forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee to neighboring countries and caused massive regional disruption. It is little wonder that the government has pushed back on the UN’s and the AU’s work in Burundi.
[Text] [Video]

On South Sudan:

Just last month, President Kiir promoted three generals who this Council sanctioned in 2015. These are men who led the slaughter of innocent South Sudanese children, women, and old men. Hundreds of victims reportedly were buried in mass graves. And the Government of South Sudan decided to promote their killers.
[Text] [Video 36:23]

"We've lost trust in the gov't of S. Sudan. To regain our trust they must take care of all of their ppl," Amb.Haley on meeting w/ Pres.Kiir pic.twitter.com/dE80Rb4Buc

— Archive: Ambassador Nikki Haley (@AmbNikkiHaley) October 28, 2017

Spoke to @RobbieGramer about the proactive and constructive role @nikkihaley played on African conflicts—helping get Kabila to commit to elex date in the #DRC and delivering an arms embargo on #SouthSudanhttps://t.co/0P46T3kuuc

— Ashish Pradhan (@AshishSPradhan) October 11, 2018

Thank you @nikkihaley for continuing to focus on South Sudan. International community must go beyond status quo; now is time to dramatically increase pressure on spoilers of peace through network sanctions and meaningful anti-money laundering measures https://t.co/5Q0cfHrUEW

— Enough Project (@EnoughProject) May 31, 2018

The post Nikki Haley: Defending Human Rights, Fighting Dictatorships appeared first on UN Watch.

Transcript of Nikki Haley White House Press Conference, Oct. 8, 2018
See resignation letter below 
AMBASSADOR HALEY: Well, I want to say — first of all, I want to thank the President for just, you know, allowing us to come out and talk to you this way. It has been an honor of a lifetime. You know, I said I am such a lucky girl to have been able to lead the state that raised me, and to serve a country I love so very much. It has really been a blessing, and I want to thank you for that.
But I’m most excited — look at the two years. Look at what has happened in two years with the United States on foreign policy. Now, the United States is respected. Countries may not like what we do, but they respect what we do. They know that if we say we’re going to do something, we follow it through. And the President proved that — whether it was with the chemical weapons in Syria; whether it’s with NATO — saying that other countries have to pay their share; I mean, whether it’s the trade deals, which has been amazing. They get that the President means business, and they follow through with that.
But then if you look at just these two years at the U.N., we cut $1.3 billion in the U.N.’s budget. We’ve made it stronger. We’ve made it more efficient.
South Sudan — we got an arms embargo, which was a long time coming.
Three North Korean sanctions packages, which were the largest in a generation, done in a way that we could really work towards denuclearizing North Korea.
The Iran deal — bringing attention to the world that every country needs to understand you can’t overlook all of the bad things they’re doing; you have to see them for the threat that they are.
I think you look at the anti-Israel bias, and the strength and courage that the President showed in moving the embassy, and showing the rest of the world we will put our embassy where we want to put our embassy.
You know, all of those things have made a huge difference in the U.S. standing. But I can tell you that it’s — the U.S. is strong again. And the U.S. is strong in a way that should make all Americans very proud.
And I do want to say that it’s not just the President I want to thank. The family in general — the First Lady has been nothing but very, very kind to me.
I can’t say enough good things about Jared and Ivanka. Jared is such a hidden genius that no one understands. I mean, to re-do the NAFTA deal the way he did. What I’ve done working with him on the Middle East Peace Plan — it is so unbelievably well done.
And Ivanka has been just a great friend. And they do a lot of things behind the scenes that I wish more people knew about because we’re a better country because they’re in this administration.
I also just have to say, certainly, thank you to my family. Michael is a saint. And my two little ones, I adore them.
And to Team U.S.-U.N. You know, they sacrificed a lot. They put a lot of time and energy into it. But they have a lot of heart, and really wanted to make America proud.
And so, with that, I’m not leaving until the end of the year. My goal is that we make sure that everything is in good place, and — for the next ambassador to come in. But it’s a great day in the United States. And I’m proud to have been part of a team.
Now, I don’t have anything set on where I’m going to go. I think that the main thing was — I was Governor for six years, and we dealt with the Hurricane, a thousand-year flood, a church shooting, a school shooting. There was a lot. And then, to come in and do two years of Russia and Iran and North Korea — it’s been eight years of intense time, and I’m a believer in term limits.
I think you have to be selfless enough to know when you step aside and allow someone else to do the job. So, thank you, Mr. President —
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, Nikki. I’m so proud of you.
AMBASSADOR HALEY: — it’s been an honor of a lifetime. And I will say this: For all of you that are going to ask about 2020; no, I’m not running for 2020. I can promise you what I’ll be doing is campaigning for this one. So, I look forward to supporting the President in the next election.
THE PRESIDENT: That’s so good. Thank you, Nikki.
Q Ambassador Haley, you list a long list of accomplishments. Why would you want to leave that all behind? Is it really a personal decision because you’ve been away from your family for so long? Or is it something else, too?
AMBASSADOR HALEY: My family is very supportive. So, no, there’s no personal reasons. I think that it’s just very important for government officials to understand when it’s time to step aside. And I have given everything I’ve got these last eight years. And I do think that sometimes it’s good to rotate in other people who can put that same energy and power into it.
So there really is — a lot of people are going to want to say there’s a lot of reasons why I’m leaving. The truth is I want to make sure that this administration, the President, has the strongest person to fight. It was a blessing to go into the U.N. with body armor every day and defend America. And I’ll always do that; I’ll never truly step aside from fighting for our country. But I will tell you that I think it’s time.

I am sad to learn that Ambassador Nikki Haley is resigning. Facing an assembly of dictatorships and their apologists, history will record that she stood up for truth, fairness and human rights, and that she did so with courage, eloquence and grace. I will miss her. pic.twitter.com/fwa6FwNAyk

— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) October 9, 2018

 
Nikki Haley Resignation Letter
Source: Washington Post
PDF of letter  
October 3, 2018
Dear Mr. President:
It has been an immense honor to serve our country in your Administration. I cannot thank you enough for giving me this opportunity.
You will recall that when you offered me the position of United States Ambassador to the United Nations in November 2016, I accepted the offer based on some conditions. Those conditions included serving in your Cabinet and on the National Security Council and being free to speak my mind on the issues of the day. You made those commitments and you have absolutely kept them all. For that too, I will always be grateful.
We achieved great successes at the UN. We passed the toughest sanctions against any country in a generation, pressuring North Korea toward denuclearization. We passed an arms embargo on South Sudan that will help reduce violence and hopefully bring peace to that troubled country. We stood up for our ally Israel and began to roll back the UN’s relentless bias against her. We reformed UN operations and saved over $1.3 billion. We spoke out resolutely against dictatorships in Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba, and yes, Russia. Through it all, we stood strong for American values and interests, always placing America first. I am proud of our record.
As a strong supporter of term limits, I have long believed that rotation in office benefits the public. Between the UN Ambassadorship and serving in the South Carolina Governorship and General Assembly, I have been in public office for fourteen straight years. As a businessman, I expect you will appreciate my sense that returning from government to the private sector is not a step down but a step up.
Accordingly, I am resigning my position. To give you time to select a replacement, and to give the Senate time to consider your selection, I am prepared to continue to serve until January 2019.
At that point, I will once again become a private citizen. I expect to continue to speak out from time to time on important public policy matters, but I will surely not be a candidate for any office in 2020. As a private citizen, I look forward to supporting your re-election as President, and supporting the policies that will continue to move our great country toward even greater heights.
With best wishes and deep gratitude,
Nikki Haley
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Good afternoon. There are many terrible things happening in the world today. Many things that demand our urgent attention.
As we speak, protests are taking place in Nicaragua. Over 146 peaceful Nicaraguans have been killed by their own government in the past two months. But we are not talking about Nicaragua today.
The people of Iran have been protesting their government for months. Thousands of peaceful Iranian protestors have been arrested. Over 25 are dead. But we’re not talking about Iran either.
The world’s worst humanitarian crisis is going on right now in Yemen. Millions are at risk for starvation. In Burma, almost a million innocent people have been driven from their homes in a campaign of ethnic cleansing. But we’re not talking about Yemen or Burma.
Instead, today the General Assembly is devoting its valuable time to the situation in Gaza. Gaza is an important international matter. But what makes it different and more urgent than conflicts in Nicaragua, Iran, Yemen, Burma, or many other desperate places? Because we haven’t gathered here to discuss any of those urgent issues. The United States would welcome that.
What makes Gaza different for some is that attacking Israel is their favorite political sport. That’s why we’re here today.
The nature of this resolution clearly demonstrates that politics is driving the day. It is totally one-sided. It makes not one mention of Hamas, who routinely initiates violence in Gaza. Such one-sided resolutions at the UN do nothing to advance peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Everyone recognizes that. But advancing peace is not the goal of this resolution.
I suspect even my Turkish friends know the passage of this resolution won’t change anything, but that it looks good for the people back home to think they’re doing something. That is pure politics. In fact, this resolution makes peace less possible.
It feeds a narrative to the desperate people of Gaza that their leaders are not responsible for their predicament. It stokes hatred. It sacrifices honesty, accuracy, compromise, and reconciliation in favor of the advancement of a narrow political agenda.
If we were being honest, we would acknowledge that there are no perfect actors on either side of this conflict. But it does no one any good to pretend that all blame lies on one side. I wish everyone supporting this one sided resolution would put as much energy into encouraging President Abbas to come to the negotiating table, as you do to falsely imply to your people back home that you’re doing something.
Israel withdrew completely from Gaza in 2005. Hamas has been the de facto government in Gaza since 2007. This strip of land along the Mediterranean coast has enormous potential. And yet, after 11 years of Hamas rule, Gaza has electricity for only a few hours a day. It has enormous unemployment and poverty. It is a haven for terrorist activity. At what point will the UN actually hold accountable those who are in charge of Gaza and running it into the ground?
Instead, this resolution holds Hamas completely unaccountable for most of the recent unrest. It blames everything on Israel. But the facts tell a different story. It is Hamas and its allies that have fired over a hundred rockets into Israel in the past month, hoping to cause death to as many civilians and as much destruction as possible. It is Hamas that has used Palestinian civilians as human shields at the boundary fence, seeking to incite violence and overrun the border. It is Hamas that refuses to cooperate with the Palestinian Authority to unite in the pursuit of peace. It is Hamas that calls for the destruction of the state of Israel within any borders. And yet the resolution before us not only fails to blame Hamas for these actions, it fails to even mention Hamas. This is the dangerous, counter-productive decision the General Assembly is about to take.
But there is still a chance for this body to try and right this wrong. We still have the opportunity to salvage something honest from this discussion. The United States is offering an amendment that provides a small step in the direction of balance. Our amendment rightly condemns Hamas’s indiscriminate firing of rockets into Israeli civilian communities. It accurately condemns the diversion of aid and resources from civilian needs into military infrastructure, including terror tunnels used to attack Israeli citizens. It justly expresses our grave concerns about damage done to border crossings that are hindering the delivery of desperately needed food and fuel to the people of Gaza.
This is a modest amendment that reflects the minimum truth of what is going on in Gaza. It is the least that any self-respecting international organization or nation can do for the cause of peace.
To those who are unsure about how to vote, I ask, what part of our amendment is objectionable? Is it objectionable to condemn Hamas for firing the rockets at civilians? Is it objectionable to condemn the diversion of resources from civilians to military uses? Or is it objectionable to express concern about the destruction of border crossings that deliver life-saving supplies?
Today’s choice for the General Assembly is simple. It is the choice between using our time here to advance peace and security, or using it to stoke hatred and conflict. This vote will tell us much about which countries are serious about accuracy and reconciliation and which countries are bound by their political agendas. For the sake of peace, and for the sake of this institution, I urge my colleagues to support the United States’ amendment. Thank you.

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U.N. Security Council Emergency Meeting on Gaza
Remarks of U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley
May 30, 2018

Thank you, Madam President, and thank you, Special Coordinator Mladenov, for your briefing.
The United States called this meeting today to talk about the dangerous and destructive activities of the terrorist organization Hamas in the Gaza Strip. You might think that the rest of the Security Council would join us in condemning a terrorist organization like Hamas. There shouldn’t be any debate about this. But of course, because this attack involves Israel, the standard is different.
The United States drafted a Security Council statement that would have condemned Hamas for launching rockets and endangering civilians. This should have been a no-brainer. You would think no one would want to side with Hamas when it comes to condemning rocket launches. But the statement was blocked.
We called for a meeting under the agenda item “threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts.” But again, we were blocked. Apparently, some Council members did not think Hamas launching rockets qualified as terrorism. The United States begs to differ.
We all know that certain actions in and around Gaza receive an enormous amount of attention, both here in the Security Council, and throughout the international media. Strangely, other actions do not receive nearly the same attention that they deserve. One such action that calls out for attention and condemnation is what happened yesterday.
The facts are clear. On May 29th, Hamas and an allied militant group fired at least 70 – 7-0 – rockets and mortars from Gaza into Israel. This rocket attack was indiscriminate, aiming to cause as much civilian death and destruction as possible. There were several injuries, but thank goodness, there were no deaths. But the mere fact that one of the rockets landed on a kindergarten playground is all the proof we need of the intentions of the terrorists. The horrifying damage that could have been done is unthinkable. Unlike some situations we deal with here in the Security Council where guilty parties claim mistaken identity or lack of evidence of responsibility, this is clearly not the case.
Hamas openly claims responsibility for this attack. They do so proudly. Their only regret is that the attack did not kill anyone. The Security Council has always been quick to pounce on Israel, regardless of the facts and the circumstances. I am very interested in how my colleagues respond when the attacks are directly against Israel. Attacks that are a clear escalation of violence. Attacks that take no steps whatsoever to protect against civilian casualties. Attacks, in fact, whose entire desired outcome is to maximize civilian casualties.
There are a couple of major conclusions to be drawn from this disconnect.
First, this outrageous terrorist attack proves what we have consistently maintained. Namely, that Hamas’s stated purpose is the destruction of Israel. That is its purpose when it fires rockets into Israel. That is its purpose when it builds terror tunnels underneath Israeli territory. And that is its purpose when it orchestrates violent protests and riots at the boundary fence calling for a March for Return. All of these acts are indivisible parts of a single strategy. That strategy is to do as much damage as possible to Israel and to provoke a response in self-defense that will create international condemnation of Israeli actions.
Second, Hamas’s actions prove the falsehood of the idea that the people of Gaza require international protection. The people of Gaza do not need protection from an external source. The people of Gaza need protection from Hamas. It is the actions of Hamas that are putting Gazans in grave danger. Hamas’s indiscriminate attacks against Israel inevitably bring a response.
As I have asked my colleagues before, I will ask you again today. Who among us would accept 70 rockets launched into your country? We all know the answer to that. No one would.
The Palestinian people of Gaza are facing desperate humanitarian hardships. We want to help address their needs. We support Special Coordinator Mladenov’s engagement to restart initiatives that could improve conditions in Gaza.
But here again, we must look at the destructive actions of Hamas. In recent weeks, Hamas militants have repeatedly assaulted the Kerem Shalom border crossing – the biggest lifeline of basic humanitarian goods into Gaza.
In its attacks yesterday, Hamas rockets damaged three power lines, knocking out electric power to tens of thousands of Palestinians. These monstrous actions demonstrate complete disregard for the people of Gaza. Apparently it is not enough for Hamas to incite military responses to its acts of terrorism. Hamas also feels compelled to increase the suffering of the people of Gaza.
We note reports today that Hamas has unilaterally declared a ceasefire. We hope that that ceasefire holds and that there is no more rocket attacks. But the fact that Hamas can even declare a ceasefire is further confirmation of Hamas’s responsibility for these attacks in the first place. When we consider the situation in Gaza, this is what the Security Council should address.
It is outrageous for the Security Council to fail to condemn Hamas rocket attacks against Israeli civilians, while the Human Rights Council approves sending a team to investigate Israeli actions taken in self-defense.
I urge the members of the Security Council to exercise at least as much scrutiny of the actions of the Hamas terrorist group as it does to Israel’s legitimate right of self-defense. To allow Hamas to continue to get away with its terrorist acts, and to somehow expect Israel to sit on its hands when it is attacked, is the height of hypocrisy. To continue to condemn Israel without even acknowledging what is actually coming from the leaders of Gaza makes me question who actually cares about the welfare of the Palestinian people.
The Palestinian people deserve a better life. That can only happen if we acknowledge and reject the terrorist actions of Hamas and if we encourage more responsible Palestinian leadership. All responsible parties should be encouraging both sides to come to the negotiating table for the well-being of the Israelis and the Palestinians.
Thank you.

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