AP Reporter To State Dept: 'Why Does The United States Think That It Has The Moral High Ground' In UN Palestine Vote?

AP Reporter To State Dept: 'Why Does The United States Think That It Has The Moral High Ground' In UN Palestine Vote?

AP reporter Matt Lee challenged State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland over the belief by the US that a vote against observer status for Palestine in the UN was the correct vote. “Doesn’t this ever give anybody any pause,” Lee asked, saying that the overwhelming support for Palestine was a blow to the United States’ ability to further negotiations between Israel and Palestine.

Victoria Nuland, State Department: “Matt, we had disagreements with a number of countries on this issue. That doesn’t change our principled stance with regard as to whether this was an effective way to help the Palestinians. We don’t think it was.”

Matt Lee, AP: “Ok, but, you know with ‘a number of countries’ is a bit of an under estimate. I mean, if you add 138 and 41 you had disagreements with 179 other countries. But I’m just wondering, and I go back to the question that I’ve been asking for the last two days, doesn’t this ever give anybody any pause that your ‘principled stance’ isn’t seen as a principled stance by the rest of the world, it’s seen as an obstacle. Doesn’t anyone — why does the United States think it has the moral high ground and the rest of the world doesn’t on this — when the rest of the world disagrees with you?”

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