Lindsey Graham and Ted Cruz team up to defund UN over Israel vote

By KYLE FELDSCHER
 1/12/17 9:12 AM

The United States taxpayer must stop paying into the United Nations until it reverses its vote condemning Israel's occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, two top senators said Thursday.

Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, appeared together on MSNBC about a new bill introduced Thursday that would block taxpayer dollars from going toward the U.N. Graham said the resolution passed last month, which the United States abstained from, was a step too far in attacking Israel and it must be undone.

"Twenty-two percent of the money to fund the U.N. comes from the American taxpayer. I don't think it's a good investment for the American taxpayer to give money to an organization that condemns the only democracy in the Middle East," he said.

Reports indicate the U.S. gives about $8 billion to the U.N. every year in voluntary and mandatory payments.b

Cruz announced his intention to come up with such a bill shortly after the December vote, and he slammed the Obama administration for not standing up to the U.N.

The U.S. abstained from the resolution, allowing it to pass through the U.N. Security Council. While the U.S. abstained, Cruz said the resolution was coordinated by U.S. diplomats and allowed to pass by Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry.

"On the way out, he's struck out repeatedly at Israel and he's done real damage," Cruz said.

The best way to mitigate that damage is to get the resolution undone, and the Republican senators believe the easiest way to do that is to stop paying for the U.N.

"If you cut off their money, that gets their attention and I think we've got real prospects of seeing this thing moved through Congress," he said.

Graham said it's time for Congress to step up its dealings in the foreign policy arena.

"This was John Kerry and Obama taking a slap at Israel, and we're going to push back," he said.
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