UN Jerusalem vote - as it happened: UN General Assembly rejects Trump's Israel declaration

Motion to condemn US President's decision passed

The United Nations General Assembly votes 128-9 to declare the United States' Jerusalem capital recognition 'null and void'

The UN General Assembly voted 128-9 to declare US President Donald Trump's declaration of Jerusalem as Israel's capital "null and void".

The vote, while a victory for the Palestinians, was significantly lower than its supporters had hoped for, with many forecasting at least 150 "yes" votes. There were a total of 35, while 21 nations did not turn up for the vote.

Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the result, his spokesman saying: "The vote is a victory for Palestine.

"We will continue our efforts in the United Nations and at all international forums to put an end to this occupation and to establish our Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital."

For all the day's developments, as they happened, see the live blog below - if it does not appear click here

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he completely rejects the “preposterous” UN resolution.

Mr Netanyahu added in a video posted to Facebook that Jerusalem “always was, always will be” Israel's capital. He also said he appreciates that “a growing number of countries refuse to participate in this theatre of the absurd.”

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had said the UN should teach Mr Trump a “very good lesson”, after the US leader threatened to cut aid to countries that support the resolution being put forward to the UN General Assembly

Mr Erdogan said UN member states should not let their decision be dictated by money.

“Mr. Trump, you cannot buy Turkey's democratic will with your dollars,” he said.

“The dollars will come back, but your will won't once it's sold. That is why your stance is important.”

Mr Trump's announcement two weeks ago that he was recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital broke with decades of US policy and international consensus that the city's status must be left to Israeli-Palestinian talks.

Last week Mr Erdogan hosted a special meeting of the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation, which condemned Mr Trump's decision and called on the world to respond by recognising East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.

Jerusalem, revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims alike, has been at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for decades. Israel captured Arab East Jerusalem in 1967 and later annexed it in an action not recognised internationally.

Mr Trump's Jerusalem move led to harsh criticisms from Muslim countries and Israel's closest European allies, who have also rejected the move.

A draft resolution calling for withdrawal of Mr Trump's decision was vetoed at the United Nations Security Council by the United States on Monday. Following that vote, opponents of the US decision called for the vote in the General Assembly.

“I hope and expect the United States won't get the result it expects from there and the world will give a very good lesson to the United States,” Mr Erdogan said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the United Nations as a “house of lies” ahead of the vote

“The State of Israel totally rejects this vote, even before (the resolution's) approval,” Mr Netanyahu said in a speech at a hospital dedication in the port city of Ashdod.

Reuters contributed to this report

Key Points

• General Assembly rules against US, declaring recognition of Israel capital 'null and void'
• UN human rights chief quits after Trump Jerusalem decision, saying he will not 'bend a knee in supplication'

[21 December 2017 16:03 · Kristin Hugo]

Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu Turkey Minister of Foreign Affairs said that the US is "bullying" other nations. 

"We will not be intimidated. You can be strong but that does not make you right," he said

[21 December 2017 16:05 · Kristin Hugo]

Yemen was the nation that introduced the resolution - with its UN ambassador calling the U.S. decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital "null and void" and urging all "peace-loving countries" to vote in favor of it. 

Ambassador Khaled Hussein Mohamed Alyemany calls President Donald Trump's action "a blatant violation of the rights of the Palestinian people and the Arab nations, and all Muslims and Christians of the world." 

[21 December 2017 16:10 · Kristin Hugo]

US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said that "to its shame" the UN has been a "hostile place towards Israel   

She added that the US is the "single largest contributor" to the UN and America is now nbeing "asked to pay for the privilege of being disrespected"

[21 December 2017 16:51 · Kristin Hugo]

Ms Haley said that the US "will remember" being "singled out" over the Jerusalem issue.

That is unlikely to go down well with critics of the move.

[21 December 2017 16:53 · Kristin Hugo]

Here are the full quotes:

Ms Haley said "no vote in the United Nations will make any difference" on the U.S. decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem, which will go ahead because "it is the right thing to do." 

She said "the United States will remember this day in which it was singled out for attack in the General Assembly for the very right of exercising our right as a sovereign nation." 

"We will remember it when we are called upon once again to make the world's largest contribution to the United Nations," she says. "And we will remember when so many countries come calling on us, as they so often do, to pay even more and to use our influence for their benefit." 

Ms Haley said the vote "will make a difference on how Americans look at the UN and on how we look at countries who disrespect us in the UN, and this vote will be remembered." 

[21 December 2017 17:22 · Kristin Hugo]

UN General Assembly has voted 128-9 to declare US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital "null and void"

[21 December 2017 17:22 · Kristin Hugo]

There were 35 abstentions

[21 December 2017 17:35 · Kristin Hugo]

[21 December 2017 17:37 · Kristin Hugo]

A spokesman for Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has welcomed a UN vote that calls on the United States to withdraw its decision to recogniae Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

"The vote is a victory for Palestine," said Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rdainah. "We will continue our efforts in the United Nations and at all international forums to put an end to this occupation and to establish our Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital."

[21 December 2017 17:42 · Kristin Hugo]

The vote, while a victory for the Palestinians, was 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 Mr Trump's threat to cut off US. funding to countries that oppose his decision having an impact.