South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley criticized the United Nations for its treatment of Israel and took a hard line against Russia during her confirmation hearing to become UN ambassador on Wednesday, Fox News reported.
"Nowhere has the UN's failure been more consistent and more outrageous than in its bias against our close ally Israel," Haley said in her testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "I will not go to New York and abstain when the UN seeks to create an international environment that encourages boycotts of Israel. I will never abstain when the United Nations takes any action that comes in direct conflict with the interests and values of the United States."
Her remarks follow last month's controversial abstention by the U.S. during a Security Council vote that called on Israel to stop building settlements, a move that was criticized by the Israeli government as well as President-elect Donald Trump and by congressmen from both parties.
Concerning Russia, Haley took a harder line than Trump has and did not shy away from calling the Kremlin's actions in Syria "atrocities" or that Russia's incursion into Crimea was "a big concern."
Haley also said the U.S. should not send the message that it accepts Russia's invasion of Ukraine and emphasized that unless Moscow takes positive steps, the U.S. should not lift sanctions on the country.
Politico reported that although Haley's nomination is one of the least controversial among Trump's Cabinet choices, the Democrats made a point of grilling her on relations with Russia even though it was not a topic in her opening statement.
That is due to a Democratic strategy to make confirmation hearings a battleground on policy towards Moscow, because many Democrats, as well as top Republicans, are concerned about Trump's views toward Russian President Vladimir Putin, and that he will not stand up to the Kremlin.
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