Politics

Ambassador Richard Grenell Drops Bold Challenge On UN General Assembly

Virginia Kruta Associate Editor
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U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell issued a direct challenge to the U.N. General Assembly following a resolution criticizing Israel for actions affecting the “human rights” of Palestinians.

Attacking the resolution with the hashtag #heightofhypocrisy, Grenell tweeted, “Show me the Gaza City or Damascus Pride Parades – because Tel Aviv’s celebration of equal rights for gays is massive.”

Participants hold banners as they take part in Jerusalem's 17th annual Gay Pride Parade August 2, 2018. The banner on the right reads in Hebrew, " I don't have another country". REUTERS/Ammar Awad

Participants hold banners as they take part in Jerusalem’s 17th annual Gay Pride Parade August 2, 2018. The banner on the right reads in Hebrew, ” I don’t have another country”. REUTERS/Ammar Awad

Grenell, who is gay himself, followed up with another tweet along the same lines.

“Someone should call for a UN General Assembly vote on whether or not being gay is a crime,” he challenged, saying, “It will out the human rights hypocrites.”

Grenell also criticized the U.N. for condemning Israel while giving a pass to other nations like Iran. (RELATED: These Are The People Who Could Replace Nikki Haley As UN Ambassador)

Friday’s resolution, which is the latest in a long line of UN resolutions favoring Palestine over Israel, was adopted with a vote of 153-6-9. The United States joined Australia, Canada, Israel, Marshall Islands and Micronesia in voting ‘No.’

That vote also represented a turning point for the U.S., marking the first time a “no” vote was cast in the place of an abstention.

Grenell was confirmed as ambassador to Germany by the Senate in April 2018, and prior to that served as the spokesman for several U.S. ambassadors to the U.N. — including now National Security Adviser John Bolton. Grenell has been floated as a possible replacement for U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley when she leaves her post at the end of this year.

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