A month ago, the UN hosted an “International Solidarity Day with the Palestinian People”. At this event, none other than Kofi Anan gave a solidarity speech, standing in front of a Map that showed all of Israel under the label “Palestine”. Of course, we shouldn’t expect anything better from our good friends in the UN. Still, it was a bit surprising to see their true feelings being shown so blatantly (See A7’s coverage).

John Bolton, US Ambassador to the UN, responded to this event blasts Anan in a January 3rd letter.

Bolton’s letter of complaint was recently published by the New York Sun. “It was entirely inappropriate for this map to be used,” Bolton wrote. “It can be misconstrued to suggest that the United Nations tacitly supports the abolition of the state of Israel.”

Bolton also referred to the severity of such a map being displayed by a world body just days after the leader of Iran called for the elimination of the Jewish State. “Given that we now have a world leader pursuing nuclear weapons who is calling for the state of Israel to be ‘wiped off the map,’ the issue has even greater salience,” Bolton wrote. (From A7)

Bolton further threatened to cut the US contribution to the United Nations (equaling 25% of the UN’s overall budget, including all of the advertising budget) if they continue supporting anti-Israel events. Though I am not going to hold my breath to see whether the UN will call Bolton’s bluff or not, I still think it is admirable that the US has taken this position in support of Israel.