Nikki Haley gets slammed for hostility towards Palestine

Outgoing US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley has come under heavy criticism from Permanent Observer of Palestine to the UN Riyad Mansour for her hostility towards the Palestinian people.

Haley, who is stepping down December end, gave her last statement on the Israel-Palestinian issue asking both sides to negotiate more at Tuesday's Security Council meeting.

In her speech, Haley asked Israelis and Palestinians to engage in a new Middle East peace plan yet to be unveiled by the Donald Trump administration.

The plan contains elements that both sides would like and dislike, noted Haley, who said she has read the plan. She asked Israelis and Palestinians to focus on parts they like and encourage negotiations to move forward.

"Both sides would benefit greatly from a peace agreement, but the Palestinians would benefit more, and the Israelis would risk more," said Haley.

Following which, Mansour told reporters: "Ambassador Haley, unfortunately, exhibited an excessive amount of hostility to the Palestinian people and to the Palestinian cause."

"Different representatives of the US were always showing massive support to Israel. But yet in the same time, there was a bit more balance in terms of not ignoring the Palestinian side completely," said Mansour, who has seen many US ambassadors to the UN since he served the post in 2005.

Haley was more aggressive, more pro-Israeli than previous US ambassadors, Xinhua quoted Mansour as saying.

She would be replaced by Heather Nauert, the current US State Department spokesperson.

--IANS

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