Nikki Haley, STAR
Paul Mirengoff, Powerline
President Trump has made some outstanding appointments (although one of the best, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, recently offered to resign in the face of criticism from the president). Right now, my favorite Trump appointee is U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley.
In the tradition of our best U.N. ambassadors — Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Jeane Kirkpatrick — Haley has been a powerful voice against U.N. hypocrisy. Most notably, she has denounced U.N. hypocrisy regarding Israel.
In addition to denouncing hypocrisy, Haley has moved to counter it. She has warned that the U.S. will pull out of the abomination known as the U.N. Human Rights Council unless it mends its way, in general, and alters its anti-Israel stance in particular. She has noted that the Council allows obvious human rights violators to remain members — e.g., Cuba and Venezuela — while chronically condemning Israel.
Credit goes to President Trump as well, and not just for selecting Haley. Trump has backed his U.N. ambassador. Moreover, given his withdrawal from the Paris agreement, the world understands that a U.S. threat to withdraw from an organization or body should be taken seriously.
Haley is now in Israel. She received a hero’s welcome. Prime Minister Netanyahu told her: “Thank you for all your help in standing up for Israel.” Haley responded:
You know, all I’ve done is to tell the truth, and it’s kind of overwhelming at the reaction. . .[I]f there’s anything I have no patience for it’s bullies, and the U.N. was being such a bully to Israel, because they could.
Haley says she sees a change of attitude at the U.N. I’ll believe it when I see it.
Regardless, Haley is to be commended for her efforts. Having already established herself as a quality governor, she is now developing strong credentials in the realm of foreign affairs.
Whatever the future of the U.N., Nikki Haley’s is bright.
