美国大使黑利在联合国投票表决耶路撒冷问题前的讲话

　　Thank you, Mr. President.

　　To its shame, the United Nations has long been a hostile place for the state of Israel. Both the current and the previous Secretary-Generals have objected to the UN’s disproportionate focus on Israel. It’s a wrong that undermines the credibility of this institution, and that in turn is harmful for the entire world.

　　I’ve often wondered why, in the face of such hostility, Israel has chosen to remain a member of this body. And then I remember that Israel has chosen to remain in this institution because it’s important to stand up for yourself. Israel must stand up for its own survival as a nation; but it also stands up for the ideals of freedom and human dignity that the United Nations is supposed to be about.

　　Standing here today, being forced to defend sovereignty and the integrity of my country – the United States of America – many of the same thoughts have come to mind. The United States is by far the single largest contributor to the United Nations and its agencies. We do this, in part, in order to advance our values and our interests. When that happens, our participation in the UN produces great good for the world. Together we feed, clothe, and educate desperate people. We nurture and sustain fragile peace in conflict areas throughout the world. And we hold outlaw regimes accountable. We do this because it represents who we are. It is our American way.

　　But we’ll be honest with you. When we make generous contributions to the UN, we also have a legitimate expectation that our good will is recognized and respected. When a nation is singled out for attack in this organization, that nation is disrespected. What’s more, that nation is asked to pay for the “privilege” of being disrespected.

　　In the case of the United States, we are asked to pay more than anyone else for that dubious privilege. Unlike in some UN member countries, the United States government is answerable to its people. As such, we have an obligation to acknowledge when our political and financial capital is being poorly spent.

　　We have an obligation to demand more for our investment. And if our investment fails, we have an obligation to spend our resources in more productive ways. Those are the thoughts that come to mind when we consider the resolution before us today.

　　The arguments about the President’s decision to move the American embassy to Jerusalem have already been made. They are by now well known. The decision was in accordance to U.S. law dating back to 1995, and it’s position has been repeatedly endorsed by the American people ever since. The decision does not prejudge any final status issues, including Jerusalem’s boundaries. The decision does not preclude a two-state solution, if the parties agree to that. The decision does nothing to harm peace efforts. Rather, the President’s decision reflects the will of the American people and our right as a nation to choose the location of our embassy. There is no need to describe it further.

　　Instead, there is a larger point to make. The United States will remember this day in which it was singled out for attack in the General Assembly for the very act of exercising our right as a sovereign nation. We will remember it when we are called upon to once again make the world’s largest contribution to the United Nations. And we will remember it when so many countries come calling on us, as they so often do, to pay even more and to use our influence for their benefit.

　　America will put our embassy in Jerusalem. That is what the American people want us to do, and it is the right thing to do. No vote in the United Nations will make any difference on that.

　　But this vote will make a difference on how Americans look at the UN and on how we look at countries who disrespect us in the UN. And this vote will be remembered.

　　Thank you.

　　谢谢主席先生。

　　令人遗憾的是，联合国长期以来一直是以色列国的敌对之地。 现任和前任秘书长都反对联合国过分关注以色列。 破坏这个机构的信誉是错误的，反过来又危害整个世界。

　　我经常想知道为什么面对这样的敌意，以色列选择保持这个机构的成员。 然后我记得以色列选择留在这个机构，因为为自己站起来很重要。 以色列必须站出来为自己作为一个国家的生存; 但它也支持联合国所应该达到的自由和人的尊严的理想。

　　今天站在这里，被迫捍卫主权和我国 - 美利坚合众国的完整 - 也有许多同样的想法。 美国是迄今为止联合国及其机构的最大捐助国。 我们这样做，部分是为了推进我们的价值观和利益。 当这种情况发生时，我们加入联合国对世界产生了巨大的好处。 我们一起喂养，穿着和教育绝望的人。 我们在全世界的冲突地区培育和维持脆弱的和平。 我们认定不法之徒的责任。 我们这样做是因为它代表我们是谁。 这是我们美国的方式。

　　但我们会诚实的对你。 当我们向联合国慷慨捐助时，我们也有一个合理的期望，即我们的善意得到承认和尊重。 当一个国家在这个组织中被挑出来时，这个国家是不受尊重的。 更重要的是，这个国家被要求支付不尊重的“特权”。

　　就美国而言，我们被要求比这个可疑的特权付出更多的代价。 与联合国的一些成员国不同，美国政府对其人民负责。 因此，我们有义务承认我们的政治和金融资本何时耗资不足。

　　我们有义务要求更多的投资。 如果我们的投资失败了，我们有义务以更富有成效的方式投入资源。 当我们考虑今天摆在我们面前的决议时，就会想到这些想法。

　　关于总统决定将美国大使馆迁往耶路撒冷的论点已经提出。 他们现在是众所周知的。 这个决定是根据美国法律的规定追溯到1995年的，这个立场从此一直得到了美国人民的一再认可。 这个决定并不能预判任何最终的地位问题，包括耶路撒冷的边界。 如果双方同意的话，这个决定并不排除两国解决方案。 这个决定对和平努力没有任何损害。 相反，总统的决定反映了美国人民的意愿和我们选择大使馆的权利。 没有必要进一步描述它。

　　相反，有一个更大的要点。 美国将会记住，今天在大会上被挑出来攻击大会是为了行使我们作为一个主权国家的权利。 当我们被要求再次向联合国作出世界上最大的贡献时，我们会记得它。 我们会记得，如此多的国家像我们经常这样向我们呼吁，付出更多的代价，并利用我们的影响力为自己谋利。

　　美国将把我们的大使馆放在耶路撒冷。 美国人民希望我们这样做，这是正确的做法。 联合国中的任何投票都不会对此产生任何影响。

　　但是这次投票将会影响美国人对联合国的看法，以及我们如何看待那些在联合国中不尊重我们的国家。 这个投票将被记住。

　　谢谢。