Who are real losers of US veto at UN against former Palestine PM?
The United States' blocking of Salam Fayyad as an envoy to the UN secretary-general has reminded the world of the former Palestinian prime minister's applauded reputation.
![JAPAN/ Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad attends an opening reception of Conference on Cooperation among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Delevopment (CEAPAD) in Tokyo February 13, 2013. Japan co-hosted the CEAPAD with Palestine in Tokyo on Wednesday as a part of efforts toward achieving the Middle East peace, according to the government statement. REUTERS/Issei Kato (JAPAN - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR3DQ69](/sites/default/files/styles/article_hero_medium/public/almpics/2017/02/RTR3DQ69.jpg/RTR3DQ69.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=RS3RV6Os)
When US President-elect Donald Trump tweeted that things would be different for Israel at the United Nations after his inauguration Jan. 20, no one expected that it would include vetoing a personnel decision by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, but that is exactly what happened with the appointment of former Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad as Guterres' personal envoy to Libya.
Fayyad had undergone a rigorous selection process at the end of which all parties appeared to be onboard. The secretary-general’s office even sent a draft press release on the appointment for Fayyad to review, Al-Monitor has learned. Then came the shocker: Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations, announced Feb. 10 that the United States opposed Fayyad's appointment, calling it “biased and detrimental to our allies in Israel.”