US, Israel isolated at UN in Cuba blockade vote

The United States and Israel were left isolated at the United Nations yesterday as the General Assembly adopted a resolution urging an end to the US blockade against Cuba.

The resolution enjoyed support from 191 of the 193 UN Member States, leaving the US and Israel as the sole “No” votes.

The resolution, which underlined the need to end the economic, commercial and financial embargo, “eiterated its call to all UN Member States to refrain from promulgating and applying laws and measures not conforming with their obligations under the UN Charter and international law, which reaffirm freedom of trade and navigation”.

The Assembly “once again urges States that have and continue to apply such laws and measures to take the necessary steps to repeal or invalidate them as soon as possible,” the resolution added.

Last year, the US and Israel – “for the first time in the 25-year history of the annual review of the issue” – abstained in the vote rather than rejecting the text.

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According to AFP, “the 193-nation assembly has voted overwhelmingly every year since 1991 to demand an end to the embargo, delivering a rebuke to Washington over its Cuba policy”.

Under Donald Trump’s presidency, however, the US, joined by Israel, has returned to voting against the resolution.