ORBIS

General Assembly vote · December 21, 2017

How countries voted on the status of Jerusalem at the UN in 2017

On December 21, 2017, the General Assembly voted 128 to 9 with 35 abstentions, according to the UN voting record, that decisions which "purport to have altered" Jerusalem's status "have no legal effect, are null and void and must be rescinded." It called on states not to open embassies there. Like all General Assembly resolutions, it is not legally binding. The vote came two weeks after President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital and three days after a United States veto in the Security Council. The resolution did not mention the United States or President Trump, did not use the word "condemn," and did not call Jerusalem the capital of Israel or of a Palestinian state.

Resolution A/RES/ES-10/19 · UN Digital Library · Updated October 2026

Yes
128
No
9
Abstained
35
Didn't vote
21

Adopted: it needed more yes votes than no votes, and abstentions count for neither side.

World map of how each country voted on The status of Jerusalem, December 21, 2017
  • Yes
  • No
  • Abstained
  • Didn't vote
  • Not a UN member

Which countries voted against?

The United States and Israel were joined by Guatemala, Honduras, Togo, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru and Palau, none of which explained its vote in the meeting. Three days later, Guatemala's president announced that Guatemala would move its embassy to Jerusalem, citing a call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Guatemala's support for Israel's creation.

How did the big powers vote?

Why did the United States and Israel vote no?

On December 6, 2017, President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital and directed the State Department to begin preparing to move the United States embassy from Tel Aviv. On December 18, 2017, the United States blocked an Egyptian draft in the Security Council with its veto, a permanent member's power to stop any resolution. The other 14 members voted for it.

Nikki Haley, the United States ambassador to the UN, said the decision followed a 1995 United States law, "does not prejudge any final-status issues, including Jerusalem's boundaries," and "does not preclude a two-State solution, if the parties agree to that." She said it reflected "our right as a nation to choose the location of our embassy." Danny Danon, Israel's ambassador to the UN, said "Jerusalem is the holiest place on Earth for the Jewish people." He gave delegates replicas of a coin from 67 C.E. inscribed "Freedom of Zion." Before the vote, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel "flatly rejects this vote even before it is held."

Why did 128 countries vote yes?

The UN's 1947 partition plan proposed Jerusalem as an international city. After the 1948 war, Israel held West Jerusalem and Jordan held East Jerusalem, including the Old City, until 1967. Israel notes that Jews could not reach the Western Wall in those years. Palestinians note that Arab residents of West Jerusalem lost their homes in 1948. In 1967, Israel extended its law to East Jerusalem. The UN and most states call this annexation. Israel calls it reunification. Israel's 1980 Basic Law, a constitutional law, declared "Jerusalem, complete and united" its capital. Security Council resolution 478 called it "null and void."

Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki said the United States decision "will have no impact on the status and position of the Holy City" and described Jerusalem as the city of Al-Aqsa, "the first of two points of prayer and the third of the holy mosques." Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state. Estonia, speaking for 22 EU states, said Jerusalem's status should be settled in negotiations "as the future capital of both States."

Did the United States pressure other countries?

On December 19, 2017, Nikki Haley, the United States ambassador to the UN, tweeted: "...we don't expect those we've helped to target us. On Thurs there'll be a vote criticizing our choice. The US will be taking names." President Trump said the next day: "They take hundreds of millions of dollars and even billions of dollars, and then they vote against us. Well, we're watching those votes. Let them vote against us, we'll save a lot. We don't care."

In the Assembly, Haley said 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." Turkey, which put forward the draft with Yemen, called the warnings "bullying." No aid cut to any country over its vote has been reported. On January 3, 2018, Haley held a "Friends of the US" reception for 64 other countries that had not voted yes. In January 2018 the United States withheld $65 million from UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, saying it wanted reform, and in August it ended all funding. The State Department did not mention the vote.

Which countries have embassies in Jerusalem now?

The United States opened its embassy on May 14, 2018. Guatemala followed two days later. Paraguay opened one on May 21, 2018, moved back to Tel Aviv that September, and returned to Jerusalem in December 2024. Honduras opened its embassy in 2021 but recalled its ambassador from Israel in November 2023. The embassy is still listed in Jerusalem. Papua New Guinea opened its embassy in 2023, Fiji in 2025 and Nauru in September 2026. Kosovo, which is not a UN member, and Somaliland, which only Israel recognizes, also have embassies there. That makes nine, by the Times of Israel's count.

Israel's foreign minister Gideon Saar said Colombia would open its embassy on October 14, which would make 10, and that DR Congo's would open "very soon."

How did each region vote?

By the UN's voting record, the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Europe voted yes by large majorities: 13 of 14, 23 of 29, 37 of 54 and 36 of 47. The Americas and Oceania were divided, with 12 and six abstentions respectively.

Votes by regionDecember 21, 2017
  • Europe47 countries 36 yes0 no7 abstained
  • Americas35 countries 17 yes3 no12 abstained
  • Asia29 countries 23 yes0 no2 abstained
  • Oceania14 countries 2 yes4 no6 abstained
  • Middle East14 countries 13 yes1 no0 abstained
  • Africa54 countries 37 yes1 no8 abstained

What did the resolution say?

  • The preamble reaffirms Security Council resolutions including 242 (1967), 478 (1980) and 2334 (2016), and "the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force."
  • The preamble states that Jerusalem "is a final status issue to be resolved through negotiations in line with relevant United Nations resolutions" and expresses "deep regret at recent decisions concerning the status of Jerusalem."
  • Paragraph 1 affirms that any decisions that "purport to have altered the character, status or demographic composition" of Jerusalem "have no legal effect, are null and void and must be rescinded."
  • The same paragraph calls on all states not to establish diplomatic missions in Jerusalem, citing Security Council resolution 478 of 1980.
  • Paragraph 2 demands that all states comply with Security Council resolutions on Jerusalem and not recognize measures contrary to them.
  • Paragraph 3 repeats the Assembly's call to reverse "negative trends on the ground that are imperilling the two-State solution" and for efforts toward "a comprehensive, just and lasting peace" based on UN resolutions, the Madrid terms of reference "including the principle of land for peace," the Arab Peace Initiative, the Quartet road map "and an end to the Israeli occupation that began in 1967."
  • The resolution does not mention the United States or President Trump, does not use the word "condemn," and does not call Jerusalem the capital of Israel or of a Palestinian state.

How did every country vote?

CountryRegionVote
AfghanistanAsiaYes
AlbaniaEuropeYes
AlgeriaAfricaYes
AndorraEuropeYes
AngolaAfricaYes
Antigua and BarbudaAmericasAbstained
ArgentinaAmericasAbstained
ArmeniaEuropeYes
AustraliaOceaniaAbstained
AustriaEuropeYes
AzerbaijanEuropeYes
BahamasAmericasAbstained
BahrainMiddle EastYes
BangladeshAsiaYes
BarbadosAmericasYes
BelarusEuropeYes
BelgiumEuropeYes
BelizeAmericasYes
BeninAfricaAbstained
BhutanAsiaAbstained
BoliviaAmericasYes
Bosnia and HerzegovinaEuropeAbstained
BotswanaAfricaYes
BrazilAmericasYes
BruneiAsiaYes
BulgariaEuropeYes
Burkina FasoAfricaYes
BurundiAfricaYes
CambodiaAsiaYes
CameroonAfricaAbstained
CanadaAmericasAbstained
Cape VerdeAfricaYes
Central African RepublicAfricaDidn't vote
ChadAfricaYes
ChileAmericasYes
ChinaAsiaYes
ColombiaAmericasAbstained
ComorosAfricaYes
Costa RicaAmericasYes
Côte d'IvoireAfricaYes
CroatiaEuropeAbstained
CubaAmericasYes
CyprusEuropeYes
CzechiaEuropeAbstained
DenmarkEuropeYes
DjiboutiAfricaYes
DominicaAmericasYes
Dominican RepublicAmericasAbstained
DR CongoAfricaDidn't vote
EcuadorAmericasYes
EgyptAfricaYes
El SalvadorAmericasDidn't vote
Equatorial GuineaAfricaAbstained
EritreaAfricaYes
EstoniaEuropeYes
EthiopiaAfricaYes
FijiOceaniaAbstained
FinlandEuropeYes
FranceEuropeYes
GabonAfricaYes
GambiaAfricaYes
GeorgiaEuropeDidn't vote
GermanyEuropeYes
GhanaAfricaYes
GreeceEuropeYes
GrenadaAmericasYes
GuatemalaAmericasNo
GuineaAfricaYes
Guinea-BissauAfricaDidn't vote
GuyanaAmericasYes
HaitiAmericasAbstained
HondurasAmericasNo
HungaryEuropeAbstained
IcelandEuropeYes
IndiaAsiaYes
IndonesiaAsiaYes
IranMiddle EastYes
IraqMiddle EastYes
IrelandEuropeYes
IsraelMiddle EastNo
ItalyEuropeYes
JamaicaAmericasAbstained
JapanAsiaYes
JordanMiddle EastYes
KazakhstanAsiaYes
KenyaAfricaDidn't vote
KiribatiOceaniaAbstained
KuwaitMiddle EastYes
KyrgyzstanAsiaYes
LaosAsiaYes
LatviaEuropeAbstained
LebanonMiddle EastYes
LesothoAfricaAbstained
LiberiaAfricaYes
LibyaAfricaYes
LiechtensteinEuropeYes
LithuaniaEuropeYes
LuxembourgEuropeYes
MadagascarAfricaYes
MalawiAfricaAbstained
MalaysiaAsiaYes
MaldivesAsiaYes
MaliAfricaYes
MaltaEuropeYes
Marshall IslandsOceaniaNo
MauritaniaAfricaYes
MauritiusAfricaYes
MexicoAmericasAbstained
MicronesiaOceaniaNo
MoldovaEuropeDidn't vote
MonacoEuropeYes
MongoliaAsiaDidn't vote
MontenegroEuropeYes
MoroccoAfricaYes
MozambiqueAfricaYes
MyanmarAsiaDidn't vote
NamibiaAfricaYes
NauruOceaniaNo
NepalAsiaYes
NetherlandsEuropeYes
New ZealandOceaniaYes
NicaraguaAmericasYes
NigerAfricaYes
NigeriaAfricaYes
North KoreaAsiaYes
North MacedoniaEuropeYes
NorwayEuropeYes
OmanMiddle EastYes
PakistanAsiaYes
PalauOceaniaNo
PanamaAmericasAbstained
Papua New GuineaOceaniaYes
ParaguayAmericasAbstained
PeruAmericasYes
PhilippinesAsiaAbstained
PolandEuropeAbstained
PortugalEuropeYes
QatarMiddle EastYes
Republic of the CongoAfricaYes
RomaniaEuropeAbstained
RussiaEuropeYes
RwandaAfricaAbstained
Saint Kitts and NevisAmericasDidn't vote
Saint LuciaAmericasDidn't vote
Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesAmericasYes
SamoaOceaniaDidn't vote
San MarinoEuropeDidn't vote
São Tomé and PríncipeAfricaDidn't vote
Saudi ArabiaMiddle EastYes
SenegalAfricaYes
SerbiaEuropeYes
SeychellesAfricaYes
Sierra LeoneAfricaDidn't vote
SingaporeAsiaYes
SlovakiaEuropeYes
SloveniaEuropeYes
Solomon IslandsOceaniaAbstained
SomaliaAfricaYes
South AfricaAfricaYes
South KoreaAsiaYes
South SudanAfricaAbstained
SpainEuropeYes
Sri LankaAsiaYes
SudanAfricaYes
SurinameAmericasYes
SwazilandAfricaDidn't vote
SwedenEuropeYes
SwitzerlandEuropeYes
SyriaMiddle EastYes
TajikistanAsiaYes
TanzaniaAfricaYes
ThailandAsiaYes
Timor-LesteAsiaDidn't vote
TogoAfricaNo
TongaOceaniaDidn't vote
Trinidad and TobagoAmericasAbstained
TunisiaAfricaYes
TurkeyMiddle EastYes
TurkmenistanAsiaDidn't vote
TuvaluOceaniaAbstained
UgandaAfricaAbstained
UkraineEuropeDidn't vote
United Arab EmiratesMiddle EastYes
United KingdomEuropeYes
United StatesAmericasNo
UruguayAmericasYes
UzbekistanAsiaYes
VanuatuOceaniaAbstained
VenezuelaAmericasYes
VietnamAsiaYes
YemenMiddle EastYes
ZambiaAfricaDidn't vote
ZimbabweAfricaYes
All UN votes →
PalestineNov 1947 The partition plan for Palestine 33 yes13 no10 abstained The UN General Assembly voted 33-13 to recommend dividing Palestine into an Arab state and a Jewish state. GazaDec 2023 A humanitarian ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza 153 yes10 no23 abstained Two months into the war, 153 countries demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages. PalestineMay 2024 Palestine's bid for UN membership 143 yes9 no25 abstained Voted that Palestine qualifies to join the UN, and asked the Security Council to think again after a US veto.
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