Is Haley the best there is for the UN?

Sar Shalom

Many people have commented that president-elect Trump's pick for UN Ambassador, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, is solidly pro-Israel. However, if her support for Israel amounts to nothing more than voting the right way on Israel every time, would that really amount to anything other than possibly at the Security Council? What's needed is an ability to persuade others of the rightness of Israel's case, and thus possibly move in the direction of assembling a coalition to vote down future resolutions against Israel. It is in this arena where Haley's lack of experience could hinder her effectiveness as an advocate for Israel. It is possible that she would do a phenomenal job as an advocate for Israel, we just have no track record one way or the other.

As an alternative, consider what Northwestern University Law Professor Eugene Kontorovich could do on behalf of Israel if he were to become UN Ambassador. While Kontorovich does not have diplomatic experience, he does know international law. In particular, Kontorovich knows the ins and outs of the provisions of international law that have been weaponized against Israel and the reality of how those provisions have been applied in every situation not involving Israel. Kontorovich can talk about the "legal" decisions that Israel's settlements of the disputed territories violate the Geneva Convention in contrast to the lack of any such legal decision regarding Turkey's settlement of Northern Cyprus, and back it up with discussion of every place where the principles the international community applies to Israel would apply if they were genuine principles. Even if other nations stand steady in their hypocrisy rather than accept Kontorivich's arguments, his being a senior public official would give him a bully pulpit from which he could push the facts relating to the application of the principles of international law when Israel is not involved into the wider media. Should we not push for such an advocate?