John Bolton continues to do what he was put there to do, as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. While Iran’s President garnered much indignation around the world for calling for Israel to be “wiped off the map,” it turns out that such map wiping (on a symbolic level) has been pretty much the status quo at the U.N. for some time. From today’s New York Sun:

The American ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, upped the ante in an escalating confrontation between America and Turtle Bay on the issue of Israel’s place at the world body. In a sharply worded letter to Secretary-General Annan, Mr. Bolton threatened to cut funding to the United Nations if it continues to promote anti-Israel events.

Mr. Bolton’s January 3 letter, which was seen yesterday by The New York Sun, is a response to a November 29 event celebrating an annual “International Day of Solidarity With the Palestinian People.” At the event, which was attended by Mr. Annan and other top diplomats, a map that “erases the state of Israel,” as Mr. Bolton wrote, was displayed.

“Given that we now have a world leader pursuing nuclear weapons who is calling for the state of Israel to be wiped off the map, the issue has even greater salience,” Mr. Bolton wrote.

…

“Who is the high-level official within the secretariat who approved use of the map for the event?” Mr. Bolton asked in the letter. “Does the United Nations intend to use the map in future U.N.-sponsored functions and events?”

A U.N. spokesman quoted by the NY Sun expressed gratitude for being “alerted” to the map, and expressed “hope” that the U.N. body which organizes the event might “consider” not using it in the future. He did not however say that the Secretary General would otherwise refrain from participating.

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