"So Russia having illegally occupied Crimea and eastern Ukraine votes to condemn Israel for "occupied lands." We are supposed to be impressed," former House Speaker Newt Gingrich tweeted Saturday morning. | AP Photo Gingrich mocks Russia over Israel vote

In a jab at Russia that could also be taken as one against President-elect Donald Trump, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich mocked Russia for its vote Friday in the U.N. Security Council.

"So Russia having illegally occupied Crimea and eastern Ukraine votes to condemn Israel for "occupied lands." We are supposed to be impressed," he tweeted Saturday morning.


The U.N. Security Council, a frequent source of anti-Israel resolutions and rhetoric, voted 14-0 on Friday to condemn Israel for settlements in areas of the West Bank and East Jerusalem that Israel occupied during the Six-Day War of 1967.

The United States abstained on the measure. Russia — which like the United States has veto power in the Security Council as a permanent member — voted against Israel.

Gingrich has remained dubious of Russian intentions, despite the statements of Trump, who has been friendlier toward Russia and its leader, Vladimir Putin, than almost all U.S. leaders of the last century. Gingrich was an ardent supporter of Trump during the election season.

Addressing the U.S. vote, Ambassador Samantha Power said, "It is because this resolution reflects the facts on the ground — and is consistent with U.S. policy across Republican and Democratic administrations throughout the history of the state of Israel — that the United States did not veto it." The measure was not the first anti-Israel resolution in recent decades that the United States has allowed to pass, though it has vetoed many others.

The vote, however, drew sharp rebukes from American supporters of Israel; Trump had urged the U.S. to veto the measure.

Besides Russia, the other nations to support the anti-Israel resolution were Angola, Britain, China, Egypt, France, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Senegal, Spain, Ukraine, Uruguay and Venezuela.