As the year drew to a close, two news events once again reinforced Israel’s central position in U.S. foreign policy and the need to address tough questions in 2018.

First came the release of President Donald Trump’s 68-page foreign policy strategy blueprint (http://bit.ly/FP-Blueprint), which made clear the administration’s view of Israel as a key asset in an increasingly unstable world. Then came the overwhelming vote in the United Nations rejecting Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

The real job for the White House remains moving beyond tough talk and diplomatic rhetoric to achieve long-sought goals in the Middle East and beyond.

The administration’s national security policy statement emphasizes the view that when it comes to roadblocks in the way of Mideast peace, Israel is not the chief impediment.

“For generations,” the strategy brief says, “the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians has been understood as the prime irritant preventing peace and prosperity in the region. Today, the threats from jihadist terrorist organizations and the threat from Iran are creating the realization that Israel is not the cause of the region’s problems. States have increasingly found common interests with Israel in confronting common threats.”

Advances in the fight against the Islamic State, where international cooperation was a major factor, show that a common goal can help reach a positive result. Having Israel back off some of its own provocative actions would help as well. 

Difficulties remain, the policy paper says, but it adds:

“Despite these challenges, there are emerging opportunities to advance American interests in the Middle East. Some of our partners are working together to reject radical ideologies, and key leaders are calling for a rejection of Islamist extremism and violence. Encouraging political stability and sustainable prosperity would contribute to dampening the conditions that fuel sectarian grievances.”

Unfortunately, based on last week’s United Nations vote, longtime animosities and political posturing continue to stand in the way of such progress. 

Trump made much of the fact that he had acted on his campaign promise about recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and both he and UN Ambassador Nikki Haley used not-so-veiled threats against the nations that voted to rebuke the United States for its decision.

“This vote will make a difference on how Americans look at the UN,” Haley said, “and on how we look at countries who disrespect us in the UN. And this vote will be remembered.” 

A few days later, she announced a $285 million cut in the organization’s operating budget.

The president put it in more Trumpian terms:

“Let them vote against us. We’ll save a lot. We don’t care.”

He should care, as should the rest of the world. What Mideast diplomacy needs is persistent persuasion, not pouting and petulance. The UN vote runs counter to the administration foreign policy view that Israel is not the problem, but the White House still can and should take a more reasoned tone.

The nonbinding UN resolution rejecting the Jerusalem decision only reinforces the need for quieter diplomacy. The United States cannot go it alone or with the backing of nations such as Togo, Micronesia, Guatemala, Nauru, Palau, Marshall Islands and Honduras, which all sided with the Trump decision. 

To achieve the peace that the region needs, the so-called major powers need to be brought on board as well, and countries such as Egypt, which drafted the resolution, need to see the benefits that peace can bring.

And the world needs to be reminded that the nations that voted against the United States hardly have records to be proud of when it comes to human rights and the treatment of their own citizens.

Countries can work together against real threats, as witnessed by the overwhelming UN vote last week on stronger sanctions for North Korea. They should be able to bring a similar common effort for peace in the Middle East. 

The stalwart U.S. backing of Israel can help lead the way toward that peace and the elusive two-state solution. That’s a perfect resolution for the year to come.