Israel Says 'Reducing' Ties With Nations Over UN Vote
Jerusalem
(AFP) - Israel's foreign ministry said Tuesday the country was
"reducing" ties with nations that voted for last week's UN Security
Council resolution demanding a halt to settlement building in
Palestinian territory.
An Israeli flag waves in front of the minaret of a mosque in the Arab quarter of Jerusalem's Old City (AFP Photo/Thomas Coex)
Refuting
reports that ties had been suspended, foreign ministry spokesman
Emmanuel Nahshon said that Israel was "temporarily reducing" visits and
work with embassies.
"Until
further notice, we’ll limit our contacts with the embassies here in
Israel and refrain from visits of Israeli officials to those states, and
of visits of officials from those states here," he told AFP.
Israel
has already called back its ambassadors to New Zealand and Senegal for
consultations, and cancelled aid programmes with the African state.
On Tuesday, Israel informed Angola it would be freezing its aid programme there, Nahshon said.
Israeli
media have reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who also
serves as foreign minister, has asked officials to visit the countries
that voted for the resolution as little as possible for now.
At
least two trips have been cancelled or postponed, including this week's
visit to Israel by Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman and an
upcoming visit by the Senegalese foreign minister.
There
have also been reports that Netanyahu was calling off a meeting with
British Prime Minister Theresa May at next month's World Economic Forum
in Davos, but there has been no official confirmation.
Deputy
foreign minister Tzipi Hotovely said Tuesday she was concerned that
Israel would miss opportunities to explain its position by cancelling
visits, but that she supported making clear "you can't take Israel for
granted."
Countries
should not be able to "make pilgrimages to Israel to learn about
fighting terror, cyber-defence and agricultural technologies, and in the
UN do whatever you want," she told army radio.
Netanyahu
and other Israeli officials have responded with especially harsh
language to Friday's Security Council resolution which passed after the
United States abstained from voting.
Netanyahu
has alleged that US President Barack Obama "colluded" to see the
"shameful" resolution through in the waning days of his administration.
By
deciding not to veto the move, the United States enabled the adoption
of the first UN resolution since 1979 to condemn Israel over its
settlement policy.
- 'Not turn other cheek' -
The text was passed with support from all remaining members of the 15-member council.
Israel
summoned ambassadors of countries that voted for the resolution on
Sunday -- Christmas Day -- while Netanyahu also met with US ambassador
to Israel Dan Shapiro.
Security
Council members such as Russia, China and Britain are key to Israeli
diplomacy or trade and some analysts suggested the measures being taken
were more symbolic than substantive.
The United States is Israel's most important ally and provides it with more than $3 billion per year in defence aid.
On
Monday, Netanyahu defended his response to the UN vote in the face of
criticism that he was overreacting, saying "we do not turn the other
cheek".
"Not
only will our relations with the nations of the world not be harmed,
over time they will only improve because the nations of the world
respect strong countries that stand up for themselves and do not respect
weak ingratiating countries that bow their heads," he told a
conference.
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