Foreign ministry of the Zionist entity said Tuesday it was “reducing” ties with nations that voted for last week’s UN Security Council resolution demanding a halt to settlement building in Palestinian territory.
Refuting reports that ties had been suspended, foreign ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said in a message to journalists that Israel was “temporarily reducing” visits and work with embassies, without providing further details.
Deputy foreign minister Tzipi Hotovely said Tuesday she was concerned that the entity 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 the military radio.
Zionist 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 the Occupied Territories by Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman and an upcoming visit by the Senegalese foreign minister.
There have also been reports that Zionist PM Benjamin 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 of the move.
Netanyahu and other Zionist 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 the Zionist entity over its settlement policy.
The text was passed with support from all remaining members of the 15-member council.
Occupation authorities summoned ambassadors of countries that voted for the resolution on Sunday — Christmas Day — while Netanyahu also met with US ambassador to the Zionist entity Dan Shapiro.
Source: AFP
