Jerusalem – Israel summoned the ambassadors of 10 nations to Jerusalem to reprimand them on Sunday and had more harsh words for the Obama administration over a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding an end to settlement-building.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu put his personal imprint on the show of anger by repeating at the weekly cabinet meeting what an unidentified Israeli government official contended on Friday – that Washington had conspired with the Palestinians to push for the resolution’s adoption.
The White House has denied the allegation.
The vote passed in the 15-member Security Council on Friday because the United States broke with its long-standing approach of diplomatically shielding Israel and did not wield, as a permanent member of the forum, its veto power, instead abstaining.
“According to our information, we have no doubt the Obama administration initiated it (the resolution), stood behind it, coordinated the wording and demanded it be passed,” Netanyahu told the cabinet in public remarks.
Ambassadors from 10 of the 14 countries that voted in favor of the resolution and have embassies in Israel – Britain, China, Russia, France, Egypt, Japan, Uruguay, Spain, Ukraine and New Zealand – were summoned to the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem, the ministry said.
Sunday is a regular work day in Israel, but most embassies are closed, and calling in envoys on Christmas Day is highly unusual.
At the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu described a telephone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday, when Israel and President-elect Donald Trump successfully pressed Egypt to drop the anti-settlement resolution it had put forward.
It was resubmitted a day later by New Zealand, Senegal, Venezuela and Malaysia.
“Over decades American administrations and Israeli governments disagreed about settlements, but we agreed that the security council was not the place to resolve this issue,” Netanyahu said.
“We knew that going there would make negotiations harder and drive peace farther away. As I told John Kerry on Thursday, ‘Friends don’t take friends to the Security Council’,” he said, switching from Hebrew to English.
Israel has pursued a policy of constructing settlements on territory it captured in a 1967 war with its Arab neighbors – the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, areas Palestinians seek for a state.
Most countries view the settlement activity as illegal and an obstacle to peace. Israel disagrees, citing biblical and historical connections to the West Bank and Jerusalem as well as security interests.
So now what ?
It’s about time.. This Obama is a disaster not only for Israel and to the US, but to the whole world. Through out his administration, he has shown that he is friends to the enemies of the US and he turned his back to the US allies, not just Israel but almost every single ally. He for sure has another agenda. Now I understand what it means Hu Brisaso Mitchilaso V”od Sofo, even when it is his end, he is lame duck, he is still trying to cause as much damage as possible, to Israel, the US and the world. He will go down as the worst President in history. Bye Obama and don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
Mr Hussein Obama does NOT represent the United States anymore – his TRUE COLOUR OF ISLAMIST is coming out at the end of his term. This UN vote is null & void because it is not a United Nations vote – it is a UNITED “ARAB” NATIONS vote
Natanyahu’s reckless, smug and chutzpa on steroid behavior towards U.S./Obama and international community has cost him and Israel dearly. Every country will have a legal right to impose economic boycotts against Israel now.
Instead of whining that 1 country didn’t save him like it did since Israel’s inception,Natanyahu should have looked at his failed career in politics to form relationships with all of the 14 countries that voted, especially countries like Russia, France and U.K.
Instead of training diplomats who are versed in international relations and law, for generations, Israel has a failed foreign ministry packed with inexperienced personnel and recently hand picked lunatics by king Natanyahu. Natanyahu leads these important posts like Putin instead of allowing career diplomats to beat the chess game against Palestinians.
You have to give credit where credit is due. In past 30 years, Palestinians played a good strategic game in improving their international relations image and ability to influence nations. But Israel became lazy, constantly relying that Uncle Sam will feed them with billions and relying that Republican party will be able to save them.
Any Jew who voted for Obama must admit to himself that he voted against Eretz Yisroel.
This should serve as a wake-up call for Israel
They are on their own, as many settlements they will evacuate won’t help them a tiny bit in the anti-Semitic UN
They should take what’s ours given to us by God and govern over it proudly with no guilty feelings.
Contrary to what satmar lunatics and their so called leaders, Israel belongs to us forever, there is no basis in halacha or Kabalah that when the Jews went to exile the lost ownership over the land, the first one to come up with this nonsense was satmar in ויואל משה with their holy “bull shit”a
#4 does not say he supports obamas position if you actually read it.
He critisizes Netanyahu for taking obama on publicly when he had no chance.
He states that in effect Israel has ignored the importance of establishing a proper diplomatic effort. They clearly have, as we all know the israeli hasbara is appalling. After the 2006 and 2008 wars israel should have had an inquiry in to its diplomatic and media response, as it always does with the military. Many should have been fired. Had they got this right it would save many more lives in the long run as Israel has the clear moral case but presents itself dreadfully because they only look to the USA for suppport, the ‘Americaim’ are the G-d, and think they know best with everything else, whilst the Palestinians pay media and PR firms millions and have been winning the diplomatic war for the past 20 years hands down. They do not take in to account the 3 principles of rhetoric, most importantly, considering the mindset of whom they are talking to.
The fact that most israeli leaders are former military leaders does not help in a political diplomacy or media position.
Can’t wait until Trump takes office and moves the embassy. Who is boss now???
Although Obama has proved to be a disaster for Israel, if Trump runs his Israel policy with insane recklessness and crazy rhetoric, Israel will end up in more hot water. Bibi and Israel’s diplomats are already trying to figure out a strategy to deal with crises started by Trumpf.
To #11 - Why don’t you learn how to correctly spell the name “TRUMP”?