A controversial United Nations resolution calling for Israel to cease building settlements on occupied Palestinian land has sparked a diplomatic spat between the small middle eastern country and New Zealand.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reported to have personally phoned New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Murray McCully to warn him the UN resolution, which NZ co-sponsored, was being viewed as a “declaration of war”.
- The vote passed the 15-member Security Council on Friday.
- The U.S. broke with its normal tactic of diplomatically shielding Israel and abstained, instead of vetoing, the vote.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticised the Obama administration over what he called its “shameful” decision.
- By Sunday, cabinet ministers were reportedly ordered to stop traveling to or meeting with officials of countries that voted in favour of the UN resolution.
Israel has reportedly withdrawn its ambassador to New Zealand and barred New Zealand’s ambassador to Israel in the wake of the motion being passed by the UN on Sunday.
Read the full article by Eoin Blackwell at The Huffington Post.