BICOM

Israel’s government has taken measures  against states which supported Friday’s United Nations’ (UN) Security Council resolution, which criticised Israeli settlements.

Israel’s envoy to Angola announced that Israel would terminate support for development programmes in the country, following Angola’s support for the resolution. It follows Israel’s decision to recall its ambassadors from New Zealand and Senegal, two of the four countries which sponsored Friday’s resolution.

Israel summoned embassy representatives from all UN Security Council states, including the UK. Over the weekend, Israel cancelled Ukrainian President Groysman’‎s scheduled visit, due to Kiev’‎s support for the resolution. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided not to meet Prime Minister Theresa May at the upcoming Davos Summit, following the UK’s support for Friday’s motion.

The resolution passed after theUS abstained and did not apply its traditional veto. The text expressed “grave concern that continuing Israeli settlement activities are dangerously imperilling the viability of the two-state solution based on the 1967 lines” and called upon all states, “to distinguish, in their relevant dealings, between the territory of the State of Israel and the territories occupied since 1967”.

Israel is concerned that the resolution encourages Palestinian intransigence, in particular a reluctance to engage in bilateral talks with Israel. Because the motion treats all territory beyond the 1967 borders as one, Israel’s leaders believe it may also harden the Palestinian position on territory. In addition, beyond a reference to “all acts of violence against civilians,” Israel believes that the resolution does not adequately address Palestinian violence and incitement.

On Monday, Israel’s Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer told CNN that Israel has clear evidence that the resolution was a pre-meditated move orchestrated by Washington, an allegation later repeated by Netanyahu’s spokesman David Keyes. This morning, Haaretz suggests that UK diplomats helped the Palestinians to word the resolution in a way which would be acceptable for Washington to abstain, rather than veto the motion.