Israel rejected the UN Security Council’s anti-settlement resolution as “out of hand” and has “no intention of abiding by it,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday evening, also accusing US President Barack Obama of “colluding” against Israel.
The US, a permanent member of the council, abstained from the vote.
“Israel rejects the contemptible, anti-Israel UN resolution and will not subordinate itself to it,” said Netanyahu.
Israel said it will impose sanctions on states that pushed for the UN Security Council resolution against Israeli settlements.
NEW ZEALAND, SENEGAL TIES ‘DAMAGED’
Netanyahu ordered New Zealand’s and Senegal’s Israeli ambassadors for “consultation”. Israel does not have diplomatic ties with the two other states that called for a vote on the resolution – Venezuela and Malaysia.
Netanyahu cancelled an impending visit for Senegal’s Foreign Minister to Israel, and ordered the Foreign Ministry to “void all planned aid to the country.”
He also cancelled Senegal’s and New Zealand’s non-resident ambassadors’ planned visits.
OBAMA CRITICISM, TRUMP SUPPORT
Netanyahu also lambasted Obama for not casting a veto against the resolution.
“The Obama administration not only failed to protect Israel against this gang-up at the UN, it colluded with it behind the scenes,” outlined the Israeli PM.
“Israel looks forward to working with President-elect Donald Trump and with all our friends in Congress, Republicans and Democrats alike, to negate the harmful effects of this absurd resolution.”
Trump reacted to the UN decision on Twitter, pledging, “as to the U.N., things will be different after Jan. 20th,” that date on which he will officially assume the US Presidency.
US ‘ABANDONED’ ISRAEL
Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Dannon, also criticized the US abstention, saying: “It was expected that Israel’s greatest friend would act according to its decades-long policy and veto the one-sided resolution.
Dannon also outlined that he has “no doubt” that Trump’s administration will “usher in a new era.”
Source: Haaretz
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