New Zealand Defends UN Vote, ’Israel’ Recalls Ambassador
Local Editor
New Zealand said Saturday the UN Security Council resolution condemning "Israeli" settlements should have come as no surprise to the Zionist entity, after "Israel" retaliated by recalling its ambassador to Wellington.
New Zealand co-sponsored the resolution which described the settlements in the occupied territories as a major stumbling block to Middle East "peace" efforts, as they are built on land of the Palestinians.
There was applause in the UN chamber when the first resolution by the United Nations Security Council [UNSC] in more than 38 years to condemn "Israel" over its illegal settlement policy was passed 14-0, with the country's key ally the United States abstaining.
For its part, "Israel" refused to recognize the resolution with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's spokesman Ofir Gendelman tweeting that their ambassadors to New Zealand and Senegal, who co-sponsored the resolution, were to return to the occupied lands immediately.
"These steps are taken against countries that have tabled the draft resolution to the UNSC and have diplomatic relations with ‘Israel'," he said.
Meanwhile, New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully said the decision should have been no surprise to "Israel" which knew Wellington's position long before the UN vote.
‘"Israel' has informed us of their decision to recall their ambassador to New Zealand for consultations," McCully told AFP in a statement.
"We have been very open about our view that the [Security Council] should be doing more to support the Middle East peace process and the position we adopted today is totally in line with our long established policy on the Palestinian question.
"The vote today should not come as a surprise to anyone and we look forward to continuing to engage constructively with all parties on this issue."
The resolution demands that ‘"Israel' immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East al-Quds/Jerusalem."
It states that "Israeli" settlements have "no legal validity" and are "dangerously imperiling the viability of the two-state solution".
Netanyahu's office described the UN move as a "shameful anti-‘Israel' resolution".
Malaysia and Venezuela also sponsored the UN resolution but do not have diplomatic relations with "Israel."
New Zealand is one of 10 non-permanent members of the UNSC, whose two-year term ends this month.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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