Israeli PM cancels Ukraine's PM visit over UN vote

Israel canceled Saturday a scheduled visit by Ukraine Prime Minister Volodymyr Borysovych Groysman, a day after his country supported a UN resolution to end the settlements, Israeli media reported.

The reports cited Israeli officials who confirmed that the reason for the cancellation was Ukraine's vote in favor of a proposal in the United Nations Security Council that urges halt to end the expansion of the Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

According to the officials, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered to cancel the visit.

The vote, passed by a 14-0 majority, with the United States abstains, demands Israel to "immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem."

It states that the building of settlements by Israel has "no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law."

Israel reacted furiously, immediately rejecting the motion and slamming it as an "anti-Israeli" move.

Israel already called back its envoys in New Zealand and Senegal, which together with Venezuela and Malaysia proposed the resolution.

On Saturday night, Netanyahu said Israel will reassess its ties with the UN, noting that he already ordered to cut 30 million shekels (about 8 million U.S. dollars) in funding to five "especially hostile" UN bodies.

"I instructed the foreign ministry to complete within a month a re-evaluation of all our contacts with the United Nations, including the Israeli funding of UN institutions and the presence of UN representatives in Israel," he said in a broadcast address to the nation.

The U.S., Israel's closest ally, traditionally protects Israel from such motions. On Friday, it abstained despite heavy pressures by Israel and President-elect Donald Trump for Washington to use its veto.

The move came in the wake of the Regulation Bill, which the parliament approved in first out of three readings in the beginning of the month. Netanyahu's right-wing coalition supports the bill.

About 500,000 Jewish settlers live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, lands that Israel seized in the 1967 Mideast War and has been controlling them ever since, despite international condemnations.

The Palestinians wish to build their future state in these lands.

The U.S. officially opposes the settlements and considers them as an obstacle to peace. The settlements are illegal under international law.

source: Xinhua