Former Israeli Premier Ehud Olmert expressed his “utter surprise” at the Israeli government’s apparent alienation of the US administration in the immediate aftermath of America’s staunch defence of Israel at last week UN General Assembly in New York, after Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet dismayed its allies by announcing plans to build 3,000 homes as part of a Jerusalem settlement complex. According to Olmert, a widely touted opposition candidate at next month’s general elections in Israel, the announcement, which Netanyahu admitted at the weekend was a direct response to the UNGA vote in favour of Palestinian non member status, constituted “the one thing that was certain to offend US policymakers”.
Obama’s administration, he contended, had showed “extraordinary courage” in opposing the motion, as one of only nine UN members and by far the largest power to have done so. EU member states by contrast were divided between abstaining and voting in favour of the status upgrade, with even close Israeli ally Italy supporting the bid.
Olmert was far from the only Israeli politician to have slammed Netanyahu’s contentious diplomatic decision, which has also drawn widespread criticism from across the international community, in particular from British Foreign Secretary William Hague who abstained from the UNGA vote as a mark of faith in Israel’s desire to return to the negotiating table with the Palestinian Authority (PA).
Both the British and French foreign ministries summoned the Israeli ambassadors to their countries Monday to explain Israel’s decision to further expand disputed settlements, with Hague insisting the move would “undermine Israel’s international reputation and create doubts about its stated commitment to achieving peace with the Palestinians”.
Former centrist Kadima head Tzipi Livni, who last week launched her own candidacy for the Israeli premiership last week by announcing the establishment of new party Hatnua (The Movement) charged Netanyahu’s government with waging “a campaign of incitement” by labelling all those who opposed its stance on the UNGA vote as “a collaborator with the enemy”.
Speaking to Israel Radio Tuesday, she criticised the government for “poking Obama in the eye”, only two weeks after commending his administration for successfully negotiating a ceasefire with Hamas to bring an end to the violent escalation between Israel and Gaza.
In further claims, she suggested that the announcement, which saw Netanyahu paraphrase assassinated leader Yitzchak Rabin, might be a politically-motivated way of recovering public opinion damaged by the widely unpopular ceasefire agreement, and might yet be abandoned in the aftermath of the January 22 elections. In his weekly cabinet address, the Israeli premier said that “the response to the attack on Zionism and the State of Israel must reinforce and underscore the implementation of the settlement plan in all areas in which the Government decides regarding settlement”
Responding to international condemnation, however, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minsiter Danny Ayalon remained defiant, insisting that “Israel’s security is more important than diplomatic relations”.
Meanwhile Education Minister Gideon Sa’ar dismissed Olmert and Livni’s points scoring attacks on the government, concluding: “All of the parties that refer to themselves as ‘centre-left’ have failed to rise to their first challenge” in their reactions to the Palestinian United Nations bid. “Olmert and Livni trumpet on the international stage their aversion to Israel while defending the Palestinians.”