Israel and New Zealand end diplomatic crisis

[From the Israel Prime Minister's Office]

Israel and New Zealand end diplomatic crisis
13/06/2017

Following discreet high-level bilateral discussions held over a period of several months by the Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Yuval Rotem, and MFA Deputy Director-General, Head of the Division for Asia and the Pacific, Mark Sofer, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on the telephone several days ago with New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English.

Following the discussions, PM English dispatched a letter to PM Netanyahu, in which he stated: "First and most importantly, as I said in our conversation, I regret the damage done to relations between New Zealand and Israel as a result of New Zealand's co-sponsorship of UNSC resolution 2334. We welcome the return of Israel's ambassador to Wellington.”

The Israeli ambassador to New Zealand was recalled to Jerusalem for discussions in the wake of New Zealand's co-sponsorship of UN Security Council Resolution 2334, together with Senegal, Malaysia and Venezuela.

In light of the telephone conversation and letter, PM Netanyahu instructed Dir.-Gen. Rotem to notify the New Zealand authorities of his decision to end the diplomatic crisis and to return Ambassador Itzhak Gerberg to his post in Wellington.

Last Sunday (June 4 2017), after meeting with Senegal President Macky Sall at the ECOWAS Summit, Prime Minister Netanyahu decided to return Israel's ambassador to Dakar.

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