Israeli Foreign Minister Saar rejects claim of consensus against country at UN — Jerusalem Post
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said in New York, United States, that his country is in a diplomatic minority at the UN, but rejected claims of a broad international consensus against Israel. He said this in an interview with the Jerusalem Post during the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.
According to Saar, Israel had also been in the minority at the United Nations for years before. He questioned whether Israeli policy on issues the state considers existential should be determined by the position of the majority in the international system.
Position on concessions
Saar said that Israel's previous steps had not brought the country accumulated diplomatic credit. As examples, he cited the Oslo Accords, the establishment of the Palestinian Authority, and Israel's unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005.
The Israeli foreign minister also said that Israel had reached a point where it could not continue making concessions solely because of international pressure.
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Saar's comments came amid support for Palestinian statehood from a number of countries at the UN. The foreign ministers of Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates reaffirmed in a joint statement their support for a sovereign, viable, and independent Palestinian state and called for the implementation of the two-state model.
Criticism of Turkey and Jordan
Saar said he does not define Turkey as a hostile state, as this status has official and practical consequences. At the same time, he claims that under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey pursues policies hostile to Israel in the diplomatic, economic, and legal spheres. The minister also named Turkey's ties with Hamas as one of the factors causing concern for Israel.
Separately, Saar criticized statements by Jordan's King Abdullah II at the General Assembly. The Jordanian monarch accused Israel of changing the situation in Gaza and the West Bank through settlement expansion, land confiscation, and de facto annexation. In response, Saar mentioned Jordan's 1988 decision to sever the legal and administrative ties that granted West Bank residents Jordanian citizenship, and said this should be taken into account when assessing Amman's criticism on issues of international law.
