Kiev Summons Israeli Ambassador Following Prime Minister's Cancelled Visit

26.12.2016 19:41

Kiev Summons Israeli Ambassador Following Prime Minister's Cancelled Visit

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said that the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry summoned the Ambassador of Israel to Ukraine Eli Belotserkovsky following Tel Aviv's decision to cancel the visit of Ukraine's Prime Minister.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry summoned the Ambassador of Israel to Ukraine Eli Belotserkovsky following Tel Aviv's decision to cancel the visit of Ukraine's Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"Our Ambassador to Ukraine Eli Belotserkovsky was summoned to the Foreign Ministry in Kiev following Israel's decision concerning the visit of the Ukrainian prime minister," the statement read.

On Saturday, media reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cancelled the visit of his Ukrainian counterpart scheduled for this week over Kiev's support for the damning UNSC resolution on the Israeli settlement-building policy in the West Bank.

On December 23, the UN Security Council passed a resolution in a 14-0 vote, with the only abstention from the United States, condemning Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The resolution states that Israel should immediately and completely cease all settlement activities on "occupied Palestinian territory," including in East Jerusalem.

Over 500,000 Israeli settlers are estimated to be living in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, which Israel captured during the 1967 war.