Netanyahu summons US ambassador after Washington abstains from UN vote

The vote was able to pass the 15-member council on Friday because the United States broke with a long-standing approach of diplomatically shielding Israel and did not wield its veto power.

By JPOST.COM STAFF, HERB KEINON
Updated: DECEMBER 25, 2016 18:41
Dan Shapiro (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST,MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Dan Shapiro
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST,MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu summoned US Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro for talks on Sunday, two days after a resolution calling for an end to Israeli settlement building passed a vote in the UN Security Council.
The vote was able to pass the 15-member council on Friday after the United States broke with a long-standing approach of diplomatically shielding Israel and did not wield its veto power as it had many times before - a decision that Netanyahu called "shameful."
Earlier on Sunday, Netanyahu had instructed the Foreign Ministry to summon the ambassadors of the 12 countries in the Security Council with whom Israel has diplomatic ties for a talk in which Netanyahu was expected to reprimand them over the resolution.
Dan Shapiro at 2015 Jpost Conference: "There is no acceptable excuse and no legitimate basis for terrorism. Period"
The summoning of the representatives, though expected, was unusual at is took place on Christmas Day.
The ministry has already summoned the ambassadors from China, Russia, France, the UK, Spain, Egypt, Japan, the Ukraine, Angola and Uruguay.
Seeing as this summoning is taking place on Christmas, the majority of the ambassadors are on vacation in their countries and in some of the cases, their deputies or lower ranks are expected to come in their place. 
Stepping up angry rhetoric against the administration, Netanyahu said at the outset of Sunday's cabinet meeting that he shared the “anger and frustration” felt by the ministers around the table at the “imbalance and “very hostile resolution” against Israel.
“We have no doubt that the Obama Administration initiated it, stood behind it, coordinated the texts, and made sure it passed,” he said. “This is  of course, in complete opposition to traditional US policy which committed itself to not trying to impose permanent agreement conditions, or anything connected to them, in the UN Security Council.”
Additionally, Netanyahu has reportedly instructed his minsters not to travel to the countries who voted in favor of the resolution. The prime minister also reportedly cancelled a meeting with British Prime Minster Theresa May at the Davos Economic Forum in Switzerland, which is scheduled to take place in January.
Netanyahu said this was also a clear contravention of Obama's own commitments on the matter made publicly in 2011.

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Reuters contributed to this report.