New Zealand reaches out to restore diplomatic ties with Israel
“I’ve sent a letter to Mr. Netanyahu yesterday firstly congratulating them on their national day but expressing a desire for the Israeli-New Zealand relationship to get back on track."
By JTAUpdated: MAY 3, 2017 17:54The current New Zealand flag flies on Parliament buildings in Wellington's Central Cusiness District on March 24, 2016.(photo credit: AFP PHOTO)
Recently appointed New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Gerry Brownlee has contacted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an effort to restore diplomatic relations with Israel.Brownlee received his ministerial warrant on Tuesday, Israel’s Independence Day, and hours later wrote to Netanyahu to get the relationship back on track.“I’ve sent a letter to Mr. Netanyahu yesterday firstly congratulating them on their national day but expressing a desire for the Israeli-New Zealand relationship to get back on track and to do that by recognizing that we’ve got synergies and innovation and agriculture and various other things like that,” he told local media.Brownlee confirmed there is further work to be done but remains resolute around the importance of restoring the relationship to its prior strength.Israel in December withdrew its ambassador from New Zealand and postponed travel rights of New Zealand’s ambassador to Israel, based in Turkey, after New Zealand co-sponsored a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements in the West Bank.UN Security Council passes resolution demanding an end to Israeli settlement buildingNetanyahu was angry at New Zealand’s involvement in the UN resolution, which passed unanimously. The Israeli prime minister called then-foreign minister Murray McCully and reportedly threatened to interpret New Zealand’s sponsorship as a “declaration of war.”Brownlee says he expects the letter to enable the respective foreign ministries to start discussions with a view toward re-establishing a diplomatic connection.