Slippery Slope

Outgoing Deputy Foreign Minister, Danny Ayalon, has said that Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman (Likud Beitenu), ”tried to push appointments through the Foreign Service. I succeeded in pushing back the pressure and convinced Lieberman that the appointments weren’t appropriate.” (Haaretz)

(Hebrew – Haaretz)

Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon (Israel Beitenu) said that Israel will not cooperate with UN Human Rights Council’s fact-finding mission established to probe the effects of settlements on Palestinian human rights. He added that “As far as Israel is concerned, the U.N. committee has no effect – political nor moral – and therefore we will not allow them to work here”

Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon (Yisrael Beiteinu) announced that all new Foreign Ministry ambassadors and cadets will be required to visit the Cave of the Patriarchs and “Jewish heritage sites” on the West Bank. The ambassadors and cadets will be guided, amongst others, by settlers of Kiryat Arba.

(Hebrew)

Minister Michael Eitan wrote Prime Minister Netanyahu to state that Deputy Minister Danny Ayalon knowingly misled the Knesset and the public in a speech to the Knesset, when he said that he was speaking for the Israeli government in expressing his support for the establishment of the parliamentary committee of inquiry on the subject of the financing of Israeli organizations engaged in the delegitimization of Israeli soldiers. (Hebrew)

The Ministry  of Foreign Affairs accuses Norway of financing “anti-Israeli incitement” following the financing of a trip for children who take part in the Monologues from Gaza play to New York, and of a documentary film named Tears from Gaza. In response to the protests of the Israeli embassy in the country the Norwegian government replied that it does not intend to intervene in the contents of creative works. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs said that “this sort of activity is detrimental to possible resolution and promotes extremist Palestinian positions in a way that prevents them from compromising.” (Hebrew)

Danny Ayalon, Deputy Foreign Minister, is promoting a new initiative which calls on the Palestinians to recognize Jews originally from Arabic-speaking countries as refugees. Under the initiative, which was put in place by Jewish-American JJAC organization, Israelis from Arabic-speaking countries will demand monetary compensation for the property they left behind. (Hebrew, English)

The Education, Science and Sulture UN Organization (UNESCO) denounced Israel for including Rachel’s Tomb in the Israeli government’s heritage sites plane, as well as for the works on the Mughrabi Gate in Old Jerusalem, the situation in Gaza and eastern Jerusalem and the status of culture in the West Bank. The Deputy Foreign Minister, Danny Ayalon, announced (Hebrew) Israel suspends its cooperation with UNESCO on these issues. Yes the deputy minister’s spokeswoman, Irena Ettinger, published an announcement according to which Ayalon suspended Israeli cooperation with UNESCO until “this scandalous decision” is cancelled.