Zelenskyy refused to vote against the International Court of Justice’s investigation due to tensions with Netanyahu over military aid
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to do so Vote against an International Court of Justice (ICJ) inquiry into the legality of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories; a request that Zelensky refused to satisfy amid tensions over Israel’s lack of military aid to Ukraine in its war with Russia.
Several official Israeli and Ukrainian sources have told the US portal Axios that weeks ago Netanyahu asked Zelensky to vote against the initiative before the General Assembly to take this into account Kyiv had already voted in favor of the decision in a previous round at committee level.
Zelenskyy chose instead instructing Ukraine’s ambassador to the UN to stay away from the vote “to give relations with the new Israeli government a chance,” led by Netanyahuaccording to Ukrainian sources, and after an unsuccessful series of calls in which the Ukrainian President asked his Israeli counterpart to reconsider his position and Started delivery of military aid to Ukraine.
The Israeli President replied that he would consider the application, but made no commitment, so Zelensky ordered the ambassador to stay away from the vote; a decision that has made the new Israeli government uncomfortable.“Neither of the two leaders was satisfied and neither got what they wanted,” a senior Ukrainian official told the US portal.
That The resolution was finally adopted with 87 votes in favour, 26 against and 53 abstentions. The relevant document, titled “Israeli practices and settlement activities affecting the rights of the Palestinian people and other Arabs in the occupied territories,” urges the court to “urgently convey its opinion” on the “ongoing occupation and annexation of Palestinian territories.” reports Europa Press.