Estonia: Estonia’s UN vote on Palestine raises questions

Estonia has voted in favour of a UN General Assembly resolution urging Israel to end the occupation of Palestinian territories, ERR reports. Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna noted that international law must apply to all UN member states. At the same time, he stressed that the vote did not change Estonia’s support for Israel. The US voted against the resolution, while EU member states, including the Nordic and Baltic countries, were split. In similar situations, Estonia has usually abstained. The foreign affairs committee of the Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu, has invited the Foreign Minister for a discussion about Estonia’s position, ERR reports. Committee chairman Marko Mihkelson noted that the Foreign Ministry has justified Estonia’s UN votes on Palestine with the need to ensure wider international condemnation of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. However, Mihkelson stressed the need to consider the activities of terrorist organisations as well. The chairman of Estonia’s main opposition party, Fatherland, former foreign minister Urmas Reinsalu, suggested that Estonia’s vote on the Palestine resolution marked an unreasonable shift, ERR reported. He argued that it would have been wiser for Estonia to abstain.