Estonia: Foreign Ministry denies change on Israel, Palestine policy

Estonia’s Foreign Ministry denied any change in the country’s Middle East policy after Estonia voted for a UN General Assembly resolution condemning Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, ERR reported. Earlier, several former foreign ministers and MPs suggested that Estonia’s recent UN votes on Palestine implied a shift in Estonia’s foreign policy. The Foreign Ministry’s secretary general, Jonatan Vseviov, insisted that Estonia’s votes at all international organisations were guided by national interest, and that the primary focus was now on Ukraine. On the latest Palestine resolution, Estonia found it “more prudent” not to leave room for accusations of hypocrisy and double standards on adherence to the international rules-based order, Vseviov explained. At the same time, he pointed out that the resolution was not balanced, given that it failed to mention Palestinian crimes against Israel.