Israel reducing ties with 10 countries over U.N. settlements vote

Following the U.N. Security Council resolution condemning the building of settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said Tuesday the country is limiting its "work contacts" with the 10 countries that voted in its favor.

Emmanuel Nashon said Israel is also curtailing "travels of officials from Israel" to Britain, Russia, France, China, Japan, Ukraine, Angola, Egypt, Uruguay, and Spain "until otherwise decided." East Jerusalem and the West Bank are both home to sites holy to Jews, Muslims, and Christians, and the Palestinians claim the areas as part of their future state; Israel captured the territories during a 1967 war, and has said settlement activities in the area should be decided upon during future peace talks.

The U.N. measure called settlement-building in East Jerusalem and the West Bank a "flagrant violation" of international law, and the United States abstained from the vote, having previously used its veto power to prevent Israel from such a censure. On Monday, Israel said despite the resolution, it still planned on building 5,600 new homes in East Jerusalem.

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