Israel and the United States have both announced that they are considering withholding funding for the United Nations unless the international diplomatic body refrains from publishing a blacklist of companies that operate in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights.
“This is the time to make it clear to the UN that if a blacklist is published of companies operating in Judea and Samaria, Israel will completely cease its financing to the UN and significantly reduce the entry of its representatives to Israel,” the Times of Israel reported Israeli Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan as saying. “Any body that participates in promoting a boycott against Israeli citizens must understand that.”
In an English language tweet, Erdan added that Israel “must reexamine all funding and cooperation with the UN.”
The U.N. Human Rights Council approved the publication of such a list last year, to the chagrin of both Jerusalem and Washington.
Speaking to reporters earlier this month, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said that “the United States has been adamantly opposed to this resolution from the start,” adding that such resolutions are "counterproductive and do nothing to advance Israeli-Palestinian issues.”
“We have made clear our opposition regarding the creation of a database of businesses operating in Israeli settlements in the occupied territories, and we have not participated and will not participate in its creation or contribute to its content,” she said.
American companies such as Caterpillar, TripAdvisor, Priceline.com and Airbnb would be affected by the blacklist, the Washington Post reported.
Nikki Haley, America’s Ambassador to the United Nations, also reportedly threatened to cut off funding, stating that “if you publish the list against settlements we will harm your funding,” according to Israel’s Channel 2.
