Philippines vote on Gaza probe won’t affect Israel ties – Palace

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang is confident that the Philippines’ vote for the United Nations to investigate alleged war crimes committed in the Gaza Strip would not affect the country’s “excellent ties” with Israel.

Speaking at a press briefing yesterday, presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said: “The vote in the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) does not in any way, or should not in any way affect our excellent bilateral relations with Israel.”

Recently, the Israeli foreign ministry summoned Philippine ambassador to Tel Aviv Macairog Alberto to seek clarification on the Philippines’ vote at the UNHRC, which favored the creation of an investigative committee against Israel over its military campaign “Operation Guardian of the Walls.”

Gilad Cohen, the Israeli foreign ministry’s deputy director-general for Asia Pacific, said it was “unacceptable” that a country like the Philippines, “which itself endures radical and murderous Islamist terrorism,” would support a draft resolution that ignores the “war crimes” of Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Yesterday, Roque stressed that Israel is one of President Duterte’s “favorites” among the countries he visited. The President visited Israel in 2018.

“One of the countries we rely upon for assistance in modernizing our armed forces is Israel. We are also arranging the non-stop flight from Israel to the Philippines,” he said.

“So that (vote) has nothing to do with our very close ties with the state of Israel,” asserted Roque.

He emphasized that Duterte does not micromanage the Philippines’ delegation to the UNHRC even if he is the chief architect of foreign policy.

He added that the Philippine mission has consistently voted in favor of the right of Palestinians to have their own state in the same way that the Philippines backed the creation of the Jewish state of Israel.

“The Philippines’ traditional position in the United Nations has been to go with the Palestinian cause. Each year, there are several of these recurring Israel versus Palestine resolutions that the UN normally passes these resolutions with the majority vote in favor of the Palestinians, so usually it is the US and Israel who are traditionally voting against it,” Roque said, quoting a statement of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

“In short, our vote has been consistent with the previous positions of the Philippines. Although we say that at the same time we very much value our bilateral relations with Israel,” he added.