Israeli envoy to Nepal says UN over attention and double standards lead to anti-Israeli resolutions

ByLaxman Datt Pant

Israeli envoy to Nepal says UN over attention and double standards lead to anti-Israeli resolutions

Stating that Israel has no global interests in Nepal, Hanan Goder, Ambassador of Israel to Nepal has said the United Nations (UN) and the Human Rights Council (HRC) have adopted ‘double standards’ which, according to him, lead to 26 anti-Israeli resolutions being brought to the vote every year.

Ambassador Goder was speaking during a seminar titled “Six Decades of Nepal-Israel Relations” organized today in Kathmandu by the Embassy of Israel together with the Center for Diplomatic Dialogue. The year 2021 marks the 60th year of the establishment of Nepal-Israel diplomatic relations, the foundation stone in the history of the two countries.

Highlighting the need to strengthen multilateral relations, Ambassador Goder said, “Relations between countries stand on two legs: one is this excellent bilateral leg and the second leg is the multilateral leg which is less famous, less known, and has much lower visibility. The multilateral relations take place mainly in the UN building in New York and in the HRC in Geneva, and sometimes in other locations.” The ‘over attention’ and double standards taken by these international organizations has led to 26 anti-Israeli resolutions being brought to the vote every year, he added.

  • This year marks 60 years since the courageous step taken by BP Koirala, the first elected Prime Minister of Nepal, to establish relations with Israel
  • Nepal was the first and for many years the only country from the South Asia region to recognize the state of Israel
  • Israel is acknowledged as the most prestigious and lucrative destination for Nepali workers
  • As many as 200 Israeli doctors and medical team members came to help Nepal within a few hours of the devastating earthquake in 2015
  • The “Learn and Earn” program supported by the Israeli government has brought visible changes to the Nepalese living in rural areas today
  • Approximately 6000 members of the Shalom Club were trained in Israel in different sectors and thousands of Nepalese have spent years with Israeli families as caregivers.

Recalling that Nepal was the first country in South Asia to recognize the state of Israel by establishing diplomatic relations and hosting the Israeli Embassy in Kathmandu back in 1960, Pradeep Kumar Gnawali, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nepal, said, “Nepal-Israel have continued to cooperate and collaborate on various areas of mutual interests at the bilateral as well as multilateral levels. This milestone in our relationship has inspired us to contemplate and take further steps to strengthen and consolidate the friendly ties between two nations and their people through an increased level of engagements. I express my confidence that Nepal-Israel relations will continue to strengthen and expand in the future.”

Reiterating that relations have two legs, i.e. the bilateral and the multilateral, Ambassador Goder underscored, “Standing on one leg for too long is not good for stable and cordial relations as we all believe Nepal and Israel should have.”

Commenting that recently four countries in the Middle East have established formal relations with Israel, with other countries expected to follow suit, ambassador Goder concluded, “It is the time that both bilateral and multilateral levels are also reflected in the voting pattern of Nepal at the UN as well as other global forums.”