The faction of the Estonian Conservative People’s Party (EKRE) presented a bill to the Riigikogu for the relocation of the Estonian embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, but it also made 50 amendments to the bill and admitted that it would use it as obstacle. The chairman of the Riigikogu’s foreign affairs committee said such activity should not be taken seriously.
“Since Israel has fallen victim to an unprecedented terrorist attack and Estonia has already declared that it supports Israel in every way in its fight against terrorists, moving the Embassy of the Republic of Estonia to Jerusalem is the most visible and effective statement of support to Israel in the fight against Muslim terrorists”, EKRE President Martin Helme explained the Riigikogu’s decision in the explanatory letter of the project “To propose to the Government of the Republic to move the embassy of the Republic of Estonia to Israel from Tel Aviv in Jerusalem”.
At the same time, the EKRE group also presented 50 amendments to the bill, the first of which proposes that the government move the embassy to Jerusalem at the latest by January 1, 2024, and with each subsequent amendment the deadline is moved to forward one day. The latest, the 50th Amendment, sets the deadline for February 19, 2024.
Helle-Moonika Helme, vice-president of the EKRE group, told ERR that the aim of the amendments is obstructionism.
“The amendments made to this and many other bills are clearly obstructionist in nature. The aim is to use procrastination tactics to pressure the governing coalition to end its power politics and seek compromises with the opposition,” he explained in a written comment.
“It depends on the ruling parties whether they want to return to normal parliamentary work or prefer to continue until the next elections under conditions of deeper confrontation. Of course, we want the Estonian embassy in Israel to be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem,” he confirmed.
Marko Mihkelson (Reform Party), chairman of the foreign affairs commission of the Riigikogu, which deals with the proposal, criticized the actions of the EKRE: “This is not how foreign policy is formed. It is not even remotely close to good practice and logic that have ensured the seriousness and coherence of Estonia’s foreign policy.”
Mihkelson added that the 50 amendments presented to the draft by EKRE itself testify that it is rather motivated by procrastination tactics. “This attitude towards the draft in its early stage should not be taken seriously,” Mihkelson said.
The project will be on the agenda of the Foreign Affairs Committee next Monday.
The location of foreign embassies in Israel is a politically motivated issue, since according to international agreements, West and East Jerusalem should become the capital of Israel and the future state of Palestine respectively, but until will find a peaceful solution to the conflict can be found, the United Nations General Assembly called on countries to keep their embassies in Tel Aviv. So far, the United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Papua New Guinea and Kosovo have moved their embassies to Jerusalem.
The Estonian embassy is located in Tel Aviv, where Ambassador Veikko Kala and two other diplomats work.
2023-12-13 12:50:00
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