In general, Estonia has, up to now, in its UN votes either followed the lead of major allies such as the U.S., or abstained.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Secretary General Jonatan Vseviov said Estonia's voting decisions at the UN and all international organizations are guided purely by the country's own interests, with the primary current focus being on Ukraine.

At the same time, he said, some states have been trying to undermine what he called Western policies by arguing that while the collective West champions international law and sanctions in the case of Ukraine and the Russian war of aggression, it turns a blind eye to similar things happening in other regions.

Vseviov said the strategy has proved increasingly effective, particularly as various global conflicts continue to ignite. In this case, the equivalency between votes on Ukraine and those on other states under fire was relevant.

Vseviov said: "We found that for us this time it was more prudent to not leave ourselves open to accusations of hypocrisy and double standards from the bulk of the world's nations, especially on adherence to the international rules-based order."

However, Reform Party MP and Riigikogu Foreign Affairs Committee member Eerik-Niiles Kross told "Aktuaalne Kaamera" there is no direct rigid or linear equivalency between backing Ukraine and supporting Palestine.

He said: "Nothing stops us from condemning Russia's crimes against Ukrainians once these are proven, and similarly condemning Israel's crimes against Palestinians." However, unlike with Russia's invasion of Ukraine, it needs to be acknowledged that atrocities work in both directions in the complex situation in Israel and Palestine.

"This recently passed resolution conspicuously omits any mention of Palestinian crimes against Israel," Kross went on.

Vseviov did not deny this and said Estonia flagged this with the UN.

"The resolution really was not balanced," Vseviov said. "In order to counterbalance this voting behavior, we submitted an official explanation, where we reiterated those elements we felt were missing, among other things a unilateral condemnation of terrorism and of Hamas," the ministry secretary general added.

Several former foreign ministers and members of the Riigikogu committee have said that recent UN votes on Palestine imply a shift in Estonia's foreign policy, as in the past, Estonia has typically voted in line with the EU. If there was no unified stance from the bloc, it would next look to the U.S.

Kross noted: "And when for some reason it seemed impossible to vote in alignment with the U.S., we would usually abstain. This time, however, we chose a fourth way."

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs insists that there has never been a rigid black-and-white policy here. Sven Mikser (SDE), a former foreign minister and current MEP, also noted that on this occasion, even some of Estonia's closest allies voted differently from usual. Mikser added that he therefore does not fully understand the criticism directed at the ministry.

Mikser said: "Certainly there is a range of domestic political views on this specific conflict in play here. To my mind, it seems somewhat like a storm in a teacup, however, as I'm not aware of any misunderstanding, confusion, or concern among our allies or partners regarding Estonia's vote, either this time or during the previous General Assembly vote on the Middle East."

Earlier this month, Palestine submitted a resolution to the UN General Assembly urging Israel to end the occupation.

The resolution's basis was an International Court of Justice (ICJ) opinion to that effect. Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Ireland, and France were among the EU nations that voted in favor of the resolution at the UNGA. Germany, Lithuania, Italy, and several other nations abstained.

Hungary and the Czech Republic joined the U.S. in voting against.

Overall, the resolution passed with 124 votes to 14, and 43 abstentions.

The resolution is non-binding and calls for Israel to end its "unlawful presence" in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, within a year.

Head of the Riigikogu Foreign Affairs Committee, Marko Mihkelson (Reform), and Isamaa chair and former foreign minister Urmas Reinsalu have both said a new foreign policy line seems to be emerging for Estonia, as far as Palestine-related votes at the UN go. Reinsalu said an abstention on the vote would have been a better choice

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!