Ayalon Jets to U.S. To Derail U.N. Probe
Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon made a lightning, secret visit on Thursday to Washington to seek U.S. help in thwarting the work of a UN-sponsored international committee to probe the West Bank settlements.
Haaretz has learned that Ayalon was sent to Washington to meet with senior administration officials over the decision of the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council decision, announced last week.
Ayalon conveyed a message to the American administration that Israel wants the United States to act to limit the committee’s mandate so its recommendations will be less binding.
According to a senior Israeli official, Ayalon was in Washington for only 24 hours, and met with Deputy Secretary of State William Burns. Ayalon had no other meetings scheduled.
The Foreign Ministry kept Ayalon’s special mission under wraps, although in Washington, his meetings appeared on the calendar the U.S. State Department issues every day. A clandestine visit such as this is not the norm for Ayalon, who releases frequent press statements on his activities.
For more, go to Haaretz.com
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