EDITORIAL ⟩ Tsahkna's thoughtless mistake

- Are you sure our foreign minister was swinging his plank in the right direction? - How can I be sure about a minister who takes social media influencers along on his trips instead of seeking advice from a hedgehog? Photo: Urmas Nemvalts.

• Estonia should have voted with the United States in the UN or remained neutral.
• Peace in the Middle East is hindered by Hamas.
• A values-based foreign policy is crucial for Estonia.

It seems a small storm regarding foreign policy is brewing in Estonia. On Wednesday, the UN General Assembly in New York voted on a resolution urging Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territories. Estonia supported the resolution, even though our usual foreign policy course has been to vote according to a coordinated European Union (EU) position or, if that is not available, to vote with the United States or remain neutral.

In this vote, the opinions of EU countries diverged: the Czech Republic and Hungary voted against, while Estonia was among twelve countries that supported the resolution, and another twelve countries abstained. Marko Mihkelson, chairman of the economic affairs committee of the Riigikogu and member of the Reform Party, has now invited Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna from Estonia 200 and Foreign Ministry Secretary General Jonatan Vseviov to discuss whether Estonia's political direction regarding Israel and Palestine has changed for some reason.

Undoubtedly, the situation in Palestine is complex and has a long history, but a good guiding principle for our foreign policy makers would be to adhere to a values-based approach. Just as the war in Ukraine would end if Russian forces withdrew, negotiations between Jews and Palestinians would be possible if Hamas renounced its goal of destroying the state of Israel.

Let us recall that nearly a year ago, on October 7, Hamas attacked Israel, killing and taking many civilians hostage and orchestrating a massacre at a music festival near the border, where many victims were, by the way, committed advocates of peace. Some hostages have been successfully released, some have been found dead, and the fate of the hostages who are still missing continues to fuel political passions in Israel.

Any negotiations should be conditional on the cessation of hostilities, with the release of hostages serving as a gesture of goodwill. Unfortunately, there are currently no signs of such goodwill, which is why Estonia's vote in the UN General Assembly seemed poorly thought out by the Foreign Ministry. Nothing would have gone wrong if we had chosen to remain neutral alongside Germany, Sweden, Lithuania, or Denmark.

Any negotiations should be conditional on the cessation of hostilities, with the release of hostages serving as a gesture of goodwill.

It is worth recalling some historical facts. In 1947, the same UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to create both Israeli and Palestinian states in Palestine. The territory was to be divided according to population. The Jews accepted this resolution, but the Arabs rejected it. When the Jews declared their state on May 14, 1948, according to the resolution, all neighboring countries attacked the very next day.

It is a miracle that the state of Israel won that war and all subsequent wars. Like Estonia, Israel has lived under constant threat, which has led to the development of its defense industry and military into world-class forces. Let us also remember that Israel sold weapons to the newly independent Estonian state in 1993 when no one else was willing to do so. This is a point for the Foreign Ministry to consider.