Israel Katz is an Israeli lawmaker and member of the Likud Party. He currently serves as the country's foreign minister after serving as energy minister for two years in a rotation deal with Eli Cohen.
Katz has served many other ministerial roles in the past, specifically as transportation minister, agriculture minister, intelligence minister, and finance minister.
He is considered a hardliner in Israeli politics regarding peace and security, supporting settlements and West Bank annexation, but has also advocated for the establishment of an autonomous Palestinian entity.
"Imagine that your neighbors come and, depending on the population, murder 150 people and kidnap 12 citizens - what would Luxembourg do?" asked hostage father Eli Albag
"We are not going to fall into provocations. The video is scandalous and execrable," Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told a news conference in Brussels.
Irish Deputy Premier Micheal Martin complained on Friday, “I find that totally unacceptable and no way to treat diplomats, and is outside the norm by which diplomats are treated in any country.”
Katz ordered the measure two days after Spain, Ireland and Norway announced they would unilaterally recognize Palestine as a state, a measure that officially goes into effect on May 28.
The US believes a Palestinian state should be achieved through negotiations and not unilateral recognition, and has the power of veto at the United Nations.
Israel Katz: “I've instructed the immediate recall of Israel’s ambassadors... in light of these countries' decisions to recognize a Palestinian state."
The United Nations General Assembly voted 143-9 to upgrade Palestine's status as a non-member observer state, sparking criticism from Israel.
While the UNGA cannot formally grant UN membership, the vote could grant Palestinians similar rights.
This video was published amid calls from leaders across Western countries for a two state solution, meaning recognizing a Palestinian state.
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