a day ago
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Israeli embassy closes in Wellington
By Soumya Bhamidipati of RNZ
The Israeli embassy in New Zealand has shut as part of a worldwide closure of the country's diplomatic missions.
The closures comes as tensions remain high in the region - Israel launched an attack on Iranian nuclear and military facilities on Friday, which Iran responded to with the launch of 100 drones.
The Embassy of Israel - on Brandon Street in Wellington - services Tonga, Samoa, Cook Islands and Niue, as well as New Zealand. It also operates a consulate office in Auckland.
A message on the embassy's website announced the decision:
"In light of recent developments, Israeli missions around the world will be closed and consular services will not be provided," it said.
"An online form is available for Israelis abroad to report their location and current status."
The message also issued general safety guidelines for Israelis abroad - encouraging them to avoid displaying Jewish or Israeli symbols in public spaces and avoid attending large gatherings or events associated with Israel or Jewish communities.
An 'unpublish' date on the message indicated it was intended to appear on the website until the end of July.
In a statement sent to RNZ on Saturday morning, deputy chief of mission Yael Holan said Iran was "only moments away from a nuclear weapon" and Israel "had no choice".
"Iran accumulated large amounts of highly enriched uranium that are sufficient for more than nine nuclear bombs. A third of which was enriched and accumulated in the last three months alone - a drastic increase of production volume. "
Israel has for years said Iran was working towards obtaining nuclear weapons. Holan said the recent "accelerated effort has not been seen in the last two decades".
"Israel has the right to defend itself, and it has launched a precise self-defense campaign as a last resort."
She accused Iran of targeting civilian populations in its retaliatory attacks, saying Israel only "targeted senior military commanders and nuclear weapons developers".
"Israel will not allow a regime that openly calls for its destruction to possess nuclear weapons or vast stockpiles of advanced ballistic missiles."
The embassy closure came as part of a global shutting of Israeli embassies.
Israel's embassy in Sweden said the country would close its diplomatic missions around the world and that consular services would not be provided at about 11pm on Friday night (NZ), Reuters reported. It did not say how long the missions would be closed.
