As a gesture of displeasure with Ukraine’s support for the resolution adopted last week by the UN Security Council on the settlements, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to cancel a scheduled visit in Israel of Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman.

Ukraine was among the 14 members of the Security Council that supported the resolution. The US was the only one to abstain, while none voted against.

In response to the Israeli decision, the Ukrainian foreign ministry summoned Israel’s ambassador to Kiev for clarification and issued a statement explaining the vote : ‘'The text of the resolution is balanced. calls for taking measures necessary for peaceful solution from both Israeli and Palestinian sides: Israel should stop its settlement activities while Palestinian authorities take effective measures toward fighting against terrorism.”

The ministry said that Ukraine “adhered to the consistent and balanced position on the issue of Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”

“Ukraine as well as other permanent and non-permanent members of the UN Security Council and also the UN Secretary-General for its part more than once condemned the settlement activity of the State of Israel, because it is contrary to the international law,” it added.

But the foreign ministry however said Ukraine was confident ‘’that active and emotional internal debates in Israel will not impact traditionally friendly Ukrainian-Israeli relationship, based on mutual respect and joint interests."

According to officials in Israel, Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman, a Jew who is thought of as one of Israel’s main supporters, wanted that his country not be involved in the consultations held on the resolution.

An Israeli official said that highest-level US administration officials phoned the Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko directly to pressure him to support the United Nations Security Council resolution against Israeli settlements.

“Either Obama or Biden spoke to Poroshenko about the matter,” a senior Israeli official told The Times of Israel.

According to one highly placed Israeli official who spoke to Tablet Magazine, it was Biden who personally intervened to ensure that Ukraine would support the resolution. “Did Biden put pressure on the Ukrainians? Categorically yes,” said a source within the Israeli government. “That Biden told them to do it is 1000% true,” he said.

In the meantime, a Jewish member of the Ukrainian parliament, Alexander Feldman, said he planned to put a new bill on the table at the parliament, proposing that Ukraine move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Feldman, an active leader of the Ukrainian Jewish community, emphasized that he was upset by Ukraine’s vote at the UN and about the cancellation of the Prime Minister’s visit to Israel.