Report: Iran 'bought' Solomon Island vote against Israel [View All]

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Iran is bribing friendly countries to Israel to abandon it and vote against the Jewish state in the UN, a report obtained by the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem reported.

According to Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, the report said the Iranian foreign minister met with the foreign minister of the Oceania nation Solomon Islands last year and promised him a check in the amount of $200,000, along with technological aid.

These incentives were meant to come in exchange for an end to the nation's support of Israel.

Shortly after the offer was made the Solomon Islands' foreign minister visited Tehran.

The Solomon Islands is a very poor nation made up of 990 islands inhabited by 600,000 residents.

The Iranian payment seemed to do the trick, since a change in the nation's attitude towards Israel became clear several months ago, when it started to vote against Israel in the United Nations.

The Solomon Islands even voted in favor of adopting the Goldstone Report on Operation Cast Lead in Gaza, which accuses Israel of war crimes.

Yedioth Ahronoth reported that following the vote, Foreign Ministry representative Gili Sharir travelled to the Solomon Islands and expressed to the local government Israel's protest of its ties with Iran.

The Solomon Islands' leadership objected to Israel's protest and claimed it was employing a friendly policy to all.

"We have no enemies, and therefore, we will be friends to all the nations, including both Israel and Iran," a Solomon Islands government official told Israeli diplomats.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3808621,00.html