Israel ends boycott and will attend U.N. Human Rights Council meeting

TEL AVIV, Israel, Oct. 28 (UPI) -- Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Israel would renew its ties with the U.N. Human Rights Council after 1 1/2-year boycott by attending this year's meeting.

The boycott began in March 2012 after the council announced plans to conduct an international investigation into settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, Haaretz reported Sunday.

Netanyahu, under pressure from the United States, Australia, Canada, Spain, France and Germany, said Israel would attend the hearing on human rights Tuesday, the report said.

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle had sent a letter to Netanyahu that said failure of Israel to attend the hearing would cause severe diplomatic damage.

"In light of the fact that we received appropriate recompense for agreeing to resume cooperation with the human rights council, it was decided that Israel will participate in Tuesday's hearing," an unidentified senior Israeli official said.