{"id":119722,"date":"2017-06-20T20:52:59","date_gmt":"2017-06-20T20:52:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/?post_type=document&p=119722"},"modified":"2020-07-22T00:59:25","modified_gmt":"2020-07-22T04:59:25","slug":"negotiated-two-state-solution-remains-only-path-to-lasting-peace-special-coordinator-tells-security-council-security-council-press-release","status":"publish","type":"document","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/negotiated-two-state-solution-remains-only-path-to-lasting-peace-special-coordinator-tells-security-council-security-council-press-release\/","title":{"rendered":"Negotiated Two-State Solution Remains Only Path to Lasting Peace, Special Coordinator Tells Security Council – Security Council Press Release"},"content":{"rendered":"
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20 JUNE 2017<\/span>
\nSC\/12878<\/span>
\n7977TH MEETING (AM)<\/span><\/h5>\n
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fran\u00e7ais<\/a><\/p>\n

video<\/a><\/p>\n

On the fiftieth anniversary of the Six-Day War, achieving a negotiated two-State outcome was the only way to lay the foundations for an enduring peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Security Council heard today, as it held its regular briefing on the situation in the Middle East.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow is not the time to give up on this goal,\u201d Nickolay Mladenov, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, told the 15-member Council via video teleconference from Jerusalem, adding that it was pertinent to create the conditions for a return to negotiations to resolve all final status issues on the basis of relevant Â鶹APP resolutions, mutual agreements and international law.<\/p>\n

The international community had made continuing efforts to advance peace, Mr.\u00a0Mladenov noted, highlighting an announcement by the League of Arab States in which its members committed to relaunching serious peace talks, as well as the recent visit to the region by the President of the United States, in which he made clear that resolving the conflict was critical to combating the threat of violent extremism and terrorism.<\/p>\n

In resolution\u00a02334\u00a0(2016), the Council had reiterated its demand that Israel immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.\u00a0 Yet, there had been a sizeable increase in settlement-related announcements as compared with the previous reporting period, with plans for nearly 4,000\u00a0housing units moving forward and 2,000\u00a0tenders issued, he said.<\/p>\n

The situation in Gaza had heightened intra\u2011Palestinian tensions, resulting in an increasingly dangerous humanitarian situation, and raising serious concerns about the prospect of another conflict.\u00a0 \u201cGaza is a tinderbox,\u201d he warned, adding that \u201cif and when it explodes, it will have devastating consequences for the population and derail all efforts at advancing peace\u201d.<\/p>\n

Some 50\u00a0years on, little of consequence had been done to bring about a viable Palestinian State, lamented Lakhdar Brahimi, Member of The Elders, underscoring that, since\u00a01967, the Palestinian people had endured grave acts of oppression, violence and collective punishment.\u00a0 Recalling The Elders\u2019 last visit to Gaza in\u00a02010, he said the situation there was particularly dire.<\/p>\n

Emphasizing \u201ca crying, urgent need\u201d for the Council to play an active role, he suggested that its members organize a visit to Israel and Palestine and talk to all parties, especially civil society representatives, and see for themselves what the occupation had done to the psychological and moral fibre of both Israelis and Palestinians.\u00a0 They would also the urgency of enforcing the many binding Council resolutions passed since June\u00a01967, he said, adding that a recent Israeli Government decision to legalize so-called outposts in the West Bank demonstrated once more a disregard for international law and Council decisions.<\/p>\n

A deep disappointment was overcoming the Palestinians because of the international system\u2019s failure to support them, said Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States.\u00a0 Peace treaties between Israel and Egypt, and between Israel and Jordan, demonstrated that peace was possible, but interim settlements and arrangements only prolonged the conflict.\u00a0 The occupation of territory in\u00a01967 was the heart of the matter and there could be no solution without decisively addressing that issue on the principle of land for peace.<\/p>\n

Losing the opportunity to realize the two-State solution would be a tragedy of historic proportions and the Council had a responsibility to ensure that did not happen, said the representative of Ethiopia.\u00a0 The Council and the international community could not claim to have done enough, he said, stressing: \u201cWe have all failed.\u201d\u00a0 Bolivia\u2019s representative, whose delegation holds the Council presidency for the month, echoed that sentiment, describing the meeting as a representation of the collective failure by the Council and the international community, during which both the Palestinian and Israeli peoples \u2014 who wished to live in peace and security \u2014 had been let down.<\/p>\n

Negotiations would be the best means of bringing about a lasting, fair peace in the region, emphasized Egypt\u2019s representative, who added that, until an agreement was reached, the Â鶹APP must act as the legitimate guarantor of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.\u00a0 The Organization\u2019s activities and the Security Council\u2019s actions since the outbreak of the crisis never had the goal of besieging a State or detracting any State\u2019s equal, sovereign standing, he underlined.\u00a0 Further, the Â鶹APP had never been requested to impose a solution, as doing so would be unrealistic and impossible.<\/p>\n

Echoing the need for a negotiated settlement, the representative of Uruguay reflected on the conflict in Colombia and its 50\u00a0years of violence, military activity, terrorist attacks, abductions, murders and the deaths of tens of thousands of innocent civilians.\u00a0 The recent peace agreement in that country proved that peace could be established through a genuine and unwavering commitment to negotiate and a demonstration of bravery by all parties to abide by the agreement that had been reached.<\/p>\n

More than ever, practical steps were needed to break a dangerous deadlock, said the representative of the Russian Federation, stressing that his Government\u2019s offer to convene a meeting in Moscow between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remained on the table.\u00a0 He called attention to the impact of destabilization in the Middle East and North Africa on the region\u2019s Christians and other minority groups, adding that the Russian Federation would pursue its efforts to prevent attacks on them.<\/p>\n

Every ounce of what the Council did should be to fight Hamas, stressed the representative of the United States, warning that the organization was determined to destroy everything in its path.\u00a0 \u201cPlease address the real threat that is causing so many people harm, and that is the threat of Hamas,\u201d she emphasized, calling for a Security Council resolution that condemned Hamas and carried consequences for anyone that continued to support it.<\/p>\n

Calling on the Council to advance Israeli-Palestinian relations in a way that avoided giving advantage to Iran and its proxies, Michael Doran, Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute, said the Â鶹APP had paid little attention to Iran\u2019s arming, training and equipping of Hizbullah.\u00a0 Iran, the Assad regime in Syria and Hizbullah had exploited the international community\u2019s fixation on Israel to deflect attention from their wider regional aspirations, he warned, noting that more people had died in Syria at their hands in the last six months than had died on both sides in the Arab-Zionist conflict since its inception in the\u00a01920s.<\/p>\n

Also speaking today were the representatives of United Kingdom, China, Kazakhstan, Japan, Sweden, Egypt, Italy, Senegal, France and Ukraine.<\/p>\n

The meeting began at 10:07\u00a0a.m. and ended at 1\u00a0p.m.<\/p>\n

Briefings<\/u><\/p>\n

NICKOLAY MLADENOV, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, briefing via video teleconference from Jerusalem, noted that his briefing coincided with the 50-year anniversary of the Arab-Israeli war, which resulted in Israel\u2019s occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza and the Syrian Golan.\u00a0 Achieving a negotiated two-State outcome was the only way to lay the foundations for an enduring peace based on Israeli security needs and the Palestinian right to statehood and sovereignty.\u00a0 \u201cNow is not the time to give up on this goal,\u201d he said, adding that it was pertinent to create the conditions for a return to negotiations to resolve all final status issues on the basis of relevant Â鶹APP resolutions, mutual agreements and international law.<\/p>\n

He recalled that resolution\u00a02334\u00a0(2016) called on Israel to \u201ccease all settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem\u201d.\u00a0 Yet, there had been a sizeable increase in settlement-related announcements as compared with the previous reporting period, with plans for nearly 4,000\u00a0housing units moving forward and 2,000\u00a0tenders issued.\u00a0 According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, there had been a sharp drop in the number of demolished Palestinian-owned structures in Area\u00a0C, although the monthly average of demolitions in East Jerusalem since the beginning of\u00a02017 remained at the same level as\u00a02016, when demolitions reached a 15-year record.<\/p>\n

Violence remained a hallmark of the conflict, although during the reporting period the security situation on the ground remained relatively calm, he said.\u00a0 No rockets were fired from Gaza towards Israel and the Israeli Defense Forces had not conducted any airstrikes inside Gaza.\u00a0 However, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 17\u00a0Palestinians were killed by Israeli security forces in various incidents, including reported terror attacks, clashes and military operations, while one Israeli soldier was killed in a car\u2011ramming attack on 6\u00a0April.\u00a0 Further, on 24\u00a0March, a Hamas military commander was killed by unknown assailants in Gaza City, and Hamas executed six Palestinian men for allegedly collaborating with Israel, an act that was condemned by the international community.\u00a0 Settler-related violence also continued.<\/p>\n

Palestinian officials and media outlets affiliated with Fatah continued to commemorate perpetrators of past terror attacks against Israeli civilians, while Hamas leaders also continued their deplorable practice of celebrating recent attacks against Israeli civilians as \u201cheroic\u201d, he said.\u00a0 Some Israeli officials had also employed provocative rhetoric.\u00a0 Council resolution\u00a02334\u00a0(2016) reiterated the call by the Middle East Quartet (Â鶹APP, Russian Federation, United States, European Union) on both parties to take affirmative steps \u201cto reverse negative trends on the ground that are imperilling the two-State solution\u201d, he recalled, adding that, in May, Israel approved a number of positive measures to improve the Palestinian economy.\u00a0 Further, Palestinian and Israeli Finance Ministries held a number of meetings to discuss fiscal leakages, a critical issue given the Palestinian Authority\u2019s $800\u00a0million financing gap.<\/p>\n

He went on to say that the situation in Gaza had heightened intra\u2011Palestinian tensions, resulting in an increasingly dangerous humanitarian situation, and raising serious concerns about the prospect of another conflict.\u00a0 By establishing an Administrative Committee to run civilian affairs, Hamas tightened its control of Gaza and further antagonized Palestinian authorities, reducing the prospects for reconciliation.\u00a0 Meanwhile, a standoff over the payment of taxes on fuel led to the shutdown of the only power plant in Gaza, leaving residents with four hours of electricity per day.\u00a0 Basic services, including health facilities, water supply and wastewater management, had almost ground to a halt, increasing the risk of health and environmental disasters.\u00a0 \u201cGaza is a tinderbox,\u201d he warned, adding that \u201cif and when it explodes, it will have devastating consequences for the population and derail all efforts at advancing peace.\u201d\u00a0 Two\u00a0million Palestinians in Gaza could no longer be held hostage by divisions.\u00a0 The international community had a collective responsibility to prevent that from happening and a duty to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe.<\/p>\n

There had been no developments related to Member States\u2019 distinguishing between the territory of the States of Israel and the territories occupied in\u00a01967, he said.\u00a0 There had, however, been continuing efforts by the international community to advance peace.\u00a0 At the Summit of the League of Arab States on 29\u00a0March, leaders committed to re-launching serious peace negotiations on the basis of a two-State solution, while, in May, the President of the United States visited Israeli and Palestinian leaders and made clear that resolving the conflict was critical to combating the threat of violent extremism and terrorism.<\/p>\n

In such a symbolic month, it was time to turn the challenges of the past into opportunities for the future, he said, underlining that every day that passed without peace was another day that the international community neglected its collective responsibility to advance a meaningful strategy toward a negotiated two-State solution that met the national and historic aspirations of both peoples.<\/p>\n

AHMED ABOUL-GHEIT, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States<\/u>, said that, over 50\u00a0years of occupation, many lives and opportunities had been lost during a conflict that had depleted the energies of Arab societies and multiplied their problems while generating volcanoes of anger in Arab youth.\u00a0 Israel\u2019s persistence to maintain control of Palestinian territory under any excuse was at the heart of the conflict and some Israelis believed it could go on for decades to come.\u00a0 Security Council resolution\u00a0242\u00a0(1967) and the 2002\u00a0Arab Peace Initiative constituted a real basis for an acceptable solution, he said, emphasizing that a complete Israeli withdrawal in return for normal peaceful relations was still the only means to address the Palestinian issue.\u00a0 Such an equation \u2014 easy, acceptable and fair for everyone \u2014 was supported by the entire international community except Israel.<\/p>\n

Under continued occupation, the Palestinian Government was more like a municipal authority that managed citizens\u2019 affairs under Israeli sovereignty, he said.\u00a0 Such a painful reality was happening before the eyes and ears of the world, year after year, and despite how painful it was for Palestinians, it represented a complete condemnation of the international order that the Council expressed. \u00a0A deep disappointment was overcoming the Palestinians because of the international system\u2019s failure to support them.\u00a0 Peace treaties between Israel and Egypt, and between Israel and Jordan, demonstrated that peace was possible.\u00a0 Interim settlements and arrangements, however, only prolonged the conflict.\u00a0 The occupation of territory in\u00a01967 was the heart of the matter and there could be no solution without decisively addressing that issue on the principle of land for peace.\u00a0 Final settlement issues must be immediately addressed, including Jerusalem, security and refugees.<\/p>\n

Without strong and consistent international support, the two parties would most likely be unable to reach any settlement or agreement, especially given the imbalance of power between them, he said, adding that he hoped the United States would continue its positive engagement in a balanced manner.\u00a0 Any serious negotiations must have an agreed framework of reference, based on Council and General Assembly resolutions, the land-for-peace principle and the Arab peace initiative.\u00a0 Council resolution\u00a02334\u00a0(2016) was a step in the right direction on the path to delegitimizing settlements and increase pressure on Israel to change course; other resolutions must follow.\u00a0 The Arab Peace Initiative was an opportunity for Israel to normalize relations with its Arab neighbours and other Muslim countries. \u00a0Israel could not reap the fruits of peace before peace was achieved.<\/p>\n

He said it was bewildering that Israel found the courage to submit its candidacy for Security Council membership in\u00a02019\u20112020 when it was in consistent violation of the Â鶹APP Charter and international law and had never missed an opportunity to strike at the Organization\u2019s credibility.\u00a0 He went on to state that it was absurd for the Israeli Government, whose members did not accept the Palestinians\u2019 right to an independent State, to require them to accept Israel as a Jewish State as a condition for negotiations.\u00a0 Concluding, he said it was \u201ctime to end the nightmare of occupation\u201d.\u00a0 Violence and terrorism resulted directly from a failure to end the Palestinian issue.\u00a0 The Council must uphold its duties in that regard in order to return hope and confidence to Palestinians and demonstrating that the world would not forget them.<\/p>\n

MICHAEL DORAN, Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute<\/u>, called on the Council to advance Israel-Palestinian relations in a way that avoided giving advantage to Iran and its proxies. \u00a0The Council must also avoid allowing Palestinians to duck direct negotiations. \u00a0While routinely according Palestinian-Israeli relations special status that hardly seemed justifiable, the Â鶹APP had paid little attention to Iran\u2019s arming, training and equipping of Hizbullah. \u00a0Iran, the Assad regime and Hizbullah had exploited the fixation of the international community on Israel to deflect attention from their wider regional aspirations.\u00a0 More people had died in Syria at their hands in the last six months than had died on both sides in the Arab-Zionist conflict since its inception in the\u00a01920s.<\/p>\n

The extensive resources that the Â鶹APP and its members contributed to the upkeep of the Palestinian Authority should give them a right to insist that those funds be used to foster a culture of tolerance based on a vision of two States living side by side in peace, he continued.\u00a0 Israeli withdrawals from Lebanon in\u00a02000 and Gaza in\u00a02005 should have dispelled the idea that Israeli intransigence was the key stumbling block in Arab-Israeli relations. \u00a0In that regard, any withdrawal from territory in the West Bank must come with ironclad guarantees of Israeli security. \u00a0A path forward must urge Palestinians back to direct negotiations.<\/p>\n

While the likelihood that those negotiations would result in a quick resolution of final status issues was small, there was reason to be optimistic about interim accommodations that were in the interests of both sides, he said.\u00a0 The new willingness of Sunni Arab States \u2014 who shared Israel\u2019s concerns about Iran\u00a0\u2014 to support constructive solutions was especially heartening, he stressed. \u00a0He also underscored that the key lesson of the 1967\u00a0war was that peace was best achieved not by Â鶹APP intercession but by facilitating direct negotiations between the parties.<\/p>\n

LAKHDAR BRAHIMI, Member of The Elders<\/u>, said it was a sad reality that, 50\u00a0years on, little of consequence had been done to bring about a viable Palestinian State.\u00a0 Referring to an article by Nathan Thrall in The New York Times<\/em> on 2\u00a0June, he said near-total Council paralysis was \u2014 alongside United States backing, Palestinian weakness and Israeli indifference \u2014 a pillar of the ongoing Israeli occupation.\u00a0 Since\u00a01967, the Palestinian people had endured grave acts of oppression, violence and collective punishment; they desperately needed protection from the international community, notably through the fourth Geneva Convention.\u00a0 Recalling The Elders\u2019 last visit to Gaza in\u00a02010, he said the situation there was dire, with Gazans able to survive only through the efforts of the Â鶹APP Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), World Food Programme (WFP) and other Â鶹APP agencies, as well as the interventions of the Special Envoy for the Middle East Peace Process.\u00a0 The failure of Palestinian leaders, especially those of Fatah and Hamas, to reconcile and unite was meanwhile a huge hindrance to the Palestinians\u2019 daily lives, as well as to civil society efforts to mobilize support against the occupation.<\/p>\n

Emphasizing \u201ca crying, urgent need\u201d for the Council to play an active role, he suggested that its members organize a visit to Israel and Palestine and talk to all parties, especially civil society representatives, and to see for themselves what the occupation had done to the psychological and moral fibre of both Israelis and Palestinians. \u00a0They would also see how urgent it was to enforce the many binding Council resolutions passed since June\u00a01967, he said, adding that a recent Israeli Government decision to legalize so-called outposts in the West Bank demonstrated once more a disregard for international law and Council decisions.<\/p>\n

Not-so-discreet contacts between the Israeli Government with some Arab countries could not be a substitute for peace with the Palestinians, he said.\u00a0 Only a genuine, just solution to the Palestinian problem would open the way to lasting peace and cooperation between Israel and all its neighbours.\u00a0 The Arab Peace Initiative, ignored by the Israeli Government since its adoption 15\u00a0years ago, was still on the table. \u00a0Noting that some Israelis had warned that their country might become an apartheid State, he said Palestinians had individual rights, like all human beings, as well as collective rights, like any other people in the world.\u00a0 They also had the right to fight for those rights with all legitimate means available to them.\u00a0 The Charter, international law and international humanitarian law, as well as all norms of international solidarity, called for effective support to be given to Palestinians, he said, adding that such support would, in fact, liberate both Palestine and Israel.<\/p>\n

Statements<\/u><\/p>\n

NIKKI HALEY (United States<\/u>) said that Hamas was a force of terror that had shown its true colours to the world.\u00a0 Hamas would not hesitate to put the lives of innocent children at risk, she warned, highlighting that tunnels in heavily populated civilians were being used by Hamas to smuggle in materials to build rockets and also to gain access to Israel.\u00a0 There was a terrible humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which she had witnessed on her recent visit there.\u00a0 Gaza had enormous potential, but it was being squandered by the terrorists who were in control.\u00a0 Israel did not create the problems in Gaza, although it was typically blamed for the troubles there.\u00a0 Other outside countries were also not the cause of the problems in Gaza, as many nations wanted to see Gaza receive the aid that it so desperately needed.\u00a0 Hamas had been the root of the crisis in Gaza since it had taken control more than 10\u00a0years ago.\u00a0 Rather than pursuing peace, Hamas had chosen to provoke destructive wars and rather than allowing help to reach the Palestinian people, it was diverting aid to feed its military enterprise.\u00a0 Hamas was a terrorist organization bent on Israel\u2019s destruction and would use any resources it accessed to continue that fight.<\/p>\n

The Security Council must stand up and condemn the actions of Hamas, she stressed.\u00a0 While the Council continued to dissect the actions of Israel, some Member States still maintained ties with Hamas and other terrorist organizations that flourished in the region.\u00a0 Hamas should be condemned in a Council resolution, with consequences for anyone that continued to support it.\u00a0 The international community must show Hamas that it would never tolerate terror, and that those who gave Hamas arms, money and political support must cease at once.\u00a0 She recalled her recent trip to the Middle East, in which she saw the threats that completely surrounded Israel from every side.\u00a0 If the Council continued in its past practices and continued to \u201cpick a side\u201d, it would get nowhere.\u00a0 Every ounce of what the \u00a0Council did should be against Hamas, she stressed, warning that the organization was determined to destroy everything in its path.\u00a0 \u201cPlease address the real threat that is causing so many people harm, and that is the threat of Hamas,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

PETER WILSON (United Kingdom<\/u>) emphasized that the Middle East continued to face an unrelenting human tragedy that had gone on for more than half a century.\u00a0 The anniversary of the 1967\u00a0Six-Day War held great significance for all sides, he recalled, describing the Israeli occupation a tragedy for all involved, and a situation that had been exploited by terrorist organizations.\u00a0 So many decades of violence only proved that conflicts could not be managed or contained in perpetuity.\u00a0 Support for a two-State solution would be the only way to secure a just and lasting resolution to the conflict, and to make that a reality it was necessary that all sides refrain from actions that would impair the prospects for a two-State solution.\u00a0 The ongoing settlement activity was at its highest rate in a quarter of century, which created real physical barriers to the prospects for two States for two peoples.\u00a0 He welcomed the recent announcement of the Arab League regarding its willingness to resume negotiations and the efforts of the United States to prioritize peace in the Middle East.<\/p>\n

ELBIO ROSSELLI (Uruguay<\/u>) recalled 50\u00a0years of violence, military activity, terrorist attacks, abductions, murders and the deaths of tens of thousands of innocent civilians in Colombia, actions which were characterized by a conflict that stretched far back into the pages of history; whereby the yearnings of the people remained unmet due to inequality, lack of opportunities and the trading of mutual accusations.\u00a0 The conflict in Colombia, however, was also the best contemporary example that peace could be established through a genuine and unwavering commitment to negotiate and a demonstration of bravery by all parties to abide by the agreement that had been reached.\u00a0 The peace accord in Colombia had sent a powerful message at a time when there were many conflicts raging around the world.\u00a0 The passage of Council resolution\u00a02334\u00a0(2016) was an attempt to stabilize the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and reverse the negative trends playing out on the ground.\u00a0 Yet, very little action had been taken as a result of that resolution.\u00a0 Uruguay fully supported the idea of two independent States that would allow for the peaceful coexistence of Israel and Palestine.\u00a0 It was vital that all parties step back from the current trends on the ground; otherwise it would be extremely difficult to consolidate a Palestinian State.\u00a0 All parties must fulfil their obligations under international law and the relevant resolutions.<\/p>\n

LIU JIEYI (China<\/u>), emphasizing that only dialogue could turn swords into plowshares, said both sides must exercise restraint and take concrete action to resume negotiations without delay.\u00a0 An independent Palestinian State and peaceful coexistence with Israel was the correct direction for international efforts to take. \u00a0Effective implementation of resolution\u00a02334\u00a0(2016) would demonstrate sincerity to resume talks, he said, adding that violence against innocent civilians must stop and the building of settlements halted.\u00a0 The international community should meanwhile build synergies, with the leading role of the Â鶹APP being brought into full play.\u00a0 Describing China as a staunch supporter of the just cause of the Palestinian people, he noted a recent visit to the Middle East by its special envoy for the region, adding that it stood ready to further assist.<\/p>\n

VLADIMIR SAFRONKOV (Russian Federation<\/u>) said that, with terrorism rising atop the international agenda, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict had unfairly been pushed to the background, with prospects waning for a two-State solution.\u00a0 If left unresolved, the conflict would continue to taint international affairs, fuel terrorism and complicate efforts to resolve other problems.\u00a0 More than ever, practical steps were needed to break a dangerous deadlock, he said, noting that the Russian Federation\u2019s offer to convene a meeting in Moscow between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remained on the table.\u00a0 He called attention to the impact of destabilization in the Middle East and North Africa on the region\u2019s Christians and other minority groups, adding that the Russian Federation would pursue its efforts to prevent attacks on them.\u00a0 History had many nuances, but it was clear that the Security Council was created to bring Member States together, not to divide them, he said.\u00a0 Today\u2019s review demonstrated a need to resolve problems through political, diplomatic and collective efforts that would involve a broad front of States.<\/p>\n

KAIRAT UMAROV (Kazakhstan<\/u>) said now was the time to seriously address the issue. \u00a0His country\u2019s position was crystal clear \u2014 it supported the early resumption without preconditions of negotiations that would result in a two-State solution.\u00a0 The Security Council and individual Â鶹APP institutions, working together, should produce a new and more detailed road map that would facilitate talks.\u00a0 He emphasized the need to halt settlement construction, for the Palestinians to speak in a unified voice, and for urgent international action to mitigate humanitarian suffering.<\/p>\n

YASUHISA KAWAMURA (Japan<\/u>) reiterated his delegation\u2019s call to end settlement expansions.\u00a0 Expressing concern about current attacks, he condemned all acts of violence.\u00a0 Turning to the deteriorating situation in Gaza, he underlined the importance of working towards lifting the blockade.\u00a0 Encouraged by the high-level dialogue between the United States and relevant parties, he said it was essential in promoting a peace process.\u00a0 For its part, Japan had provided $34\u00a0million in economic assistance to Palestine in\u00a02017 and was contributing to confidence-building efforts between Israelis and Palestinians which would form the basis for credible negotiations.\u00a0 Cooperation on the Jericho Agro-Industrial Park project had fostered mutual trust.\u00a0 After decades of conflict and occupation, peace would unlock new political, economic, security and cultural opportunities that would benefit the region and beyond.<\/p>\n

CARL SKAU (Sweden<\/u>) said his country supported the Secretary-General\u2019s recommendations on sustainable funding to UNRWA. \u00a0He reiterated the need for a two-State solution, as perpetual occupation should not be in the interest of any party, and for a renewed peace effort between Israelis and Palestinians.\u00a0 \u201cThe international community must therefore help break the current deadlock and revive the peace process,\u201d he said, stressing that United States leadership was vital, as was the Arab Peace Initiative, on which any regional effort should be built.\u00a0 He called for a re-engagement with young people, in line with resolution\u00a02250\u00a0(2015), and revival of a public debate on the prospects for a two-State solution. \u00a0In Gaza, Israel\u2019s decision, with the Palestinian Authority\u2019s consent, to reduce electricity could lead to a dangerous situation. \u00a0He urged all Palestinian factions to engage in a reconciliation process that would unify that area. \u00a0Stressing that both parties were obliged to implement resolution\u00a02334\u00a0(2016), he said settlements in occupied territory were a flagrant violation of international law.<\/p>\n

AMR ABDELLATIF ABOULATTA (Egypt<\/u>) said that the meeting represented a fresh appeal for peace and highlighted the need to put an end to the longest-standing occupation in history.\u00a0 The length of that occupation and the lack of justice for the Palestinian people had led many to doubt the effectiveness of international organizations to preserve and uphold the rights enshrined in the Charter and uphold the goals and principles of the Â鶹APP.\u00a0 The Organization\u2019s activities and the Security Council\u2019s actions since the outbreak of the crisis never had the goal of besieging a State or detracting any State\u2019s equal, sovereign standing.\u00a0 Further, the Â鶹APP had never been requested to impose a solution, as doing so would be unrealistic and impossible.\u00a0 Negotiations would be the best means of bringing about a lasting, fair peace in the region.\u00a0 Until an agreement was reached, the Â鶹APP must act as the legitimate guarantor of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.\u00a0 He called on all stakeholders to work to put an end to the military restrictions imposed on UNRWA and to implement relevant resolutions, which was the very least that the international could and should do.\u00a0 He welcomed the initiative by the United States to find a lasting solution to the conflict and would support those efforts.<\/p>\n

SEBASTIANO CARDI (Italy<\/u>) said there was no room for fatalism or resignation, but rather the 50-year anniversary of the 1967\u00a0war should bring forth a sense of resolve in supporting a Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.\u00a0 Peace could only be obtained through direct negotiations between the parties, although the support of other actors was of particular importance, including the role of the Middle East Quartet.\u00a0 The path to peace required the direct involvement of the relevant Arab partners, and in that context, he welcomed the recent announcement of the Arab League on the relaunching of serious negotiations.\u00a0 Resolution\u00a02334\u00a0(2016) clearly stated there was no justification for any acts of violence or terror, nor for incitement for violence.\u00a0 Settlements were an obstacle to the two-State solution and impaired the search for peace.\u00a0 Solid partners and their willingness to make bold decisions were vitally importance, while the humanitarian imperative must also be taken into account.<\/p>\n

FOD\u00c9 SECK (Senegal<\/u>) said that the meeting had provided clarification on the daunting challenges that remained to get the peace process back on track.\u00a0 As tensions were worsening because of no tangible progress in the political process and on the ground, the international community, including the Security Council, had no other alternative but ratcheting up its perseverance and creativity so as to achieve the two-State solution.\u00a0 Senegal believed that peace in the Middle East could be a strong remedy against violent extremism and terrorism, which were scourges that had spread far beyond the region.\u00a0 His delegation welcomed the actions of Israeli and Palestinian civil society to create greater mutual understanding between peoples.\u00a0 The tenuous situation in Gaza impacted some 2\u00a0million people, he noted, half of whom were children.\u00a0 In that regard, he called on Palestinian leaders to find a lasting solution to issues related to the availability of water, sanitation and electricity in Gaza, where the humanitarian and socioeconomic situation was already most difficult.<\/p>\n

FRAN\u00c7OIS DELATTRE (France<\/u>) said that the current picture that had been painted of the region was a very bleak one.\u00a0 Any escalation of the conflict was a harbinger of uncontrolled regional destabilization, which was why the international community could not sit idly by and accept the current status quo, which only served to conceal the daily horrors on the ground.\u00a0 The current painful situation had gone on for far too long for the Palestinians, who for decades had been denied their right to statehood.\u00a0 The recent announcement of new settlements was troubling and was pushing the conflict to the \u201cpoint of no return\u201d.\u00a0 The situation was forcing parties to review the likelihood of a two-State solution being achieved, although the reality was that there was no other viable solution to the conflict.\u00a0 The situation in Gaza was of great concern, and in that context, Israel must roll back the restrictions of goods and services that were in place.\u00a0 France was a friend of both the Israelis and the Palestinians and in that regard, his country felt it could speak to both frankly when calling for them to return to the negotiating table.<\/p>\n

VOLODYMYR YELCHENKO (Ukraine<\/u>) said the principle of a two-State solution, with Israel and Palestine coexisting in peace, retained its validity despite well-known difficulties in overcoming obstacles. \u00a0Both parties had a long road before them in finding a solution to the conflict. \u00a0However, there was some good news. \u00a0For the past two months, a number of high profile visits to Israel and the Arab world had brought hope.\u00a0 Perhaps the groundwork had been laid out to provide the necessary impetus to restart the negotiating process. \u00a0Now the parties involved must seize the opportunity. \u00a0They must avoid setting conditions and waiting for the other side to make unilateral concessions. \u00a0Moves to reignite the political track must be reciprocal, he stressed.\u00a0 He also commended the recent meeting between top Palestinian and Israeli officials during which the two sides agreed on a number of economic and development measures to improve living conditions in the Palestinian territories.<\/p>\n

TEKEDA ALEMU (Ethiopia<\/u>) said that, 50\u00a0years on, the Council and the international community could not claim to have done enough.\u00a0 \u201cWe have all failed,\u201d he said.\u00a0 The two-State solution was the only viable option, but peace remained elusive, to the detriment of Israelis and Palestinians, as well as to regional stability.\u00a0 It was imperative for the two sides to resume direct and meaningful negotiations, he said, adding that the Council had a duty and responsibility to support and encourage such talks.\u00a0 Losing the opportunity to realize the two-State solution would be a tragedy of historic proportions and the Council had a responsibility to ensure that that did not happen.<\/p>\n

SACHA SERGIO LLORENTTY SOL\u00cdZ (Bolivia<\/u>), Council President for June, spoke in his national capacity, saying the only alternative for a fair and lasting peace was through direct negotiations using existing mechanisms enshrined in the Charter and in Council resolutions.\u00a0 Through its resolution\u00a0242\u00a0(1967), the Council had made it clear that an Israeli withdrawal from occupied lands was the key requirement for peace. \u00a0Over the years, there had been many attempts to resolve the conflict, he said, citing the Camp David accords, the Madrid conference, the Oslo agreement, the Arab Peace Initiative and the Quartet road map, in addition to bilateral efforts.\u00a0 Reading at length from the statement on the Middle East agreed at the seventeenth summit of the Non-Aligned Movement leaders, he said today\u2019s meeting should be seen not only as an appeal for peace, but also as recognition of a collective failure by the Council and the international community, during which both the Palestinian and Israeli peoples \u2014 who wished to live in peace and security\u00a0\u2014 had been let down.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/form>\n

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For information media. Not an official record.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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