Statement by Mr.Dmitry Polyansky, First Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations, at the Security Council on the Middle East, includingthe Paletinian question
I would like to begin by expressing my condolences to the families of the Palestinians who were killed in the Gaza Strip and wishing a speedy recovery to the wounded. We mourn together with the Palestinian people. We are grateful to Special Coordinator Nickolay Mladenov for his substantive briefing.
Moscow is deeply concerned about the escalation of tension in the occupied Palestinian territories, which reached a dangerous level against the background of the ceremony marking the beginning of the transfer of the American Embassy from Tel Aviv, which coincided with Palestinians’ commemoration of their day of catastrophe or Nakba.
The number of victims is seriously worrying and we share the feelings expressed by our Security Council colleagues about it. Security Council resolutions state unambiguously that all issues related to a definitive settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian situation can be resolved only through a direct dialogue between the leadership of Israel and Palestine.
We believe that this also applies to Jerusalem, a city that should remain open to all representatives of the three monotheistic religions. Unilateral actions revising agreements affirmed decisions of the international community have become alarmingly frequent. It is obvious to us that they cannot contribute to achieving a just and lasting peace or, where a settlement in the Middle East is concerned, to realizing the national aspirations of the Palestinians and ensuring Israel’s security.
Unfortunately, those who undertake such actions are not only demonstrating that they are unwilling to see reason and stop, they are actively trying to provoke yet more States, increasing the risk of involving them in the destructive conflict in the Middle East. We reaffirm the right to peaceful protest and firmly condemn the indiscriminate use of force against civilians.
We urge the parties to refrain from steps that could make the situation worse. The current events have once again shown that in the continuing political vacuum of the past four years or so, the calls for violent solutions and the revision of previously reached agreements are reverberating with an evermore destructive resonance. They are exacting a real price, expressed in human lives, tears, ruined lives and dashed hopes.
However, that does not stop the irresponsible politicians. The result is a vicious cycle of violence that begets violence. In these explosive circumstances, we see the urgency of mobilizing the efforts of the international community to relaunch the political process between Palestinians and Israelis on the international legal basis that we are all familiar with, including the relevant resolutions of the Security Council and the principles of the Arab Peace Initiative, which should enable the establishment of a two-State formula and the creation of an independent and a sovereign Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital. For our part, we will continue to consistently work to promote an IsraeliPalestinian settlement based on a two-State format approved by the international community.
Russia has proposed its services as a mediator several times and has offered to host a summit between the leaders of Palestine and Israel in order to start a direct dialogue. The offer still stands. As recent events have shown, a vacuum in constructive international efforts is extremely dangerous. In particular, we think it is the right time to reactivate the engagement of the Middle East Quartet of international mediators, which, whatever anyone may say, remains a unique universal mediation format supported by Security Council resolutions.
We welcome and support the inclusion in a Middle East settlement of constructively minded regional players, especially Egypt. We underscore the importance of the work being done by the United Nations and its specialized agencies in the occupied Palestinian territories and refugee camps. The support provided to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East continues to be indispensable.
To sum up, we would like to note the following. Despite some international actors’ ambitious plans and grandiose projects, neither the world generally nor the Middle East in particular has become any safer in recent years. There have been many unilateral actions that have flown in the face of international law and have only worsened the trends towards destabilization.
The current situation in the Palestinian territories is a clear example of the fact that the situation is going in the wrong direction. In the past few days, unfortunately, our feeling that those who are taking these steps have no intention of changing their direction has strengthened.
