Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations

Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations

Statement by First Deputy Permanent Representative Dmitry Polyanskiy at UNSC briefing on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question

Mr.President,

We thank Special Coordinator Tor Wennesland for his report on the implementation of Security Council resolution 2334 about Israeli settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territories.

It was with great concern that we listened to assessments made by the Special Coordinator about the continuing stagnation of the Middle East peace process against the backdrop of increasing unilateral steps by Israel that create irreversible reality on the ground. Such steps include expansion of the illegal settlement activity, persistent practice of violent eviction of the Palestinians, demolition of their houses and expropriation of real estate, that are accompanied by decisions of Israeli leadership to legalize outposts in the OPT.

Since the beginning of this year we have become witnesses to deadly raids by Israel Defense Forces in Jenin, Jericho, Nablus, and Huwar, which killed more than 50 Palestinians, including 18 minors. Against this backdrop, there is a steep increase in attacks by the settlers and disproportionate use of force, whereby civilians on both sides get killed and injured. Reports are coming in daily about arbitrary mass detentions. The situation around the holy sites in Old City Jerusalem remains rather tense, especially now, in the context of the holy month of Ramadan. This being said, we also reconfirm Israel’s right to ensuring security.

In this connection, we call to abstain from the provocative and hateful rhetoric which can only aggravate the situation.  In particular, we consider extremely dangerous and irresponsible the recent statements by Israeli Finance Minister B.Smotrich in Paris, which were offensive to the Palestinian people.

Also, we cannot but be concerned over the fact that Knesset passed draft laws that strip citizenship from Israeli Arabs with subsequent deportation to the OPT for alleged terrorist activities, as well as laws that deny treatment and medical care to Palestinian prisoners.

Unstopping outbreaks of violence in the OPT that happen in parallel to the erosion of the international legal basis for the settlement caused by Israel’s unilateral steps, remind us how dangerous the remaining vacuum in the negotiation process is.

Mr.President,

We must admit that the situation will remain highly explosive until the sides achieve mutually acceptable agreements on all issues of final status on the basis of the universally recognized international legal framework for the Middle East settlement and the two-state formula that we unfailingly support.

In this context, we reiterate our general position, according to which construction of Israeli settlements in the occupied since 1967 Palestinian territory, including Eastern Jerusalem, is a violation of international law and one of the major impediments to resumption of direct Palestinian-Israeli talks, to which there is simply no alternative. At the same time, we attach critical importance to overcoming the internal Palestinian rift, which is not the least reason why the peace process continues to stagnate.

Mr.President,

Lately, it has become obvious that one of the factors that prevents achievement of a just peace for the Palestinians is the actions of the United States that seek to monopolize the peace process and reform it after their own specific gauges by imposing an economic truce on the Palestinians instead of meeting their legitimate aspirations for having an independent state. This once again confirms the inadequacy of the “behind-the-curtain” schemes that Washington promotes and then imposes on parties to conflict while bypassing the UN Security Council and disregarding the internationally recognized decisions.

In conclusion, I would like to reiterate the need for continued comprehensive support for the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, as well as in the neighboring countries through international humanitarian agencies led by UNRWA, whose activities have not only a humanitarian but also a political dimension and produce a wholesome stabilizing effect on Middle Eastern states.

Thank you.

 

Video of the statement