Statement by Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia at UNSC meeting on the situation in the Middle East including the Palestinian question
Mr. President,
We thank UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East T.Wennesland and UNRWA Commissioner-General P.Lazzarini for their briefings on the situation in the Palestinian territories. We also listened carefully to the statement of Professor Khalidi.
Our today’s discussion of the situation in the Middle East convenes against the backdrop of tragic events that claimed lives of 230 Palestinians (including 66 children) and 12 Israelis. We express our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved and all those who were injured. The population of Gaza Strip needs urgent humanitarian assistance, including the recovery of infrastructure. UNRWA can play a key role here. We support the activity of the Agency and hope that its financing will be stable amidst the current complicated circumstances.
We were relieved and glad to learn that ceasefire was established in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone. From the very start we have worked energetically to ensure cessation of hostilities, and engaged in intense contacts with major regional partners. We actively used communication channels established within the Quartet of international mediators for the Middle East. We thank all those who took part in this process. We specifically highlight the mediation of the leadership of Egypt and Qatar. The United Nations, and its Special Coordinator Wennesland also made a solid contribution to the de-escalation.
Mr. President,
There is no armed action in progress either in Palestine or in Israel today. However it does not mean that we can put aside the Palestinian question to try to solve it later. Unfortunately, history proves again that this problem is central for the entire Middle Eastern region, and the whole world at large. This is not a metaphor or an overstatement. We all saw the sensitive reaction of the Muslim Ummah to what happened in East Jerusalem around Al-Aqsa mosque.
It is obvious that unless all final status issues are resolved, there will be no peace in the Middle East. In order to prevent recurrence of armed confrontation, the international and regional efforts must focus on creating conditions for re-launching direct Palestinian-Israeli talks on the basis of UN resolutions and the principle of two states, Palestine and Israel, living side by side in peace and security within the 1967 borders. One of the factors that will help create such conditions is rejection of unilateral steps, including settlement activity, and provocations that antagonize the sides every time. Israel’s security concerns must be duly accounted for. It’s important to work on restoring Palestinian unity on the basis of PLO platform. The status quo of Jerusalem’s holy sites must be preserved. We commend the special role that the Jordan monarchy plays in this regard.
Mr.President,
Active discussion of the Palestinian question that has taken place in the recent weeks in the Security Council and the General Assembly demonstrated that the international community is united in its understanding of the ultimate goal of this settlement, and of its legal framework. This unity must be preserved, i.a. among the Security Council members. The proclaimed support must now translate into targeted action. We proceed from the assumption that this set of problems cannot be resolved unilaterally. We need to act together and commit to shared efforts. Therefore we once again suggest that our colleagues, including our colleagues in the Quartet, consider our proposal to hold a four-partite ministerial meeting, that should also include an extended session, which will bring together representatives of the regional states, as well as Palestinians and Israelis. We stand ready to consider all the views and proposals on this matter. The sooner we begin our collective work, the more stable the situation in the region will be.
Thank you.
