UN / PALESTINE

Briefing the Security Council via video link from Jerusalem today, Nickolay Mladenov, Special Coordinator for the Middle East peace process said Israel’s “settlement activities are illegal under international law” and “are one of the main obstacles to peace.” UNIFEED

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:01:38
• Production Date: 16 February 2017
• Asset Language: English
• Personal Subject: NICKOLAY MLADENOV
• Corporate Name: SECURITY COUNCIL
• Subject Topical: PEACE PROCESS
• Geographic Subject: ISRAEL; PALESTINE
• MAMS Id: 1832562
• Parent Id: 1832562
• Alternate Title: unifeed170216a

Description

STORY: UN / PALESTINE
TRT: 1:38
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH /NATS

DATELINE: 16 FEBRUARY 2017, NEW YORK CITY

Shotlist

RECENT - NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, flags outside UN Headquarters

16 FEBRUARY 2017, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, Security Council Chamber
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Nickolay Mladenov, Special Coordinator for the Middle East peace process:
“Its passage marks a significant shift in Israel's position concerning the legal status of the West Bank and the applicability of Israeli law therein. It contravenes international law and according to the Israeli Attorney General it is also unconstitutional. It is expected that the Supreme Court of Israel will rule on its constitutionality soon. If the law stays in place, it will have far-reaching consequences for Israel, while seriously undermining prospects for the two-state solution and for Arab-Israeli peace.”
4. Cutaway, Israel’s delegation
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Nickolay Mladenov, Special Coordinator for the Middle East peace process:
“Settlement activities are illegal under international law, as stated by the Middle East Quartet, they are one of the main obstacles to peace. All core issues should be resolved between the parties through direct negotiations on the basis of relevant Security Council resolutions and mutual agreements.”
6. Cutaway, Palestine’s delegation
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Nickolay Mladenov, Special Coordinator for the Middle East peace process:
“The two-state solution remains the only way to achieve the legitimate national aspirations of both peoples. Israel can take the necessary steps to stop settlement expansion and construction in order to preserve this prospect, while the Palestinian leadership can demonstrate their commitment to tackling the challenges of violence and incitement on their side. This will create an environment that will facilitate bilateral final status negotiations that the international community can support.”
8. Wide shot, Security Council meeting

Storyline

The UN's Special Coordinator for the Middle East peace process Nickolay Mladenov briefed the Security Council members via video link from Jerusalem today (16 Feb).

Talking about the so-called “Regularization Law” adopted by the Israeli Parliament February 6, which enables the use of privately owned Palestinian land for Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank without the owners' consent, the Special Coordinator said “if the law stays in place, it will have far-reaching consequences for Israel, while seriously undermining prospects for the two-state solution and for Arab-Israeli peace.”

Mladenov said “settlement activities are illegal under international law, as stated by the Middle East Quartet; they are one of the main obstacles to peace.”

He also said “the two-state solution remains the only way to achieve the legitimate national aspirations of both peoples.”

Mladenov advised that Israel can “take the necessary steps to stop settlement expansion and construction” in order to preserve the prospect of the two-state solution, while the Palestinian leadership can “demonstrate their commitment to tackling the challenges of violence and incitement on their side.”

These efforts would, according to Mladenov, “create an environment that will facilitate bilateral final status negotiations that the international community can support.”