Security Council

8183rd Security Council Meeting: Situation in Middle East, Including Palestinian Question

Palestinian president presents plan to relaunch peace talks with Israel, says new multilateral mechanism should guide process, in briefing to Security Council at 8183rd meeting.
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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, briefing the Security Council this morning, outlined a new proposal to relaunch peace talks with Israel — including the rapid convening of an international summit on the matter, and the subsequent creation of a multilateral mechanism to guide the process — while also demanding that the United States reverse its decision to transfer its embassy to Jerusalem.

“We come here before your august Council in the midst of deadlock on the peace process due to the United States decision regarding Jerusalem, Israel’s ongoing illegal settlement activities, its violation of the resolutions of the Council and its disrespect of signed agreements,” said Mr. Abbas, describing decades of Palestinian commitment to peaceful negotiations. Israel’s intransigence had led to the failure of each of those efforts, he said, adding that the country had transformed its once-temporary occupation into a permanent situation of colonization and apartheid.

Against that backdrop, he proposed a new plan — underpinned by several concrete requirements — to address the problems that had consistently undermined efforts towards peace. First, he called for the convening of an international peace conference by mid-2018 with broad international participation, whose outcomes must include the State of Palestine’s recognition as a full member of the United Nations and a guarantee of international protection for its people; mutual recognition between the States of Palestine and Israel based on 1967 borders; and the formation of an international mechanism to assist in negotiations to resolve the permanent status issues as defined in the 1993 Oslo Accord.

A second element of the plan, he said, would require all parties to refrain from unilateral actions during the negotiation period. First and foremost must be the cessation of settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the suspension of the United States decision to transfer its embassy to Jerusalem. Third, the Arab Peace Initiative — as adopted and endorsed — must be implemented, resulting, among other things, in the recognition of East Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Palestine and an open city for the faithful of the three monotheistic religions.

Noting that United States President Donald Trump had yet to clarify whether he was for or against a two-State solution — despite having held four meetings with the Palestinian leadership in 2017 — he described the decision to take the issue of Jerusalem “off the table” by recognizing the city as Israel’s capital and transferring its embassy there as both unprecedented and dangerous.

António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, said in opening remarks that “there is no Plan B” in lieu of a political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The global consensus for a two-State solution could be eroding and obstacles on the ground could potentially create an irreversible one-State reality. It was impossible to square the circle of a one-State reality with the legitimate aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians, he stressed, appealing to the international community to step up its support for the region’s stability and the security, rights and dignity of the 5 million Palestinian refugees.

Nickolay Mladenov, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, echoed concerns that “the enemies of peace are growing more confident by the day”. The international community must reaffirm that sustainable peace required a two-State solution that could only be achieved through a negotiated solution, he said, also calling for an end to Israeli settlement expansion and for policy shifts that were consistent with a transition to greater Palestinian civil authority.

For its part, he said, the Palestinian Authority must continue to advance institution-building and service delivery to its people and bring the Gaza Strip — led by Hamas for the last decade — back under its control. Maintaining support for Palestine refugees was fundamental, he added, reiterating concern over the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East’s (UNRWA) sizeable funding shortfall and encouraging Member States to urgently consider providing the Agency with new funding to support the estimated 1.5 million highly vulnerable people in need.

Israel’s representative, voicing regret that Mr. Abbas had quickly exited the Chamber without engaging in dialogue, said direct negotiations were the only path to peace. Mr. Abbas was inspiring “a culture of hate within Palestinian society” and had spent, in 2017, $345 million for terrorists to kill innocent Israelis — money that could have been spent to build schools and hospitals.

Emphasizing that Mr. Abbas did not actually want to negotiate peace with Israel, he said that while the current United States Administration was working hard to make progress, the Palestinians were using the decision to move its embassy as yet another excuse to reject negotiations. Israel would always insist on its sovereignty over a united Jerusalem. “After all these years of Abbas’s rejectionism, one thing is very clear: when we extend a hand, Abbas extends a fist,” he said. Only when the terrorists of Hamas extended a hand did Mr. Abbas embrace them with open arms.

The representative of the United States, also expressing regret that Mr. Abbas had left the Chamber before the discussion, described as “flawed” Council resolution 2334 (2016), which had reaffirmed Israel’s settlement expansion in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as illegal and invalid. Indeed, Israel would not be pushed into a deal by damaging its own interests. The United States recognized the suffering of the Palestinian people and offered an “outstretched hand” to its leadership, she said, calling for peace. Regarding her country’s decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem, she declared that “you don’t have to like it, but that position won’t change” and emphasized that the choice at hand was between hate and resuming negotiations to improve Palestinian lives.

Bolivia’s representative, noting that Israel’s expansionist policies violated international law and continued to suffocate Palestinians “day in and day out”, said the situation had grown more alarming against the backdrop of significant reductions to UNRWA’s resources. Decrying those cuts as a “blatant move to politicize the safety and security of millions of Palestinian refugees”, he drew attention to the critical situations of several individual Palestinian civilians — including that of the 17-year-old girl Ahed Tamimi — noting that Israel was the only country of the world that tried children in military courts.

France’s representative was among other speakers voicing support for renewed negotiations based on internationally agreed parameters, including respect for pre-1967 borders and putting an end to Israeli settlement construction. Emphasizing that the status of Jerusalem could only be determined by both parties, he welcomed Mr. Abbas’ proposal, stressing that the only option was a two-State solution. Providing a political horizon that would restore hope to Israelis and Palestinians, and the revival of the possibility of resuming negotiations, was critical.

Also speaking were the representatives of the Russian Federation, Sweden, Kazakhstan, United Kingdom, Equatorial Guinea, Poland, China, Côte d’Ivoire, Peru, Netherlands, Ethiopia and Kuwait.

The meeting began at 10:11 a.m. and ended at 1:05 p.m.

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