Media Home
UN Web TV
UN Audiovisual Library
UN PhotoUN / MIDDLE EAST WENNESLAND EXIT INTERVIEW
STORY: UN / MIDDLE EAST WENNESLAND EXIT INTERVIEW
TRT: 4:20
SOURCE: UN NEWS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 19 NOVEMBER 2024, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE – NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior, United Nations Headquarters
19 NOVEMBER 2024, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Tor Wennesland United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process at the interview
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Tor Wennesland, United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process:
“Everybody who was involved in this was scrambling. I mean, everybody and nobody had really any kind of clear sense on how to deal with it, whether that was the parties themselves actually, the regional actors and and also the UN. I mean, this was the biggest stress test the UN has been exposed to on this file ever.”
4. Various shots, Tor Wennesland United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process at the interview
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Tor Wennesland, United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process:
“We are at the point where diplomacy has failed in the situation where the geopolitics is superbly difficult. And it has been reflected also in the work of the council and it definitely puts big restraints on the UN and the ability of the UN to conduct its work on the ground.”
6. Wide shot, Tor Wennesland United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process at the interview
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Tor Wennesland, United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process:
“There is nobody who is defining it differently except from those who would like to kill it. And we have that happening as we speak. And my biggest concern is that we are losing the parameters we have been operating under here ever since back to 67 and 73 with the formative resolutions of the Council.”
8. Various shots, Tor Wennesland United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process at the interview
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Tor Wennesland, United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process:
“But now we have an outrage drive to dismantle the institutional structures of what were to become a Palestinian state. And it's happening in with a speed and a drive that I haven't seen before. And the problem with that is that we would have it in our face, if the forces that would like to undermine a two-state solution would be succeeding. So how we are seeing that? Obviously for the UN system, they are struggling with the systemic impacts of that for agencies and the UN as a whole, that is extremely difficult. But we should not forget that actually it is the undermining of the Palestinian capacity to, with support from the international community, strengthen their own ability to run Palestine.”
10. Wide shot, Tor Wennesland United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process at the interview
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Tor Wennesland, United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process:
“I can assure you. Gaza is absolutely a nightmare. And it's in a way terrifying to go in there and see the exposure of the population to what's going on. But there is a fear factor that is very clearly available at the West Bank as well, because they see that the structures are crumbling.
12. Wide shot, Tor Wennesland United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process at the interview
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Tor Wennesland, United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process:
“The Israeli economy is going down and there are tensions in Israel that I have never seen in all my period of work here that are now playing out in front of our eyes. So the whole system, both in Palestine and in Israel is out of balance. And to reset it will take a lot of effort.”
14. Wide shot, Tor Wennesland United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process at the interview
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Tor Wennesland, United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process:
“We are playing a poker game with a young generation that, without any perspective on solutions, can find other ways to get an outlet for their frustration. That is very dangerous and it's dangerous for all.”
16. Wide shot, Tor Wennesland United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process at the interview
On Gaza, the outgoing UN top official for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland said, “diplomacy has failed in the situation where the geopolitics is superbly difficult,” adding that it is reflected in the Security Council and “it definitely puts big restraints on the UN.”
Wennesland spoke to UN News on Tuesday (19 Nov) before his outgoing as the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process.
Speaking about the work of the UN towards peace in the Middle East since 7th of October 2023, Wennesland stated that “this was the biggest stress test the UN has been exposed to on this file ever.”
Asked about two-state solution, the Special Coordinator reaffirmed it can be revived, however, he said, “there is nobody who is defining it differently except from those who would like to kill it.
“My biggest concern is that we are losing the parameters we have been operating under here ever since back to 67 and 73 with the formative resolutions of the Council,” Wennesland continued.
The senior UN official highlighted, “we have an outrage drive to dismantle the institutional structures of what were to become a Palestinian state. And it's happening in with a speed and a drive that I haven't seen before.”
“Obviously for the UN system, they are struggling with the systemic impacts of that for agencies and the UN as a whole, that is extremely difficult. But we should not forget that actually it is the undermining of the Palestinian capacity to, with support from the international community, strengthen their own ability to run Palestine,” Wennesland stated.
The Special Coordinator said, “I can assure you. Gaza is absolutely a nightmare. And it's in a way terrifying to go in there and see the exposure of the population to what's going on. But there is a fear factor that is very clearly available at the West Bank as well, because they see that the structures are crumbling.”
Wennesland also stated, “The Israeli economy is going down and there are tensions in Israel that I have never seen in all my period of work here that are now playing out in front of our eyes.”
“The whole system, both in Palestine and in Israel is out of balance. And to reset it will take a lot of effort,” he reiterated.
The Special Coordinator concluded, “We are playing a poker game with a young generation that, without any perspective on solutions, can find other ways to get an outlet for their frustration. That is very dangerous and it's dangerous for all.”
The Norwegian diplomat took office in 2021 as the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process. His last day in office in Jerusalem is 2 December.
Download
There is no media available to download.
