UN / AMRE MOUSSA

Commenting on the Jewish settlements, Secretary-General for the League of Arab States Amre Moussa tells reporters that to negotiate while settlements are being built would be detrimental to the negotiations. UNTV

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:50
• Production Date: 25 September 2009
• Asset Language: Original
• Subject Topical: POLITICAL CONDITIONS; POLITICAL MOVEMENTS; INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS; TERRITORIES OCCUPIED BY ISRAEL
• Geographic Subject: MIDDLE EAST
• MAMS Id: U090925d

Description

STORY: UN / AMRE MOUSSA
TRT: 2.50
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 25 SEPTEMBER 2009, NEW YORK CITY

Shotlist

RECENT 2009, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior, United Nations headquarters

25 SEPTEMBER 2009, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, press conference
3. Cutaway, reporters
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Amre Moussa, Secretary-General, League of Arab States:
“The State of Palestine, a viable State of Palestine, sovereign State of Palestine, as has been mentioned by the President (of the United States) viable State of Palestine is the right goal to pursue. The talks about the main issues that have to be dealt with, Jerusalem, borders, refugees, and so on; they have to form the agenda of any talks to come.”
5. Cutaway, reporters
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Amre Moussa, Secretary-General, League of Arab States:
“To negotiate while settlements are being built, meaning eroding the territories, changing their demographic composition, changing their geographical character would be detrimental to the negotiations. It would determine from minute one that it would lead nowhere as long as these settlements continue in what ever place, in what ever place.”
7. Cutaway, reporters
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Amre Moussa, Secretary-General, League of Arab States:
“What we see is that Israel has decided not to stop building settlements. Israel has decided to take Jerusalem out of the equation, so you cannot ask us to give any concession vis-à-vis this extremely negative policy posture and policy practice that Israel is taking. We never understood that, if there is no concession what so ever-and I use the word concession just in general terms because this is an obligation to stop building settlements and to erase the settlements, they are violation of international law, and we cannot accept a violation. I don’t see the possibility that any power in the world would support building settlements while they know that it is a violation of international law; that is why President Obama is right in saying that they are illegitimate.”
9. Wide shot, press conference
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Amre Moussa, Secretary-General, League of Arab States:
“It is the Arab side, the only side that has introduced an offer to peace, a comprehensive one. The other side never introduced any peace offer. This in itself is very important in the annals of history because if we don’t succeed in solving this problem, the Arab-Israeli problem, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, in the near future it will be a matter of years and years and years.”
11. Cutaway, reporters
12. Wide shot, Amre Moussa leaves press conference room

Storyline

Secretary-General of the League of Arab States Amre Moussa outlined his views today on the situation in the Middle East and the prospects for resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Speaking to reporters at UN headquarters, Moussa gave a positive evaluation of United States (US) President Barack Obama’s statement to the General Assembly this week, saying he had presented a clear framework of US policy in the four main areas of peace, development, environment and disarmament.

In connection with the Middle East, a viable and sovereign State of Palestine -– as mentioned by the President -– was the right goal to pursue.

Responding to numerous questions about the prospects for resolving the Palestinian-Israeli question, he stressed that the main issues -- the status of Jerusalem, borders, and refugees -- should form the agenda of any future talks.

Another crucial question was that of illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. To negotiate while Israel continued to build settlements thereby changing the demographic and geographic character of the Occupied Palestinian Territory –- meant such negotiations would end in failure.

On whether the Arab League would withdraw its initiative, he said that if the Israelis were not prepared to respond, the Arab offer would “stand for history’s sake”. It was a comprehensive proposal for peace, and the other side had never come up with any initiatives of the same magnitude.