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UN / MIDDLE EAST
STORY: UN / MIDDLE EAST
TRT: 2.21
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/ NATS
DATELINE: 25 AUGUST 2011, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations headquarters
25 AUGUST 2011, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. Med shot, delegates
4. SOUNDBITE (English) B. Lynn Pascoe, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs:
“Ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and establishing an independent and viable State of Palestine living side by side with Israel in peace and security are long overdue. In a rapidly changing regional context, serious progress towards this goal is urgent. The deadlines that were set a year ago with respect to resolving all permanent status issues and completing the Palestinian state-building agenda are upon us. However, despite continued efforts to assist Israel and the Palestinians in finding a way back to the negotiation table, the political deadlock persists.”
5. Med shot, delegates
6. SOUNDBITE (English) B. Lynn Pascoe, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs:
“With no political breakthrough and with Israeli settlement activity continuing, the Palestinian leadership confirmed its intention to approach the United Nations in September. On 28 July, the PLO Executive Committee announced its support to the leadership’s intention to go to the UN General Assembly and Security Council.”
7. Med shot, delegates
8. SOUNDBITE (English) B. Lynn Pascoe, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs:
“In a development that is a source of serious concern, the Government of Israel has announced a series of new settlement expansion in the West Bank. In total, some 5,200 units are planned in occupied East Jerusalem. 277 units were also approved in the West Bank settlement of Ariel – the largest number approved outside East Jerusalem in a single settlement by the current Government. The Secretary-General reiterated that settlement activity in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is contrary to international law.”
9. Med shot, delegates
10. SOUNDBITE (English) B. Lynn Pascoe, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs:
“President Assad remained silent on the violence committed against civilians, continuing to blame the violence on armed attacks against Army, police and security posts. He also outlined a timetable for the political reforms announced earlier, including parliamentary elections by February 2012 and a revision of the constitution. However, the failure to rein in security forces undermined the credibility of such announcements and the international community has remained quite sceptical.”
11. Zoom out, Security Council
The recent serious escalation of violence in southern Israel and the Gaza Strip makes it ever more urgent to break the deadlock in the Middle East peace talks, the top United Nations political official warned today (25 August).
Referring to the internationally sponsored Road Map peace plan, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe told the Security Council that “ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and establishing an independent and viable State of Palestine living side by side with Israel in peace and security are long overdue.”
He added that “in a rapidly changing regional context, serious progress towards this goal is urgent” and noted that although the September deadline set a year ago for resolving all the core issues was at hand, differences between the two sides remained profound and mistrust was increasing.
Pascoe cited recent examples of the ongoing violence, including the recent terrorist attack near the port of Eilat in which eight Israelis died and five Egyptians were subsequently killed; air strikes on Gaza that killed 19 people, including three civilians, and wounded 30, after Israel attributed the Eilat attack to a Palestinian group based there; and indiscriminate firing of more than 100 rockets and projectiles by Gaza militants that killed an Israeli civilian and wounded 27.
The Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs pointed out that “with no political breakthrough and with Israeli settlement activity continuing” the Palestinian leadership has confirmed its intention to approach the United Nations in September for full membership as an independent state.
Pascoe noted that the Government of Israel has announced a series of new settlement expansion in the West Bank, which he said was “a source of serious concern” and “contrary to international law.”
The Palestinians have refused to resume negotiations with Israel unless there is a complete halt to settlement building on the occupied land that they want for their future State, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and intend to ask the UN General Assembly and Security Council next month to recognize such a State and grant it full UN membership, a move Israel opposes.
Turning to Syria, where UN human rights officials say the Government’s violent crackdown on its own people during months of protests may amount to crimes against humanity, he reiterated concerns that President Bashar al-Assad had not kept his word to engage in meaningful reforms.
Pascoe said that President Assad has “remained silent on the violence committed against civilians, continuing to blame the violence on armed attacks against Army, police and security posts” and that the international community “has remained quite sceptical” about his promises of reform.
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