Middle East Peace Process at Turning Point Between Recommitment and Descent Into Major Bloodshed, United Nations Envoy Tells Security Council

Recent terror attacks and extra judicial executions had brought the Middle East peace process to a standstill, and it was now at a turning point between recommitment by Israelis and Palestinians or further descent into major bloodshed, the United Nations senior envoy for the region told the Security Council today. Terje Roed-Larsen, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, briefing the Council at the outset of an open meeting, said that implementation of the process - known as the Road Map and initiated by the United Nations, European Union, Russian Federation and United States - had never effectively begun, because the original steps had been too slow and incremental and neither Israelis nor Palestinians had addressed the core concerns - terrorism and occupation. ""Bold steps, related to settlements and security"" and involving increased activity by the international community might be necessary to ""jump start"" the process, he said.
Dan Gillerman, Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations, addressing Council members at today's meeting.