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STORY: UN / PALESTINE ISRAEL
TRT: 02:50
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / ARABIC / NATS
DATELINE: 20 NOVEMBER 2019, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations headquarters
20 NOVEMBER 2019, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. Med shot, Nikolay Mladenov addressing Council
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Nikolay Mladenov, United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process:
“We regret the announcement made on 18 November by the United States that it no longer views settlements as inconsistent with international law. The United Nations position remains unchanged. As per UN Security Council Resolution 2334, Israeli settlement activities are a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-state solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace.”
5. Med shot, Israeli Ambassador
6. Med shot, Mladenov and Palestinian Ambassador
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Cherith Norman Chalet, Acting Deputy Representative of the United States to the United Nations:
“It is the position of the United States that the establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in the West Bank is not per se inconsistent with international law. We believe that this complex political problem can only be resolved through direct negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis. I’d like to be clear on our decision, the US Government is expressing no view on the particular legal status of any individual settlement, nor are we are addressing or prejudging the ultimate status of the West Bank, that is for Israelis and Palestinians to decide.”
8. Med shot, delegates
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations:
“The United States administration once again makes another illegal announcement on Israeli settlements in order to sabotage any chance to achieve peace, security, and civility in our region for our people. We strongly reject and condemn this unlawful and irresponsible declaration. We consider it to be null, legally, politically, historically, and morally, and it has no value.”
10. Med shot, US Ambassador
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Danny Danon, Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations:
“We hope that the rest of the international community will find the courage to review the US policy with an unbiased eye. Judea and Samaria are inseparable parts of the Jewish people’s homeland. It is not a recent development or claim, but a historical truth that will never again be denied. The US’s announcement reaffirms that Security Council resolution 2334 was based on political motives and resulted in prolonging the conflict.”
12. Med shot, delegates
13. Wide shot, Council
Addressing the Security Council, the Special Coordinator for the Middle East, Nickolay Mladenov, today (20 Nov) said, “we regret the announcement made on 18 November by the United States that it no longer views settlements as inconsistent with international law” and reaffirmed that the United Nations position “remains unchanged.”
Mladenov said, “as per UN Security Council Resolution 2334, Israeli settlement activities are a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-state solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace.”
Reversing decades of US policy, the Trump administration on Monday (18 Nov) made the announcement that it no longer views settlements as inconsistent with international law.
United States Ambassador Cherith Norman Chalet told the Council that “this complex political problem can only be resolved through direct negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis” and made clear that “the US Government is expressing no view on the particular legal status of any individual settlement, nor are we are addressing or prejudging the ultimate status of the West Bank.”
Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour, for his part said, “the United States administration once again makes another illegal announcement on Israeli settlements in order to sabotage any chance to achieve peace, security, and civility in our region for our people.”
He said the declaration by the US government was “unlawful and irresponsible” and to be considered “null, legally, politically, historically, and morally, and it has no value.”
Finally, Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon said, “we hope that the rest of the international community will find the courage to review the US policy with an unbiased eye.”
He stressed that Judea and Samaria “are inseparable parts of the Jewish people’s homeland” and added that this is “a historical truth that will never again be denied.”
Danon said, “the US’s announcement reaffirms that Security Council resolution 2334 was based on political motives and resulted in prolonging the conflict.”
Security Council Resolution 2334, adopted in 2016, reaffirmed that Israel’s establishment of settlements in Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, had no legal validity, constituting a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the vision of two States living side-by-side in peace and security, within internationally recognized borders.
