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STORY: UN / MIDDLE EAST
SOURCE: UNTV
TRT: 2.50
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/ NATS
DATELINE: 23 JUNE 2011, NEW YORK CITY/ FILE
FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY
1.Wide shot, exterior UN building
23 JUNE 2011, NEW YORK CITY
2.Wide shot, Security Council
3.SOUNDBITE (English) Lynn Pascoe, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs:
“With both the Palestinians and Israel stressing their desire to negotiate, President Obama’s speech contained ideas that the international community can rally behind to offer a framework to resume talks and seek an agreement. The Secretary-General looks forward to the Quartet giving impetus to this objective through a meeting at Principals level soon. But what is more important is that the leaders on the ground rise to the challenge. They face political risks and there are many questions in the minds of their publics. There is also a gulf of confidence between the parties. But we appeal to them to return to negotiations in the interests of their respective peoples, without further delay and to negotiate seriously in order to reach an agreement.”
4.Zoom out, Security Council
5.Wide shot, Prosor walks to the stakeout position
6.SOUNDBITE (English) Ron Prosor, Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations:
“Israel is determined to stop this flotilla. We have to right to exert, in self defence, a naval blockade. Why do we have this right? Because we have seen in the past with the last ship, Victoria, which was full of ammunition, shore-to-sea missiles and other stuff, what those weapons can do. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand that those rockets at the end of the day fall on our head and that we have the right to defend ourselves.”
7.Med shot, journalists
8.Wide shot, Prosor walks away from the stakeout position
FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY
9.Close up, camera
23 JUNE 2011, NEW YORK CITY
10.Wide shot, Mansour walks to the stakeout position
11.SOUNDBITE (English) Riyad H. Mansour, Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations:
“You cannot only talk about one aspect and that there is a call by the international community in one direction and you forget about the many other calls of the international community regarding many things including the source of this tragedy in Gaza which is the continuous blockade against our people, the 1.5 million people in the Gaza Strip.”
12.Med shot, journalists
13.SOUNDBITE (English) Riyad H. Mansour, Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations:
“If we reach more than two third majority, and we are going to reach two third majority of the General Assembly before September, then we want to know, if there is a position in the Security Council of depriving us of our natural right and legal right to join the community of nations as a state, what would be the argument if more than two third majority of nations are supporting us in that endeavour?”
14.Med shot, journalists
15.Wide shot, Mansour walks away from the stakeout position
The Security Council today (23 June) heard its regular briefing on the Middle East from Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe, who informed the Council that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is increasingly worried about the impasse in Israeli-Palestinian talks.
Pascoe said that, with both the Palestinians and Israel “stressing their desire to negotiate”, United States President Barack Obama’s recent speech “contained ideas that the international community can rally behind to offer a framework to resume talks and seek an agreement.”
He pointed out that the Secretary-General looks forward to the Quartet “giving impetus to this objective through a meeting at Principals level soon.”
Regarding reports that a new flotilla is planned in the next few days, Pascoe reiterated the strong view of the United Nations that assistance for the population of Gaza should be delivered through official crossings.
Outside the Security Council, new Israeli Ambassador Ron Prosor told journalists that “Israel is determined to stop this flotilla” by exerting a naval blockade.
He noted that a previous aid ship to Gaza, the Victoria, “was full of ammunition” and added that “you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand that those rockets at the end of the day fall on our head and that we have the right to defend ourselves.”
He stressed the support given by the international community to stop the flotilla.
Palestinian Ambassador Riyad H. Mansour, also addressing the press, retorted that Israel forgets about “the many other calls of the international community regarding many things including the source of this tragedy in Gaza which is the continuous blockade against our people, the 1.5 million people in the Gaza Strip.”
With regards to the Palestinian Authority intention to bring up a vote on Palestinian statehood in the General Assembly in September, Mansour questioned “if there is a position in the Security Council of depriving us of our natural right and legal right to join the community of nations as a state, what would be the argument if more than two third majority of nations are supporting us in that endeavour?”
UN Membership requires an affirmative recommendation by the Security Council and as well as a two-third majority vote in the General Assembly.
