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STORY: UN / MIDDLE EAST
TRT: 2.41
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/ NATS
DATELINE: 26 JULY 2011, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations headquarters
26 JULY 2011, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. Med shot, delegates
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert H. Serry, United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process:
“The political process to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is in profound and persistent deadlock. Efforts to find the necessary common ground for resumed negotiations have proven extremely difficult, given the differences and lack of trust between the parties. Political leaders on both sides are frustrated, as are their publics.”
5. Med shot, delegates
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert H. Serry, United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process:
“The World Bank, the IMF, and my own office, UNSCO, have all acknowledged the unprecedented achievements of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. The Palestinian Authority has, in key areas, reached a level of institutional performance sufficient for a functioning state. The Palestinian Authority is ready to assume the responsibilities of statehood at any point in the near future.”
7. Med shot, delegates
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Werner Hoyer, Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office of Germany:
“Germany supports the establishment of a Palestinian State. As a matter of course such a State will become a member of the United Nations. Progress in this direction is a matter of urgency. Palestinians and Israelis have been waiting for too long to see the conflict end. But there is no viable or acceptable alternative to negotiations. Only negotiations will end the occupation and can provide a solution to the core issues.”
9. Wide shot, Security Council
10. Wide shot, Ambassador Prosor walks to the stakeout position
FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY
11. Pan right, reporters’ notepads
26 JULY 2011, NEW YORK CITY
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Ron Prosor, Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations:
“I think that we have to, very clearly, get the Palestinians off the bandwagon of unilateralism and back to the hard work of, which is really hard work, of direct negotiations in trying to achieve peace between both sides.”
FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY
13. Close up, reporter’s laptop
26 JULY 2011, NEW YORK CITY
14. Zoom out, Ambassador Prosor walks away from the stakeout position
FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY
15. Close up, reporter’s laptop
26 JULY 2011, NEW YORK CITY
16. Wide shot, Ambassador Mansour walks to the stakeout position
FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY
17. Pan right, reporters’ notepads
26 JULY 2011, NEW YORK CITY
18. SOUNDBITE (English) Riyad H. Mansour, Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations:
“Our ultimate objective is to have admission at the United Nations. The road to admission could be the expressway and could be the local road. Either way, we are moving in that direction because the ultimate objective will be admission.”
FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY
19. Close up, reporter’s notepad
26 JULY 2011, NEW YORK CITY
20. Wide shot, Ambassador Mansour walks away from the stakeout position
The political process to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is in “profound and persistent” deadlock, a senior United Nations envoy warned today (26 July), calling on the parties to work towards a two-State solution and on the international community to help them find a credible way forward.
Robert Serry, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East peace process, told a meeting of the Security Council that efforts to find the necessary common ground for resumed negotiations have proven extremely difficult, “given the differences and lack of trust between the parties.”
He added that “political leaders on both sides are frustrated, as are their publics.”
The envoy noted that both Palestinian and Israeli leaders continue to reiterate their desire to negotiate. However, in the absence of a framework for meaningful talks, and with Israeli settlement activity continuing, the Palestinians are actively exploring approaching the UN in order to be admitted as a Member State.
Noting the gains made in the West Bank, Serry said that the Palestinian Authority has, in key areas, reached a level of institutional performance sufficient for a functioning state and is ready to “assume the responsibilities of statehood” at any point in the near future.
Werner Hoyer, Minister of State of Germany, which holds the presidency of the Security Council for the month of July, said that his country supports the establishment of a Palestinian State and “as a matter of course such a State will become a member of the United Nations.”
However, he stressed that “there is no viable or acceptable alternative to negotiations” as “only negotiations will end the occupation and can provide a solution to the core issues.”
Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have been stalled since late September following Israel’s refusal to extend a 10-month freeze on settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory.
That decision prompted Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to withdraw from direct talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which had only resumed a few weeks earlier after a two-year hiatus.
Outside the Council, Israeli Ambassador Ron Prosor told reporters that the Palestinians have to “get off the bandwagon of unilateralism and back to the hard work” of direct negotiations.
Palestinian Ambassador Riyad H. Mansour said that the Palestinian’s “ultimate objective” is to have admission at the United Nations.
He said that “the road to admission could be the expressway and could be the local road” but either way, “we are moving in that direction
Meanwhile, on the ground, demolitions of Palestinian structures have surged, settlement activity continues and the calm between Israel and Gaza that was restored in early April has been challenged by the firing of rockets into Israel and air strikes and incursions carried out by Israel in Gaza.
