CONFLICT – UN ENVOY
A senior United Nations official today called for "credible and
effective international intervention" to break the impasse in peace
talks between Israel and the Palestinians, noting that a negotiated
solution would help stabilize a Middle East currently in ferment.
"I must in all frankness report low confidence and trust of the
parties in each other and in international efforts to help them
overcome their differences," UN Special Coordinator for the Middle
East Peace Process Robert Serry told the Security Council in a regular
monthly briefing.
"Since our last meeting, the Middle East has been witnessing dramatic
political transformations – but stagnation in the Israeli-Palestinian
negotiations," he said in a reference to the popular uprisings that
have already ousted Presidents Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and Zine El
Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia, and have roiled a host of other countries
from Algeria and Libya in the west to Yemen and Bahrain in the east.
"The parties are unlikely to overcome the deficit of trust without a
credible and effective international intervention in the peace
process."
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas broke off direct talks at the end
of September after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused
to extend a moratorium on settlement building in occupied Palestinian
territory, activity which the world community deems a violation of
international law.
Mr. Serry noted that the diplomatic Quartet of the UN, European Union,
Russia and United States, which seeks to establish a two-State
solution of Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and
security within recognized borders, has set this September as a goal
for achieving this so-called Road Map, and he warned that its
credibility is on the line.
"It is now all the more urgent and crucial that it respond to this
test," he said, adding that the Quartet intends to engage the parties
in serious talks on substance and help them back to the negotiating
table. "I also believe that there should be a readiness to offer more
concrete suggestions for those negotiations if that is what it takes
to enable decisive progress towards peace," he stressed.
"The longer the impasse in talks persists, the greater our concern
that tensions on the ground will unravel modest achievements and stand
in the way of a negotiated solution. Actions that risk prejudging the
outcome of negotiations are particularly unhelpful," he added,
repeating past criticism of Israel's settlement activity and calling
for a complete freeze, including in East Jerusalem.
Mr. Serry also commended the Palestinian Authority's progress with its
state-building agenda in building security forces to maintain law and
order and in economic activity. "With significant achievements
realized over the past years and further reforms underway, it is my
clear view that the strong institutions now established represent the
basis of a state-in-waiting," he said.
Calling for full implementation of steps that Israel has already
agreed on with the Quartet to help improve Palestinian livelihoods and
economic growth both in the West bank and in Gaza, he said more and
speedier Israeli measures were urgently needed to shore up the
state-building effort.
He also called on the international donor community to continue to
provide "critical" support to the Palestinian Authority and buttress
the reform agenda.
On Gaza, he noted an increase in violence, with an escalation of
rocket attacks against Israel and Israeli air attacks against Gaza,
and voiced concern over the continued depressed economic situation in
the strip, which is still subject to an Israeli blockade, albeit eased
but far from meeting the pre-2007 levels of import needs.
On the Syrian front, Mr. Serry voiced concern at a new Israeli
campaign encouraging additional settlements in the occupied Golan
Heights. "We regret the lack of progress towards peace between Israel
and Syria," he said, stressing that the conflict between the two
countries should be resolved on the basis of UN resolutions calling
for withdrawal from occupied land in exchange for peace.
Feb 24 2011 1:10PM
No comments:
Post a Comment