YouSaid · the spoken record

Mladenov

lines on the record: 1,041
first: 2013-11-25
most recent: 2020-09-29
sittings or episodes: 54
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Regrettably, during recent operations, one woman caught in the crossfire was killed and 15 people were injured, including four security personnel. The Palestinian Authority has an obligation to maintain law and order, including in the refugee camps, which they continue to do effectively and professionally under very challenging circumstances. It is critical that, should force be used, it be usedjudiciously. Those charged or arrested must be afforded due judicial process and treated equally under Palestinian law. The problems in the camps are a reflection of the deep social economic and political challenges, the resolution of which is not in the hands of the vulnerable Palestine refugees; rather, it is foremost in the hands of Palestinian and Israeli political leaders.”
2016-11-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7820 (2016) · source
“I visited the West Bank city of Nablus twice this month to meet with the Governor, as well as with residents and representatives of the Balata refugee camp. Established in 1950 to serve approximately 5,000 refugees, Balata today is the home of almost 30,000 people, living on just 0.25 square kilometres of land. Some 50 per cent of its residents are reportedly unemployed, the majority of them youths. Poverty and food insecurity rates are the highest in the West Bank. The harsh conditions, combined with regular Israeli incursions and the lack of a permanent home, create the potential for violence. With growing political tension in the West Bank over the past months, we have witnessed a series of clashes between Palestinian security forces and residents of the camp and the nearby old city.”
2016-11-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7820 (2016) · source
“The proponents of the status quo, the critics of the two-State solution, offer no viable alternative that meets the legitimate national and historic aspirations of both Israelis and Palestinians. The alternative is an open-ended occupation, a perpetual conflict that breeds anger among the people of Palestine and Israel and fuels radicals across a Middle East already torn by ethnic and religious strife. Socioeconomic despair, underpinned by the persistent hardships of the occupation and fragile democratic institutions, is affecting stability in the West Bank and threatening to erode the achievements of the Palestinian State-building agenda. The stark reality is most visible in the Palestine refugee camps, which remain a symbol of the failure to produce a sustainable political solution to end the conflict and Palestinian suffering.”
2016-11-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7820 (2016) · source
“Mr. Mladenov: As we sit here today, the continuing status quo in the occupied Palestinian territory reduces the prospect for sustainable and just peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Rarely have the risks to the two-State solution been greater than today. How many times have we said in this Chamber that we must move past the blatant obstructionism, the false starts and the perpetual claims that the time is simply not right for action? Inaction has a cost, one measured in human lives and suffering. The situation on the ground is changing steadily - dangerously - as proponents of Israeli settlement expansion feel emboldened, internal divisions among Palestinians flare up and the prospect of a future Palestinian State comes under threats like never before.”
2016-11-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7820 (2016) · source
“Their actions are dangerous and irresponsible. They are stealing from their own people and risk the lives of Palestinians and Israelis alike. We must all avoid the risk of sleep-walking into another violent conflict, at a time when the region as a whole needs moderate forces to unite and stand up to the radicalization that we see in the Middle East. Gaza's future is inextricably linked to the future of the Palestinian people and their goal of establishing an independent State. But the longer its population continues to suffer under the intolerable weight of Gaza's current dynamics, the further Palestinians are from realizing that objective, and the closer we are, unfortunately, to the next major escalation.”
2016-10-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7792 (2016) · source
“It remains critical that the parties to the Disengagement Agreement maintain liaison with the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, in the first instance, and exercise maximum restraint and refrain from any action that could escalate the situation across the ceasefire line and the already volatile regional environment. Turning back to the question of Palestine, let me conclude my briefing by issuing two warnings. First, to those who believe that the people of Gaza can be punished by closures or by imposing restrictions on the entry of construction materials that are vital for the economy, they should know that the temperature in Gaza is rising. Allow me to also be abundantly clear to those who build tunnels, fire rockets, smuggle military materiel, profit from the black market or seek to create confrontation.”
2016-10-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7792 (2016) · source
“Israel's closure policy and severe restrictions have brought social, cultural and economic interaction between Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank to a virtual standstill. The widening chasm that has emerged between both parts of the occupied Palestinian territory undermines the national State-building enterprise and threatens the very viability of establishing a united Palestinian State as part of a two-State solution. Unity is therefore critical. I encourage Hamas to pursue reconciliation with Fatah in line with PLO principles and to consider redefining its political stance. Turning briefly to the Golan, I remain concerned by the volatile situation which undermines the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement and jeopardizes the ceasefire between Israel and the Syrian Arab Republic.”
2016-10-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7792 (2016) · source
“In addition to the continuing severely restrictive closures, I am concerned by persistent incursions and the almost daily firing and shelling by Israeli forces into Gaza along the fence and at sea. The vicious cycles of conflict in Gaza must end. To do so control of Gaza must return to a Palestinian Government of National Unity, committed to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) principles. The closures on Gaza must also be lifted in line with resolution 1860 (2009). Palestinians and Israelis both deserve the right to lead normal lives in freedom and security, with their human rights respected. Since the takeover of Gaza by Hamas in 2007, 40 per cent of Palestinians living in the occupied territory are beyond the control of the legitimate Palestinian Government.”
2016-10-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7792 (2016) · source
“During the 2014 conflict, Israel discovered and destroyed 14 tunnels crossing into its territory, and in May of this year detected and destroyed two more. Allow me to reiterate the joint position of Russia, the United States, the European Union and the Secretary- General as stated in the Quartet report (S/2016/595, annex). The illicit arms build-up and militant activity in Gaza must be terminated. Such actions increase the risk ofa new escalation of hostilities, keep thousands of people on both sides of the border under constant threat of attack, and undermine the reconstruction process. The militant threat, however, should not serve as an excuse for Israel to indiscriminately harm civilians in Gaza.”
2016-10-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7792 (2016) · source
“At current rates, it will take more than one year to catch up with the backlog of approved projects, and years to address the full housing and reconstruction shortage in Gaza. Those trends are worrying, and I call on the parties to the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism to recommit once again to ensuring its smooth operation. Failing to do that will put in question the viability of the mechanism and undermine the precarious calm in Gaza. According to some estimates, in the past decade militants in Gaza have fired nearly 16,000 rockets and mortars at Israel. Approximately 200 projectiles have been fired since the end ofthe last conflict. While since 2014 there has been little damage or injury, there is an ever-present risk of a potentially catastrophic escalation that neither wants nor needs.”
2016-10-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7792 (2016) · source
“Last week I travelled to Gaza, where I witnessed warehouses empty of construction materials, as the reconstruction process is significantly slowing down due to limitations of imports. No new residential reconstruction projects have been approved since March. In the recent days the approval of some 80 projects, some of which had already been started, has been revoked by Israel. I saw residential buildings half built. I met with families whose projects had been cleared for reconstruction, yet had not received any cement for months. I heard from those who had tried to navigate the web of rules governing the import of materials considered dual-use, with no luck or response. I stand with the people in Gaza who have suffered through conflicts and closures and who continue to face unimaginable suffering.”
2016-10-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7792 (2016) · source
“Fuelling Israeli fears is that Gaza is controlled by a de facto authority whose overtly anti-Semitic charter equates resistance with violence, rejects peaceful solutions and aspires to the obliteration of Israel. Israel accuses Gaza militants of continuously seeking to obtain money and military materiel, including by smuggling in civilian boats, concealing components for the production of rockets inside commercial shipments and diverting construction materials from needy beneficiaries. The United Nations has been informed by Israel of at least 41 serious smuggling attempts that have been intercepted since the beginning of 2016. Although the United Nations lacks the capacity to independently confirm the smuggling accusations, if accurate, they show the intention to continue attacks against Israel.”
2016-10-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7792 (2016) · source
“I am concerned by recent calls by Hamas legislators in Gaza for the Hamas-led Government to resume its work in Gaza. Such a step would seriously undermine the Palestinian Government of National Consensus, and would also make the reconciliation almost impossible. In August I raised United Nations and international concerns about the steady continuation of Israel's policy of expanding its presence in the occupied West Bank (see S/PV.7762). Today I wish to discuss another impediment to a negotiated solution - the security, humanitarian and political situation in Gaza. Three deadly conflicts in the past eight years have eroded both Palestinian beliefthat Israel wants anything more than Gaza's destruction and Israeli conviction that their Palestinian neighbours desire peace.”
2016-10-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7792 (2016) · source
“If implemented, that plan will drive a wedge between north and south in the West Bank and jeopardize the contiguity ofa future Palestinian State. Israeli officials have defined that move as an attempt to relocate settlers from the illegal Amona outpost, which has been slated for demolition by the Israeli Supreme Court. I once again reiterate the position of the Secretary-General that settlements are illegal under international law and undermine the two-State solution. Adding to that troubling overall picture, Palestinians have again been unable to exercise their democratic rights after local council elections in the West Bank and Gaza were postponed. The political bickering, mutual accusations, legal challenges and counter-challenges that followed have left the people of Gaza and the West Bank feeling more apart.”
2016-10-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7792 (2016) · source
“This tragic incident once again underscores an undeniable truth - if Palestinians genuinely hope to reach the long-overdue goal of Palestinian statehood and an end to the occupation, that will not be achieved through violence but must be reached through negotiations. In separate incidents during the recent clashes in East Jerusalem, a 20-year-old Palestinian civilian died after being shot by Israeli security forces. In a separate incident, an unarmed 12-year-old girl was shot in the legs by security guards while approaching a checkpoint. During the reporting period, Israel has continued with settlement planning, including the recent promotion of an initial 98 out of 300 housing units in Shilo, located deep in the occupied West Bank.”
2016-10-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7792 (2016) · source
“The inability to see beyond the horizon and grasp the benefits of resolving the Arab- Israeli conflict, ending the occupation and establishing a two-State solution that meets the national aspirations ofIsraelis and Palestinians alike is a historic loss to the region as a whole. The absence of progress has led to growing anger and frustration among Palestinians and profound disillusionment among Israelis. It has strengthened radicals and weakened moderates on both sides. On 9 October, a Palestinian opened fire, killing two Israelis and injuring six others in a terror attack in occupied East Jerusalem. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the victims. Deplorably, Hamas and many others chose to justify and glorify the attack and its perpetrator.”
2016-10-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7792 (2016) · source
“Mr. Mladenov: I would like to begin by thanking the Council for its support, expressed during the previous briefing, for the work of the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process on the ground under challenging circumstances, particularly as the situation in Israel and Palestine, unfortunately, continues to deteriorate. International focus on the question of Palestine may have been overtaken by the tragedy in Syria and events elsewhere in the Middle East, but it cannot be allowed to be relegated to a secondary problem. Sadly, settlement announcements, outbreaks of violence and terror, and the absence of visionary leadership continue to define the conflict.”
2016-10-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7792 (2016) · source
“That determination was true in 1979, and it is equally true, and even more urgent a concern, today. For years, we have been managing this conflict while the occupation has continued, Palestinians have been dispossessed and a one-State reality has been establishing itself on the ground. It is time for all of us - the leaders on both sides, with support from the region and the international community - to end the conflict on the basis of the relevant Security Council resolutions and in a manner that meets the legitimate national aspirations of both peoples. Both sides should work to reverse the negative trajectory, to build trust and to restore hope that a negotiated two-State solution is not just a political slogan, but a reality that can be achieved through negotiations within our lifetime.”
2016-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7762 (2016) · source
“Fighting between the Syrian armed forces and armed groups in the areas of separation and limitation continue, with several incidents across the ceasefire line reported. I take this opportunity to also draw attention to a nearly $100 million shortfall in the core budget of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Pa1estine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). That funding gap affects UNRWA'S key services for vulnerable Pa1estine refugees throughout the region and compounds regional instability. It must be addressed with the utmost urgency. In conclusion, let me say that, more than 37 years ago, the Security Council determined that Israeli settlements in occupied territory had no legal validity and were an obstruction to achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East.”
2016-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7762 (2016) · source
“The demolition of that community would set a dangerous precedent for displacement and fuel the perception that Israel aims at a de facto annexation of Area C. I note a new plan for the occupied West Bank, announced recently, promoting differential treatment to areas of the occupied West Bank from which perpetrators or suspected perpetrators of attacks against Israelis originate. While measures that generate economic opportunities for some Palestinians are helpful, they cannot come at the cost of what may amount to collective punishment for others, or undermine the legitimate Palestinian institutions and aspirations for ending the occupation. Turning briefly to the Golan, the situation remains volatile and continues to undermine the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement.”
2016-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7762 (2016) · source
“Some communities, such as the herders in Susiya and those in the controversial E-l area around East Jerusalem, are particularly at risk, especially as settlement expansion plans move forward. Repeated rounds of demolitions of homes or livelihoods and restrictions on basic services are part of an environment that pressures those communities to move. Susiya, for example, is built on private Palestinian land in the southern West Bank. It is sandwiched between a settlement and an outpost. For years, planning schemes submitted by the residents to the Israeli authorities have been repeatedly rejected, while the neighbouring settlement has been granted a generous planning scheme, and the nearby illegal outpost is connected to water and electricity networks.”
2016-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7762 (2016) · source
“This appears to reinforce a policy, carried, out over decades, that has enabled over half a million Israelis to settle in territory that was occupied militarily in 1967. The Quartet highlighted that Palestinians living in Area C and East Jerusalem were also disproportionately denied Israeli building permits. The past two months have seen an increase in the enforcement of non-punitive demolition orders against Palestinian structures in East Jerusalem, with 43 structures demolished, affecting more than 340 people. According to our colleagues in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affaris, in Area C in August alone, over 91 structures across 26 communities were demolished for the lack of Israeli building permits, displacing 125 people and affecting the livelihoods of over 2,100. The Bedouins in Area C are particularly vulnerable.”
2016-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7762 (2016) · source
“Israel advanced the so-called retroactive "legalization" of the Horesh Yaron and Rechelim outposts and put forward a potentially precedent- setting proposal to relocate the illegal outpost of Amona - which is slated by Israel's High Court of Justice for dismantling by the end of the year - onto nearby "absentee land". Allofthoseplanswouldessentially createnewillegal settlements, and I call on Israel to cease and reverse those decisions. Let me be clear: no legal acrobatics can change the fact that all outposts - whether "legalized" under Israeli law or not, whether located on State land, absentee land or private land - just like all settlements in Area C and East Jerusalem, remain illegal under international law. It is difficult to read in those actions a genuine intention to work towards a viable two-State solution.”
2016-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7762 (2016) · source
“It has published tenders, some new, for 323 units in East Jerusalem settlements and reissued tenders for 42 units in Kiryat Arba, near Hebron, for which it also allocated over $13 million of new funding. It is undertaking a new land survey to identify potential "State land" in the sensitive E-2 area. That step could enable the establishment of a new settlement on the outskirts ofBethlehem, further restricting that city's development and contributing to the dismemberment of the West Bank. It is also reportedly examining plans for new housing units for 100 Israelis on a portion of a military compound in Hebron that it has allocated for that purpose.”
2016-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7762 (2016) · source
“Let me focus briefly on the expanding Israeli footprint in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which Russia, the European Union, the United States and the Secretary-General - all part of the Quartet - have clearly condemned. We heard that settlement construction was not an impediment to a two-State solution - that "a few houses" were not a problem for peace. Let me ask in return: How will advancing the construction of over 1,700 housing units bring the parties closer to negotiated peace, uphold the two-State solution, create hope for the Palestinian people or bring security to Israelis? Since 1 July, Israel has advanced plans for over 1,000 housing units in occupied East Jerusalem - in Pisgat Ze'ev, Ramot, Har Homa and Gilo - as well as 735 units in Ma'ale Adumim and other locations in the West Bank.”
2016-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7762 (2016) · source
“It is important that the international community continue to enforce its policy of zero- tolerance for any wrongdoing and assures partners that robust measures are in place to ensure that aid goes to those for whom it is intended. It has been nearly two months since the Middle East Quartet outlined clearly the threats to the two- State solution and offered practical recommendations to enable an eventual return to meaningful negotiations to end the occupation that began in 1967. Its recommendations, however, continue to be ignored, including by way ofa surge in Israeli settlement-related announcements and continuing demolitions.”
2016-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7762 (2016) · source
“In that context, I commend the Government of Palestine for enabling a much-needed humanitarian payment to over 20,000 unpaid civilian employees in Gaza, made possible by the generous donation from the State of Qatar. Separately, however, I am very concerned about the recent Israeli indictments of two aid workers accused of diverting funds and/or material to Hamas. Those are very serious and deeply troubling accusations, which must be investigated throughly and quickly and proved in a court of law. I welcome the commitment of the United Nations Development Programme and World Vision International to uphold the highest standards of accountability.”
2016-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7762 (2016) · source
“While progress has been made on rebuilding from the physical damage, sadly we are miles away from repairing the physical and psychological damage of the conflict. While Gaza remains locked away from the rest of the world, in the grip of militants and dependent upon aid and humanitarian assistance, the status quo will prevail. We need a radical overhaul of how we deal with the problems of Gaza. Until the closures are lifted, the militant build-up has ceased and Gaza is back under the control of the legitimate Palestinian authorities, international funding and an uninterrupted flow of aid are a lifeline to over 1 million Palestinians in the Strip, who are struggling to survive within a dire humanitarian situation.”
2016-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7762 (2016) · source
“The elections are expected to be the first simultaneous polls in the West Bank and Gaza since 2006. Conducting the local elections in line with established international standards can contribute to advancing Palestinian reconciliation. The lack of unity, however, or any attempt to influence the outcome of the elections, including through intimidation, threats, violence or coercion, risks widening divisions and undermining the Palestinian national cause. In that respect, the recent decision by Fatah to bring the party together - a decision welcomed by Jordan, Egypt and the region - is an important step towards laying the groundwork for national reconciliation and unity. Turning briefly to Gaza, three days ago we marked the two-year anniversary ofthe ceasefire to the last Gaza conflict.”
2016-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7762 (2016) · source
“Once again, I reiterate that such rocket attacks and the response they elicit risk lives of both Palestinians and Israelis and do not serve the cause of peace. On 26 August, a Palestinian man, who was reportedly under psychiatric care, was killed by members of the Israeli security forces. A preliminary investigation established that he was unarmed and did not pose a threat. I call upon Israel to ensure accountability and take all the necessary measures protect against the unjustified use of force. It is against such a backdrop that preparations are advancing for the 8 October Palestinian local council elections. In a positive development, on 25 July, political parties signed an electoral code of conduct, to which all parties and candidates must adhere.”
2016-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7762 (2016) · source
“First, there was the apparent extrajudicial execution by members of the Palestinian security forces in Nablus on 23 August ofa man, while in custody. He was suspected of orchestrating the killing of two security personnel earlier in the week. I welcome the announcement by Prime Minister Hamdallah of an investigation and call for a thorough, independent and transparent process, in line with international standards, in order to bring to justice the perpetrators of that crime. On 21 August, militants in Gaza fired two rockets, one of which landed in a residential area of Sderot, causing no injuries. Israel responded by directing some 60 missiles and shells at 30 suspected military installations in Gaza.”
2016-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7762 (2016) · source
“Mr. Mladenov: With no prospect in sight for resuming negotiations, developments on the ground in Israel and Palestine continue to undermine an already precarious situation. Illegal settlement construction advances, Gaza remains beyond the control of the legitimate Palestinian Authority and the political leadership on both sides continues to shy away from the steps that are necessary for peace. That is the reality that continues to erode trust in the prospect for a two- State solution, the constituency for which is dwindling both in Israel and Palestine. Although the past month has been relatively calm in terms of the frequency and intensity of violence in Israel and in the occupied Palestinian territory, a number of security-related incidents continued to cause concern.”
2016-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7762 (2016) · source
“President, that the Secretary-General, including through his role in the Quartet, will continue unwaveringly to support Israelis and Palestinians in overcoming their divisions and achieving a just and lasting resolution to the conflict and the establishment of a Palestinian State living side by side with the State of Israel in peace, security and mutual recognition.”
2016-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7729 (2016) · source
“As the Secretary-General said in Jerusalem two days ago, "No solution to the conflict will be possible without the recognition that both Palestinians and Jews have an undeniable historic and religious connection to this land. No solution can come through violence; it must be based on mutual respect and the recognition of the legitimate aspirations of both peoples. No solution can be imposed from the outside; it must be based on direct negotiations on the final status issues." A peaceful future is what is at stake here. Taking bold steps to move beyond the empty platitudes, beyond the mutual accusations, and beyond the deeply entrenched lack of trust will require leadership and vision that have been starkly absent from this conflict for far too long. It is time for both sides to rise to the challenge. I can assure you, Mr.”
2016-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7729 (2016) · source
“In closing, let me once again emphasize the urgent need for the parties to engage in the implementation of the recommendations in the report. The Quartet has outlined a reasonable set of steps that, if implemented sincerely and resolutely with the support of the international community, could set Israelis and Palestinians firmly along a navigable course towards establishing a comprehensive peace, with historic implications for the entire region. But let me also be unequivocally clear that a permanent status agreement ending the conflict can be achieved only through direct bilateral negotiations, the outcome of which cannot be prejudged by unilateral steps.”
2016-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7729 (2016) · source
“It reiterates its call from September of last year on Israel to implement positive and significant policy shifts, particularly in Area C, consistent With the idea of transitioning to greater Palestinian civil authority, as contemplated by prior agreements. As the Quartet said back then, progress in the areas of housing, water, energy, communications, agriculture and natural resources can be made while respecting Israel's legitimate security needs. I hope that, on the basis of the report, the two parties will engage with the Quartet in order to constructively move the process forward. Once the full text of the report is published i which we hope will be tomorrow morning -I also encourage the Secuirty Council to welcome it and support the efforts of the Quartet.”
2016-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7729 (2016) · source
“The report will provide more detail on these trends and expand on the reasons why we in the Quartet are concerned about them. The main objective of the report is not to assign blame, but rather to provide a way forward to support the goal we all share of achieving a negotiated two-State solution. We hope to provide a constructive path that can help advance the two- State solution on the ground and create the conditions necessary for meaningful negotiations in the future. The report contains recommendations to both sides, and specifically to the Palestinians and Israelis in relation to violence, incitement to violence. Israeli settlement construction and related policies, and Palestinian unity and institution-building.”
2016-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7729 (2016) · source
“To that end, there is an urgent need for both sides to comply with their basic commitments under existing agreements and to take steps to prevent entrenching a one-State reality of perpetual occupation and conflict Allow me to outline the three trends that the Quartet report has concluded severely undermine hope for peace. First are continuing violence and terrorism and the incitement that fuels them. Second is the continuing policy of settlement expansion and related policies in the West Bank. Third is the situation in Gaza and the lack of control over Gaza by the Palestinian Authority. Let me stress once again that these negative trends can and must be urgently reversed in order to advance the two-State solution on the ground.”
2016-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7729 (2016) · source
“In it, the Quartet pledges its active support for ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the basis of Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973), and reaffirms that a negotiated two-State outcome that meets Israeli security needs and Palestinian aspirations to statehood and sovereignty, ends the occupation that began in 1967, and resolves all permanent status issues is the only way to achieve enduring peace. The Quartet believes, however, that important progress can be made now on the ground by each side independently demonstrating a sincere commitment to advancing the goal of two States.”
2016-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7729 (2016) · source
“In completing our work by consensus, we in the Quartet have been guided by the belief that our role is to build bridges, to state the facts in an unbiased manner, and to engage constructively with the parties, the region and the broader international community in order to provide for a constructive way forward. The report will not provide a complete review ofthe humanitarian, political, legal, and security aspects of the situation. It focuses on the major threats to achieving a negotiated peace and offers recommendations on the way forward.”
2016-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7729 (2016) · source
“Last September, the Quartet expressed its serious concern about the current trends on the ground and its strong support for significant steps that would help stabilize the situation, show meaningful progress towards a two-State reality, and restore belief among Palestinians and Israelis that negotiated peace remains feasible. In February, the Quartet noted the absence of such constructive steps and decided to prepare a report on the situation on the ground, including recommendations on the way forward. I am pleased to be able to brief the Security Council today on the conclusions of the report. Let me begin by thanking President Abbas and Prime Minister Netanyahu and their teams for their constructive engagement and contributions, without which the report would not have been possible.”
2016-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7729 (2016) · source
“Neither is it helped when Israeli ministers openly reject the very notion of a Palestinian State or call for the complete annexation of Area C; but nor will the violence and terror fuelled by resentment bring about a Palestinian State. A peaceful future for both peoples cannot emerge on the back of statements that glorify terror and justify killing. Mutual respect cannot come as a result of stabbings, shootings and car-rammings. Recognizing the urgent need to reverse this destructive dynamic, the Middle East Quartet has worked with the parties and key regional stakeholders to discuss how to preserve the two-State solution.”
2016-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7729 (2016) · source
“If the first two events were clearly acts of terror and the second was referred to as "a mistake" that cut short an innocent life, all three incidents clearly illustrate the environment of fear in which Palestinians and Israelis alike have lived for generations. I unequivocally condemn all these tragic losses of life. Both tragedies, unfortunately, provide political fodder for cynical advocates of divisiveness, further undermining trust between the communities. I extend my sincere condolences to the families of the victims and call on the authorities to swiftly bring to justice those responsible for these acts. Palestinian frustration cannot be wished away; it cannot be vanquished by aggressive security measures, arrests or punitive home demolitions.”
2016-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7729 (2016) · source
“Negative trends on the ground continue to jeopardize prospects for peace. Hope dwindles as the once formidable constituencies for peace erode on both sides. Extremists rise, seeking to set the agenda and shape reality. Radicalism feeds fear, mutual distrust breeds desperation, and ultimately all this fosters violence and terror. Earlier this month, Israel was rocked by a brutal terror attack. On the evening 0f8 June, two Palestinians opened fire in the heart of Tel Aviv, killing four Israelis and injuring nine others. Just a few hours ago, a 13 year-old Israeli girl was viciously stabbed to death by a Palestinian attacker who entered in her home in the West Bank. And on 21 June, a Palestinian teenager was shot and killed on a highway by the Israeli security forces.”
2016-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7729 (2016) · source
“Mr. Mladenov: Over the past decades, a broad consensus has been built around the understanding that the Palestinian-Israeli conflict can be resolved only on the basis of a two-State solution. Palestinians and Israelis have accepted this vision. Countries of the region have also repeatedly endorsed this outcome. At the beginning of June, the Secretary-General and Ministers from some 30 countries gathered in Paris to discuss how to put forward incentives that could kick- start momentum towards that goal. The underlying message from Paris was clear - we must act decisively now or continue dealing with the damaging repercussions for years to come. Despite all these efforts and despite the two-State vision remaining the professed goal of both sides, the conflict grinds on.”
2016-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7729 (2016) · source
“I urge Palestinian leaders in Gaza and the West Bank to take up that opportunity and to deliver, at long last, to the Palestinian people an end to the issues that divide and a commitment to strengthen the ties that bind them. I also urge Palestinian and Israeli leaders to engage, through the initiatives put forward, to bring a just, comprehensive and enduring peace to the people of Israel and Palestine.”
2016-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7697 (2016) · source
“With regard to Lebanon, yesterday the Secretary- General and the Security Council reiterated their calls on the Lebanese political parties to build on the holding of municipal elections and to elect a President of the Republic, a post that has now remained vacant for two years. In conclusion, let me welcome the recent statement by Egyptian President Al Sisi expressing Egypt's readiness to mediate a reconciliation between rival Palestinian factions so as to pave the way towards a lasting peace agreement with Israel. Also, his call to Israelis and Palestinians to continue the historic step towards peace taken by Israel and Egypt 37 years ago must not go unheeded i not in Israel, not in Palestine and certainly not in the rest of the Arab world.”
2016-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7697 (2016) · source
“And yet, according to a recent study conducted by Tel Aviv University, close to 60 per cent of the Jewish population and over 70 per cent of Palestinians remain in favour of conducting peace negotiations. The will to advance towards peace clearly exists. What remains glaringly absent is the political will and bold leadership to make genuine progress a reality. We need collectively to ask ourselves whether those Israelis and Palestinians who today support the return to negotiations will continue to do so next year or two years from now if the prospects for peace remain out of reach. Prolonging the current impasse will sap any remaining optimism for finding a solution to the nearly 50-year occupation. Turning briefly to other regional matters, the Council will be briefed separately on Syria this week.”
2016-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7697 (2016) · source
“There are also disturbing media reports indicating that the sentences could be carried out in public. That raises even more alarms, as public executions are prohibited under international humanitarian law. What is also concerning is that the executions will be implemented without the approval of the Palestinian President, which is required under Palestinian law. Palestine is one, and Gaza and the West Bank are its two integral parts. I urge Hamas not to carry out those executions, and I call on President Abbas to establish a moratorium on the implementation of the death penalty. As circumstances on the ground continue to deteriorate, for many lamenting the disappearance of a negotiated two-State solution has become the default narrative.”
2016-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7697 (2016) · source
“I welcome the recent opening by Egyptian authorities of the Rafah border crossing on 11 and 12 May, during which just over 2,000 Palestinians entered and exited. I encourage Egypt to explore ways to facilitate more frequent openings of the crossing, particularly for humanitarian cases, while respecting its legitimate and pressing security concerns in the Sinai. I want to briefly turn to an extremely worrying most recent development, that is, the announcement by Hamas of its intention to implement a number of death sentences. International law limits the application of the death penalty to the most serious crimes and pursuant to a trial and appeals process that scrupulously follows fair-trial standards. I have serious doubts as to whether capital trials in Gaza meet those standards.”
2016-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7697 (2016) · source