UN Mideast Envoy : True Peace Can Only Be Realized By Two-State Solution

Cairo, 9 Jumadill Akhir 1438/8 March 2017 (MINA) – UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov applauded the Arab League’s unfaltering commitment to supporting the Palestinian people in their rightful quest to put an end to a half-century of occupation and establish an independent state of their own.

In his remarks here on Tuesday at the 147th session of the Ministerial Council of the Arab League, the UN official said, “True peace will remain elusive without the recognition that both Palestinians and Israelis have legitimate national aspirations that can only be realized in two states that live in peace, security and mutual recognition,” IINA News reported.

“That is why today is not the time to give up on the two-state solution, which is indeed under grave threat. A threat defined not so much by statements, but by policies and actions that aim to undermine it on a daily basis,” Mladenov said.

“Israel’s settlement enterprise, violence, and the absence of visionary leadership continue to define the conflict,” he added.

He described the situation on the ground as grim, saying, “The adoption of the so-called “Regularization Law”, which contravenes international law; legislative attempts to annex parts of the West Bank; a rise in the demolition of Palestinian structures and the situation in Gaza – all these developments eat away at the two-state solution, destroy hope and strengthen the hand of extremists on all sides.”

“I want to reiterate the UN position that settlement activities are illegal under international law and once again call on Israel to stop all such activities,” Mladenov said.

He pointed out that the UN Security Council resolution 2334, adopted in December last year, reiterated some of the key obstacles to achieving a negotiated two-state solution, and the Middle East Peace Conference, held in Paris on 15 January 2017, reaffirmed the international community’s commitment to the two-state solution and to the need for follow-up and international engagement.

However, he said, the obligations of the occupying power come first. “Israel must demonstrate its commitment to the two-state solution by ceasing illegal settlement activities and by implementing policy shifts consistent with prior agreements that increase Palestinian civil authority.”

The UN official expressed the hope to continue working ever more closely with the Arab League given its crucial role in this regard.

He also said that the “UN will continue to stand with the Palestinian people and all those who work for peace and for a just and fair resolution to this conflict.” (T/R04/RS05)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)