The United Kingdom has continued to support the progress
made on normalising relations between Bahrain, the United
Arab Emirates and Israel. We hope others will follow suit
for the benefit of the whole region, and we therefore
welcome Friday’s statement from the Governments of Sudan,
Israel and the United States of America on the
normalisation of relations between Israel and Sudan. As
Foreign Secretary has said,
“this step is a boost for the democratic transition in
Sudan and peace in the region.”
Last month, Mr President, I stated that such agreements
represent a profound shift in the region, a shift which
must now proceed in parallel with steps to resolve the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. There is much to be done to
rebuild trust. The suspension of the threat of annexation
was the first step on this road. It must now become
permanent. It is vital that the Palestinian Authority
resumes cooperation with Israel and that the Israeli and
Palestinian leaderships come together in dialogue to pursue
the path of peace. That is the consistent message of my
Foreign Secretary.
To rebuild trust, we must see an end to the detrimental
action on the ground. Mr President, we are particularly
concerned by the announcement on 15 October of nearly 5,000
settlement units, many deep in the West Bank. The expansion
of settlements violates international law and is a
counterproductive step in light of the positive
developments I’ve spoken of between Israel and its
neighbours. Alongside European partners, the United Kingdom
has made clear our strong opposition to this latest
settlement advancement.
The United Kingdom also remains concerned about demolitions
of Palestinian buildings and evictions of Palestinians from
their homes across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Demolitions and evictions in 2020 have proceeded at a
concerning pace.
Mr President, the UK is seriously concerned by the possible
demolition by Israeli authorities of a Palestinian school
funded by the international community in Ras Al-Tin. The
right to education is basic, and it is essential to have a
strong and thriving Palestinian education system in order
to provide opportunities for the next generation. We call
on Israel to halt such actions.
Mr President, the United Kingdom has expressed our concern
of the increase in settler violence, the destruction of
olive trees and the stealing of projects coinciding with
the Palestinian olive harvest. As the occupying power, the
Israeli security forces must provide appropriate protection
to the Palestinian civilian population.
And in Gaza, while relative calm has resumed, the Israeli
Defense Force’s discovery on 22 October of a tunnel
penetrating dozens of yards into Israeli territory is of
great concern. There have also been further rocket launches
this month and a return to launching IED “balloons” by
Gaza’s militant groups. The UK condemns such indiscriminate
attacks against Israeli civilians. We continue to call upon
Hamas and other terrorist groups to permanently end their
incitement and rocket fire against Israel. These negative
actions must stop. We urge the parties instead to pursue
confidence-building measures to build the foundations of
future final status discussions. The Palestinian Authority
must resume cooperation with Israel. We urge progress on
economic issues and the facilitation of trade. Settlements,
demolitions and evictions must stop. Rocket fire and
incitement will not be tolerated.
Mr President, the United Kingdom remains committed to
taking forward progress on efforts towards a peaceful
resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We continue
to support a two-state solution, based on 1967 lines, with
Jerusalem as a shared capital. We restate our support for
regional and international efforts aimed at facilitating a
peace process. Ultimately, there is no substitute for
direct talks between the Palestinians and Israel, which is
the only way to reach a sustainable peace.
Thank you, Mr President."
