Statement by Ambassador at the Security Council
briefing on the Middle East Peace Process.
Thank you Mr President, and may I welcome you back to New York.
Thank you also to the Special Coordinator for your briefing and
to our two civil society briefers Mr Daniel Levy and Dr Hanan
Ashrawi for their thought-provoking contributions today.
Mr President, I’d like to start by welcoming the increased
engagement between the Government of Israel and the Palestinian
Authority over recent months. We are confident this dialogue will
continue, and it is our hope that it will deliver tangible
results to tackle immediate and long-term threats to peace and
stability. The parties have our full support in this.
The United Kingdom also welcomes the increased calm in Gaza, and
recent steps taken by Israel to reduce constraints on access for
goods and people into and out of the strip. We now ask Israel to
set out a full and transparent plan to improve movement and
access in Gaza, in line with International Humanitarian Law, to
allow for reconstruction and development to advance.
A number of positive signals notwithstanding, we continue to see
negative trends in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. As we
have heard, rates of demolitions and evictions of Palestinians
from their homes have continued to rise, and this year may see
the worst rate of demolitions in five years. We urge the
Government of Israel to ensure that Palestinian families living
in the Occupied Territories can remain safely in their homes.
Violence in the West Bank, including settler attacks against
Palestinian people and property, is also on the rise. The
shocking attack on the Palestinian village of Umm Mufaqarah, in
the South Hebron Hills, on 28 September resulted in a
three-year-old Palestinian child being hospitalised. We call on
Israel to provide appropriate protection to the Palestinian
civilian population, to ensure all such incidents are
investigated thoroughly, and for those responsible to be brought
to justice. We welcome the Government of Israel’s commitment to
addressing settler violence and Foreign Minister Lapid’s
condemnation of the Umm Mufaqarah attack.
We are also concerned about the Israeli Security Forces’ use of
excessive force. We continue to urge Israel to uphold the
principles of necessity and proportionality when defending its
legitimate security interests.
The Palestinian Authority’s (PA) dire fiscal situation carries
the risk that it is unable to pay salaries or its suppliers in
full from next month onwards. Rapid action is needed to improve
the situation. The UK will continue to work with the PA to help
it implement necessary reforms, and we urge our international
partners to do the same.
Lastly Mr President, as we celebrated the International Day of
the Girl Child last week, we were reminded of the impressive
educational attainment rates for girls across the Occupied
Palestinian Territories. We must celebrate this success and
ensure that the vital provision of education, including to girls,
is protected from the threat of instability.
In conclusion, the lack of progress in the Middle East Peace
Process continues to impact negatively the lives of everyday
Israelis and Palestinians, and the ongoing conflict is in need of
a just and lasting resolution. We continue to urge all parties to
renew their commitment to peacebuilding, and to work to deliver
it. The UK continues to believe that a two-state solution offers
the only meaningful prospect for durable peace.
