Statement by Fergus Eckersley, UK Political Coordinator
at the UN, at the Security Council briefing on the situation in
the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.
Mr President, let me start by welcoming Israeli Prime Minister
Bennett’s recent visit to Bahrain. We are pleased to see the
continuing positive relationship between two long-standing
friends of the UK. The UK actively supports the pursuit of
regional stability through normalised relations. We are committed
to ensuring that normalisation is an enduring success, and we
will continue to support efforts that bring us closer to this
goal.
The UK is however concerned by the negative trends on the ground
in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including an increasing
level of violence and incitement to violence.
The UK condemns the firing of missiles by Palestinian militants
in Gaza at the start of February. We are resolute in our
commitment to Israeli security. We continue to call upon Hamas
and other terrorist groups to permanently end their inflammatory
action against Israel.
As we’ve heard again today, violence in the West Bank, including
settler attacks against Palestinian people and property, is
rising. It is the Government of Israel’s responsibility to
provide protection to Palestinian civilians, to ensure all such
incidents are thoroughly investigated, and to bring those
responsible to justice. We are concerned about clashes between
Israeli Security Forces and Palestinians. Since the last time the
Council met to discuss this issue, two Palestinian children have
been killed in the West Bank. We urge restraint on all sides.
We have witnessed tensions in Sheikh Jarrah, where scheduled
evictions have led to violent clashes in the neighbourhood. We
call once again for the halting of forced evictions and
demolitions in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Such
practices fuel tensions on the ground. And we urge a permanent
end to settlement activity, which threatens the two-state
solution. The UK opposes the authorisation to legalise the
outpost Evyatar in the West Bank. We recall that Evyatar has been
a source of instability since May, and that such outposts are
illegal under Israeli and International Humanitarian Law.
Mr President, the Palestinian Authority’s fiscal crisis is
worsening. Rapid action is needed to improve the situation, and
we continue to call on the PA to implement necessary reforms. The
UK wants to see continued cooperation between Israelis and
Palestinians, including on economic initiatives, to help boost
the Palestinian economy and improve the lives of all in the
Occupied Palestinian Territories. Doing so is beneficial to the
safety and prosperity of Israelis and Palestinians alike.
Finally, Mr President, as we approach a convergence of Muslim,
Jewish and Christian religious holidays in April, it is crucial
that all parties commit to respect the historic Status Quo and
take steps to avoid exacerbating tensions, in order to prevent
escalation.
