Resumption of direct talks renews hope for Israeli-Palestinian peace – UN envoy
The recent resumption of direct Israeli-Palestinian talks has brought new hope for achieving a lasting peace in the Middle East, the United Nations envoy to the region said today, calling on the leaders of the two sides to stay the course until an agreement is reached.
After months of proximity talks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, came together earlier this month in Washington D.C. under the auspices of the United States to launch direct negotiations.
The Israeli and Palestinian leaders conducted a second round of talks on 14 September in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, and on 15 September in Jerusalem.
“We are at a moment of renewed hope in the search for peace in the Middle East,” Robert Serry, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, said in his briefing to the Security Council.
He said that making peace will not be easy and carries risks, but the dangers of not trying are much graver. “Both leaders have shown that they recognize this. Having summoned the courage to begin, they must now sustain the courage to progress, and find the wisdom and statesmanship to lead their governments and peoples to a peace agreement.”
The leaders have agreed to seek a solution based on two States for two peoples, and that the negotiations could be completed within one year, Mr. Serry reported, adding that their aim was to resolve borders, security, refugees, Jerusalem and all other core issues. They also decided to meet every fortnight and to work on a framework agreement on permanent status.
“This is not an interim agreement, but one that embodies the fundamental compromises necessary to achieve a comprehensive peace treaty to end the conflict and establish a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians, creating a democratic and viable Palestinian State alongside a secure State of Israel,” said the envoy.
“Our collective task is to support these negotiations and maximize prospects for success,” he added. “The international consensus is and must remain strong behind this process, to ensure that it is seen through to the end.”
Mr. Serry stressed the need for both leaders to “refrain from provocative actions and work as partners to create an environment conducive to successful negotiations.”
To review progress in the talks and in the overall search for peace in the region, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will host a meeting of the Quartet – the Middle East diplomatic grouping comprising the UN, the United States, the European Union and Russia – on Tuesday in New York.
As for the situation on the ground, the Special Coordinator voiced alarm at the recent upsurge in violence in Gaza, noting that it can only set back efforts to make progress in the territory. In recent weeks, Palestinian militants fired 10 rockets and 22 mortars from Gaza into Israel, injuring two Israelis and hitting close to residential areas in southern Israel. Israeli forces, meanwhile, conducted 10 air strikes and 18 incursions into Gaza, killing seven Palestinians and injuring four others.