European members of Security Council condemn Israeli settlements, settler violence
Britain, France, Germany and Portugal release a statement saying settlements in West Bank and East Jerusalem illegal; Israel's UN envoy: Palestinian conditions are real obstacles to peace.
By Barak Ravid and DPA Tags: Israel settlements West Bank East Jerusalem Middle East peace UN Security CouncilThe four European Union members of the UN Security Council on Tuesday strongly criticized Israel's decision to speed up construction of settlements, which they termed a "wholly negative" development."
The ambassadors from Britain, France, Germany and Portugal issued a joint statement branding the Israeli settlements in Palestinian occupied territories and East Jerusalem as illegal under international law.
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A shepherd walking near the settlement of Revava. |
| Photo by: AP |
"We call on the Israeli government to reverse these steps," the statement said. "The viability of the Palestinian state that we want to see and the two-state solution that is essential for Israel's long-term security are threatened by the systematic and deliberate expansion of settlements."
The statement, issued following the 15-country Security Council's closed-door discussion on the situation in the Middle East, condemned Israeli settlers' violence against the Palestinians, including the burning of the Nebi Akasha mosque in West Jerusalem and the Burqa mosque in the West Bank.
It called on Israeli leaders to boldly demonstrate political will and leadership to break the impasse in negotiations with the Palestinians. It called on both Israelis and Palestinians to agree on a package of proposals to settle security and border issues in order to advance negotiations toward ending the conflict.
The four countries reiterated support for the creation of a "sovereign, independent, democratic, contiguous and viable Palestinian state living in peace and security side by side with Israel."
Israel's UN ambassador Ron Prosor responded by saying on Tuesday that "while innocent citizens are being slaughtered in Syria, terrorist elements are operating freely in Gaza, UN forces are attacked in Lebanon and Iran is seeking a nuclear weapon – the Security Council is silent and paralyzed." He added that "the main obstacle to peace was and remains the Palestinians' demand to the right of return, and not recognizing Israel as a Jewish state."
The fight against blood diamonds
In his speech at the Security Council, Prosor also raised the issue of the global trade in blood diamonds, and called on the international community to take more steps to eradicate it.
"The fight against blood diamonds is another one of Israel's fronts at the UN," he said," that expresses our commitment to preventing funds coming from blood diamond trade from funding armed conflicts and human rights violations. Israel was the first country in the world to issue a 'freedom diamond' certificate - a 'conflict –free' diamond."
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G-d gave the Jewish people this land and much more thousands of years ago. The voices of outraged nations count for nothing.
Is that all they're gonna do when it comes to Israel? Just condemn the settlement activity? HOW MANY TIMES DO YOU NEED TO CONDEMN SOMETHING BEFORE YOU TAKE ACTION!? The UN is becoming a laughing-stock, can't take them serious.
Even the EU Security Council recognizes the connection between the recent increase in violent attacks by extreme right-wing settler groups and Netanyahu's continued announcements of new settlement-construction. How can Netanyahu condemn those attacks on one hand (attacks which were prompted by the decision of the High Court to dismantle several illegal outposts in the territories) and give the green light to the settlers on the other hand by telling them that their presence in the territories is valid by way of approving more and more settlement expansion?
it is just beginning...the writing on the wall has been there for some time now and most Israelis just didn't want to read it
The same people who handed over to nazis Jewish men, women and children ripping them out of their own countires now have objections for Jews to build in their own CAPITAL. Excuse meeeeeeee!!!!!!! Arabs have MANY places to go with their own culture, language and physical attributes but Jewish people have only one genuine Jewish Country. Stay out of it....
Don't talk about it-do something!
We do not care about international laws, we only care about Jewish laws-PERIOD. All that land was, is & always will be Jewish lands. Where was so called international laws when Jews were being humiliated, slaughtered & raped ? The hell with them. NEVER FORGET-NEVER FORGIVE.
But when are they going to add some teeth to the endless 'condemnations'? Israel continues to be handled with kid gloves.
Have we cared in the last 44 years? Btw, Germany thanks for the 3rd submarine. France, thanks for building our nuclear program. Britian, thanks for Suez canal battle. Portugal is portugal.
As strong as possible
If you guys are serious then put sanctions on this administration . Things like these has made Israel globally isolated .
as the ones of the state of Palestine, as Iceland already did. And the state is not the same, as the Land of Palestine - but the refugees get crowing interest and sympathy in the EU
If it really is against the law then where are the police! If it is legal then why not annex?
The voracious greed has gone on so long already...
...SO WHAT!! Israel would be crazy not to keep building. And as far as 'wounding' the Palestinians are concerned -- BALONEY!! Palestinians will be lining up for construction jobs.
... or inaction. What happened to the so-called European peace plan? Israel agreed. Months passed. Palestinians still refuse to even consider it. At the end of the day Jewish homes will not stand in the way of peace, the Palestinian leadership will.
They are anti semites. How dare they bring up int'l law...They must hate jews and israelis with a passion..that's the only logical explanation:-)