EU Statement – UN Security Council: Open Debate on the Middle East, Including the Palestinian Question (Non-UN Document)

 

This is a non-United Nations document. The United Nations provides these documents only as a convenience for reference purposes, and the inclusion of a document does not imply the endorsement of its content by the United Nations.

Mr President,

Members of the Security Council,

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The Candidate Countries, North Macedonia* and Montenegro*, align themselves with this statement.

The EU is worried by the persisting negative trends on the ground, including illegal settlement expansion, violence against civilians committed by all parties, terror attacks and increasing demolitions and evictions, which severely threaten the two-state solution. The EU reaffirms its commitment to a just and comprehensive resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, based on the two state solution, with the State of Israel and an independent, democratic, contiguous, sovereign, and viable State of Palestine, living side by side in peace and security and mutual recognition, and with Jerusalem serving as the future capital of both states.

The EU condemns all acts of violence and calls for accountability. The EU deplores the increase in violence that not only results in tragic loss of lives, but also fuels tensions and animosity. The EU firmly condemns recent terror attacks in Israel and remains committed to the prevention and fight against terrorism and violent extremism. The EU firmly condemns the increase in settler violence and calls for accountability. The EU is deeply concerned about the increasingly high number of casualties, including children. The EU recalls that any use of force must be proportionate and in line with international law, including international human rights and humanitarian law and only be applied as a last resort when it is strictly unavoidable in order to protect life. The EU reiterates its call for a thorough investigation into the killing of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh while covering an Israeli security operation in the occupied West Bank, and that those responsible are brought to justice.

EU’s opposition to Israel’s settlement policy and actions taken in this context, including in East Jerusalem, and especially in sensitive areas such as E1, is well known. The EU reiterates that settlements are illegal under international law and calls to halt all settlement activities. Such actions as building the separation barrier beyond the 1967 line, demolitions and confiscation – including of EU funded projects – evictions, forced transfers including of Bedouins, illegal outposts, settler violence and restrictions of movement and access severely threaten the two-state solution and will only escalate an already tense environment. The EU is concerned about increased demolitions and evictions, including in East Jerusalem. It will be important not to proceed with any planned demolitions and evictions.

The EU recalls the special significance of the holy sites, and calls for upholding the status quo put in place in 1967 for the Temple Mount / al-Haram al-Sharif in line with previous understandings and with respect to Jordan’s special role. Underlining the necessity to respect the status quo also for the Christian holy sites, the EU reiterates the importance of maintaining peaceful coexistence of all three monotheistic religions. The EU will closely monitor developments and their implications on the ground, and remains ready to contribute  further  to the protection and the viability of the two state solution.

 


2022-07-27T16:09:26-04:00

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