US, Israel boycott Security Council Session

Tuesday May 12, 2009 09:01 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Israel and the United States boycotted the Monday evening Security Council session after claiming that the peace process in the Middle East is an issue that only concerns the Palestinians and Israel (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!).

After the US and Israeli declared they are boycotting the meeting, UN Secretary-General, Ban ki-Moon, stated that the time has come for Israel to change its policies regarding settlements, home demolitions and the restrictions on the movement of the Palestinian residents.

He also called for intensifying the diplomatic talks in order to achieve a two-state solution, and added that Israel repeatedly vowed to conduct fundamental changes regarding its policies in the Palestinian territories but never lived up to its promises.

Ki-Moon also said that Israel’s actions on the ground, serious readiness for peace talks on all related issues, including the borders, Jerusalem and the refugees, would be the real test to Israel’s commitment to the two-state solution.

Israel's envoy to the United Nations, Gabriela Shalev, stated that Israel decided to boycott the meeting since the country believes that the peace process is a Palestinian-Israeli issue, and that the Security Council cannot intervene.

Shalev added that Israel is still formulating its policies ahead of the planned visit of Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to the United States.

The United States said it did not attend the session because the country is still awaiting Netanyahu’s visit to the US.

Netanyahu will be visiting the US in the coming days to hold meeting with the Us President, Barack Obama, and US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton.

UN Security Council calls for Palestinian state

Date: 12 / 05 / 2009  Time:  09:27
Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies –

The UN Security Council called for “urgent efforts” to create an independent Palestinian state after a debate on the Middle East peace process on Monday.

The foreign ministers of all 15 members endorsed the statement, which called for “vigorous diplomatic" action toward an Israeli-Palestinian peace treaty. The Council encouraged the International Quartet – the EU, UN, US, and Russia – to continue efforts toward peace.

"The council reiterates its call for renewed and urgent efforts by the parties and the international community to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East, based on the vision of a region where two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, will live side by side in peace, within secure and recognized borders," the statement said, according to AP.

In making this pronouncement the Security Council rebuffed Israel’s new Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who has so far refused to accept the creation of an independent Palestine as the basis for peace negotiations.

Russia called for Monday’s meeting hoping to reinvigorate a peace process that has been stalled since the Israeli onslaught on Gaza in December and January, which killed nearly 1,500 Palestinians, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.