15 Oct 2012

UN / MIDDLE EAST

The Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman, told the Security Council, during a meeting on the situation in theMiddle Eastthat although both sides in the Israeli/Palestine conflict publicly indicate a commitment to negotiated peace, "creeping realities on the ground and the stalemate in diplomacy portray a more worrying situation." UNTV

Posted at: October 15, 2012 5:11 pm

Duration: 02:27

Available in: SD

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STORY: UN / MIDDLE EAST
TRT: 2.27
SOURCE: UNTV 
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/ NATS

DATELINE: 15 OCTOBER 2012, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

SHOTLIST:

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations headquarters

15 OCTOBER 2012, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. Med shot, delegates
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Jeffrey D. Feltman, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs:
"Both sides maintain their rhetorical commitment to negotiated peace. However, the creeping realities on the ground and the stalemate in diplomacy portray a more worrying situation. Stated intentions to adhere to a two state solution are not translating into meaningful steps to renew dialogue and the core issues to be resolved. And this should be a matter of great concern to the Council."
5. Med shot, delegates 
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Jeffrey D. Feltman, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs:
"Amid the seismic shifts being felt throughout the Middle East, we cannot afford to be complacent to the persisting deadlock between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Despite their apprehensions, understandable in part, the parties cannot be impervious to the warning signs of a fading two state solution, nor can the Council."
7. Med shot, delegates 
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations:
"Despite all appeals and demands by the international community, including by this Security Council in numerous resolutions and by the Quartet for an immediate and complete halt of settlement activities, Israel has not only continued, but intensified its expansionist colonial drive in the occupied Palestinian territory, including in and around occupied East Jerusalem."
9. Med shot, delegates
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Ron Prosor, Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations:
"How can Israel be expected to abide by the same agreements that the Palestinian leadership ignores whenever it's convenient? How can anyone expect the Israeli public to trust the Palestinian leadership when it signs future agreements? Would you make painful sacrifices? Would you give up tangibles in exchange for pieces of paper that the other side's proven more than willing to throw into the garbage?"
11. Med shot, delegates
12. Zoom in, Security Council

STORYLINE:

The world cannot afford to be complacent to the ongoing deadlock in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, a top United Nations official said today, stressing the urgent need to focus on the goal of a two state solution.

The Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman, told the Security Council, during a meeting on the situation in the Middle East that although both sides publicly indicate a commitment to negotiated peace, "creeping realities on the ground and the stalemate in diplomacy portray a more worrying situation."

Feltman said that "stated intentions to adhere to a two state solution are not translating into meaningful steps to renew dialogue and the core issues to be resolved."

He added that "this should be a matter of great concern to the Council."

The Under-Secretary-General stressed that "amid the seismic shifts being felt throughout the Middle East, we cannot afford to be complacent to the persisting deadlock between the Israelis and the Palestinians."

Violence and other sources of tension on the ground are making it all the more difficult to overcome the political stalemate, Feltman stated, noting concern about security in the West Bank, settler violence, continued settlement activity, Palestinian attacks against Israelis, as well as sporadic eruptions of violence in the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour told the Council that "despite all appeals and demands by the international community, including by this Security Council in numerous resolutions and by the Quartet for an immediate and complete halt of settlement activities, Israel has not only continued, but intensified its expansionist colonial drive in the occupied Palestinian territory, including in and around occupied East Jerusalem."

For his part, Israeli Ambassador Ron Prosor asked "how can Israel be expected to abide by the same agreements that the Palestinian leadership ignores whenever it's convenient? How can anyone expect the Israeli public to trust the Palestinian leadership when it signs future agreements? Would you make painful sacrifices? Would you give up tangibles in exchange for pieces of paper that the other side's proven more than willing to throw into the garbage?"

Filed under ISRAEL TERRITORIES OCCUPIED BY ISRAEL.