23 Jan 2013

UN / MIDDLE EAST

Richard Serry, the UN's Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process told the Security Council today (23 January) reconciliation and negotiations remain between Hamas and Fatah are essential for achieving the two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians. UNTV

Posted at: January 23, 2013 5:46 pm

Duration: 04:33

Available in: SD

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STORY: UN / MIDDLE EAST
TRT: 4.33
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / ARABIC / NATS

DATELINE: 23 JANUARY 2013, NEW YORK

SHOTLIST:

FILE – 2011, UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations Headquarters

23 JANUARY 2013, NEW YORK

2. Wide shot, Security Council Chamber
3. Cutaway, delegates
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert Serry, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Process, United Nations:
"We should be under no illusion: the viability of the Palestinian Authority will be increasingly at stake if its standing is based on political 'quick sand'. Ultimately, there is no future for the Palestinian Authority without a two-state solution."
5. Cutaway, delegates
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert Serry, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Process, United Nations:
"Reconciliation and negotiations remain essential for achieving the two-state solution. The peace process and reconciliation is not an "either-or" must be made compatible by advancing both in a mutually reinforcing way. But for real progress to be made, the time has come for Hamas to make clear where it stands on the central issues at stake."
7. Cutaway, delegates
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert Serry, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Process, United Nations:
"Is Israel is serious about the two-state solution it must recognize the negative impact of continued settlement construction. Palestinian seriousness could be demonstrated by pausing further action in the international arena while talks begin."
9. Cutaway, delegates
10. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Riad Malki, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the State of Palestine:
"Israel's illegal settlement campaign also continues the main obstacle to the attainment of a peace based on the vision of two States living side by side in peace and security on the basis of the pre-1967 borders. A halt to settlement construction is not a precondition; it is a legal obligation."
11. Cutaway, delegates
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Ambassador Ron Prosor, Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations:
"The Palestinians have not lifted a finger to restart negotiations. We've not seen single gesture, not a single statement, not a single indication that they want to return to negotiations. Just ten days ago after president Abbas spoke to the entire world about his commitment to a two-state solution his political party, the Fatah, a released a new logo that completely erased the state of Israel from the map."
13. Cutaway, delegates
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Ambassador Susan Rice, permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations:
"The United States remains fully committed to direct negotiations and we will continue to work vigorously towards that end. We are consulting with the parties and international partners on the way forward and we are underscoring that every step taken must aim to reduce tensions and create a climate for peace."
15. Cutaway, delegates
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Ambassador Susan Rice, permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations:
"We are continuing our efforts to support the Syrian opposition coalition as it works towards a more unified opposition that is able to start addressing the needs of the Syrian people now. We're supporting the coalition's assistance coordination unit so that increased assistance gets to local councils proving basic services. In addition to over 210 million dollars in humanitarian assistance the United States has contributed over 50 million dollars to bolster Syria's civil society, including its emerging leaders to help them communicate, organize and prepare for an eventual political transition."
17. Cutaway, delegates
18. SOUNDBITE (English) Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations:
"The history and politics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict show that serious and external leadership is also required to reinvigorate a return to negotiations. We look in particular to the United States to show that leadership and to drive the peace process forward. The United Kingdom, with our European partners, stand ready to offer significant political and practical support."
19. Cutaway, delegates
20. SOUNDBITE (English) Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations:
"We must be realistic; no opposition movement that wants to play a role in Syria's future is going to be prepared to work with Assad. You can make a strong moral argument for Assad's departure but there is an equally strong practical reality, any transition that involves him is simply not sustainable. There needs to be a clear break  from the leader who has unleashed this carnage on his own people. We want this Council to play the role that it was established to fulfil. Its failure to do so so far is a stain on its reputation."
21. Cutaway delegates
22. Wide shot, Security Council

STORYLINE:

Richard Serry, The United Nations (UN) Special Coordinator for the Middle East Process today briefed the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East.
He said the budget deficit of the Palestinian Authority exceeded one billion US dollars and that while international contributions amounted to 600 million US dollars, further timely disbursement of aid was essential. Serry said, "We should be under no illusion: the viability of the Palestinian Authority will be increasingly at stake if its standing is based on political 'quick sand'", adding that "ultimately", there was no future for a Palestinian Authority without a two-state solution.
Referring to a  17 January meeting that members of the Fatah and Hamas parties held in Cairo -  the first of a series of regular meetings - Serry said that "reconciliation and negotiations" remained essential for achieving the two-state solution.

He said that the peace process and reconciliation, was not an 'either-or', that for real progress to be made, "the time has come for Hamas to make clear where it stands on the central issues at stake".

Serry stressed that if Israel was serious about the two-state solution, "it must recognize the negative impact of the continued settlement construction" and to the Palestinians he said that their seriousness could be demonstrated by "pausing further action in the international arena" while talks began.

Direct negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians have yet to resume since talks stalled in September 2010, after Israel refused to extend its freeze on settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory. 
Riad Malki Minister for Foreign Affairs of the State of Palestine said Israel's "illegal settlement campaign" continued to be the main obstacle to the attainment of a peace. He said that "a halt to settlement construction is not a precondition; it is a legal obligation". Israeli Ambassador Ron Prosor said the Palestinians had "not lifted a finger to restart negotiations". He said "We've not seen single gesture, not a single statement, not a single indication that they want to return to negotiations".

He said that ten days ago the Fatah party had released a new logo "that completely erased the state of Israel from the map".

United States Ambassador Susan Rice said the US remained "fully committed to direct negotiations". She said that the US was consulting with the parties and international partners on the way forward while underscoring that "every step taken must aim to reduce tensions and create a climate for peace".

British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant said that historically serious and external leadership was required to reinvigorate a return to Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and he looked to the United States to show that leadership, "and to drive the peace process forward".

Commenting on the situation in Syria Ambassador Rice said her country was continuing with its efforts to support the Syrian opposition coalition as it worked towards a more unified opposition able to address the needs of its people. Lyall Grant said that no opposition wanting to play a role in Syria's future was going to be prepared to work with President Bashar Assad.

He also stressed on the need for the Security Council to play the role that it was established to fulfil adding that "Its failure to do so far is a stain on its reputation".