(The Age, 25/1/2024)
Can the USA seriously believe that whilst Netanyahu is in power there will ever be any Palestinian state? This government, led by one of the most evil men in the world, will only ever be satisfied by the total destruction / displacement of all Palestinians whilst claiming Palestinians / Hamas wants to destroy the state of Israel / all Jews – if it wasn’t so serious it would be laughable – Mark
New York: The United Nations chief has warned Israel that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rejection of a two-state solution will indefinitely prolong a conflict that is threatening global peace and emboldening extremists everywhere.
In his toughest language yet on the Israel-Hamas war, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told a ministerial meeting of the UN Security Council that “the right of the Palestinian people to build their own fully independent state must be recognised by all, and a refusal to accept the two-state solution by any party must be firmly rejected”.
The alternative of a one-state solution “with such a large number of Palestinians inside without any real sense of freedom, rights and dignity … will be inconceivable,” he said.
Guterres also warned that the risks of regional escalation of the conflict “are now becoming a reality,” pointing to Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Pakistan. He urged all parties “to step back from the brink and to consider the horrendous costs” of a wider war.
Netanyahu’s rejection of a Palestinian state in any post-war scenario opened a wide rift with Israel’s closest ally, the United States, which says the war must lead to negotiations for a two-state solution where Israel and the Palestinians can live side-by-side in peace. That goal is supported by countries around the world, as ministers and ambassadors reiterated on Wednesday (AEDT).
Uzra Zeya, the US State Department’s under-secretary for civilian security, democracy and human rights, told the council, “A key component of US diplomacy is to pursue a pathway both to a Palestinian state and normalisation and integration between Israel and other regional states”.
“The goal is a future where Gaza is never again used as a platform for terror, and a future where Palestinians have a state of their own,” she said, reiterating the Biden administration’s call on Israel to do more to protect Palestinian civilians.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov countered that American diplomacy “oscillates between vetoing resolutions about the ceasefire and at the same time calling for a reduction in the intensity of hostilities in Gaza”.
“Without a doubt this serves as carte blanche for the ongoing collective punishment of Palestinians,” Lavrov told the council.
Guterres repeated his longstanding call for a humanitarian ceasefire – an appeal with overwhelming global support.
But Israel’s UN ambassador Gilad Erdan again rejected a ceasefire, saying Hamas, which carried out a brutal attack on southern Israel on October 7, was committed to attacking again and destroying Israel, and a halt to fighting would only allow the militants “to regroup and rearm”.
He urged the Security Council to “eliminate the root” of the conflict, which he said was Iran.
Erdan strongly criticised the presence of Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian at the council meeting, saying the country provided weapons to Hamas, to Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon and Houthi militants in Yemen, “and soon these acts will be carried out under a nuclear umbrella” and “Iran’s terror will reach all of you”.
Iran has long denied seeking nuclear weapons and insists its nuclear program is entirely for peaceful purposes. But the UN nuclear watchdog has warned that Iran has enough enriched uranium for nuclear bombs if it chose to build them.
Amirabdollahian didn’t mention the nuclear program, but he said Israel that it would not destroy Hamas, its stated goal.
“The killing of civilians in Gaza and the West Bank cannot continue on to the so-called total destruction of Hamas because that time will never come,” he said. “Stopping the genocide in Gaza is the main key to security in the region.”
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said Israel was carrying out “the most savage bombing campaign” since World War II, which was leading to famine and the massive displacement of civilians. “This is an assault of atrocities,” which has destroyed countless innocent lives, he said.
The Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza says more than 25,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel started its campaign in October, which has caused widespread destruction, displaced an estimated 85 per cent of Gaza’s 2.3 million people, and left one-quarter facing starvation.
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