Mladenov: Palestinians' withdrawal from agreements is a ‘cry for help’

The Palestinian Authority decision to withdraw from its agreements with Israel is a “cry or help” with regard to pending Israeli plans to annex portions of the West Bank, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov said on Wednesday. “Whatever our individual assessments of the Palestinian reaction to the Israeli threat of annexation may be, it is certainly one thing – it is a desperate cry for help. It is a call for immediate action. It is a cry for help from a generation of a leadership that has invested its life in building institutions and preparing for statehood for over a quarter of a century,” Mladenov said. Mladenov spoke in a video conference meeting of the UN Security Council, which held is monthly debate on the Middle East peace process. “The Palestinian leadership is not threatening, it is calling for urgent action to preserve the prospect peace,” he added. Israel must abandon its pursuit of annexation, Mladenov said. The “continuing threat of annexation by Israel of parts of the West Bank would constitute a most serious violation of international law, deal a devastating blow to the two-state solution, close the door to a renewal of negotiations, and threaten efforts to advance regional peace and our broader efforts to maintain international peace and security,” he added. He called for the Quartet — made up of the European Union, the United States, Russia and the UN — to convene to mediate and to “work jointly with countries in the region to advance the prospect of peace.” Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Alekseevich Nebenzia said international cooperation was needed to move the peace process forward, particularly in light pending Israeli steps to annex parts of the West Bank. Abbas' announcement that the PA was no longer obligated to the Oslo Accords may mean that the door has closed on the peace process, he added. Russia as a member of the Middle East quartet is ready to fully engage in efforts to safeguard elements of past peace processes that worked toward a two-state solution at the pre-1967 lines, Nebenzia said. “Events show the urgent need to engage in efforts to salvage the peace process. We are ready to support and facilitate them as a member of the Quartet. We are also ready to engage with key regional countries kin order to consolidate collective efforts and to hold Quartet meetings with their participation,” Nebenzia said. Russia has long worked to play more of key role in facilitating Israeli-Palestinian peace and has long called to hold a peace summit in Russia. The Palestinians would also like to see a multilateral peace process, rather than a bilateral one led by the US. They have in particular turned to the EU and the UN. US Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft told the Security Council that was needed here was for the resumption of Israeli-Palestinian talks. “What is needed right now, if we hope to take even a first step in the right direction, is for the parties to sit down with one another. This Council cannot dictate the end to this conflict. We can only encourage the parties to sit down together to determine how they wish to make progress,' she said.

Mladenov: Palestinians' withdrawal from agreements is a ‘cry for help’

“The Palestinian leadership is not threatening, it is calling for urgent action to preserve the prospect peace,” he added.

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