1st LD Writethru: UN chief stresses two-state solution on Day of Solidarity with Palestinians

UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday stressed that the two-state solution remains the only viable option for lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

"I remain convinced that the two-state solution ... is the only premise for a just, lasting and comprehensive peace between Israelis and Palestinians," said Guterres in a message on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity With the Palestinian People, which is generally observed on Nov. 29 each year to mark the anniversary of UN General Assembly Resolution 181.

Seventy years since the adoption of Resolution 181, which provides for the Partition Plan for Palestine, a sovereign and independent state of Palestine has yet to emerge alongside the state of Israel, said Guterres.

He encouraged leaders of Israel and Palestine to tangibly demonstrate their commitment to a negotiated peace and create the conditions for a return to meaningful negotiations. The recent positive developments on intra-Palestinian unity should be harnessed by all to move the process in the right direction, he noted.

"I reiterate my readiness to work with all stakeholders, including the Middle East Quartet and countries in the region, to support a serious political process, drawing on all relevant UN resolutions, international law and agreements, that will realize a two-state solution, end half a century of occupation and resolve all final status issues. Now is the time to end the conflict by establishing an independent Palestinian State, living side by side in peace and security with the State of Israel."

The resolution of this conflict would create momentum for greater stability throughout the region, he said in the message read by his deputy, Amina Mohammed, at an event at UN Headquarters in New York. Guterres is in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, for a summit between the African Union and the European Union.

Moving on to her own words, Mohammed called for efforts to achieve the goal of a Palestinian state.

"We must continue to collectively strive to reach this goal. We must focus on reversing the current negative trajectory and promoting confidence among Palestinians and Israelis that a peaceful future is possible," she said.

"Ending the occupation and achieving a two-state solution is the only path to enduring peace between Israelis and Palestinians. There is no other option. It is the only way to achieve the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. On this International Day of Solidarity, let us reaffirm our commitment to making the vision set out 70 years ago a reality."

Ending illegal Israeli settlement activity and demolitions in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is crucial to the viability of a future Palestinian state and to realizing the legitimate national and historic aspirations of both peoples. Eliminating violence and incitement is essential to building trust, she said.

Gaza remains squeezed by crippling closures and in a state of constant humanitarian emergency, with 2 million Palestinians struggling with crumbling infrastructure, an electricity crisis, a lack of basic services, chronic unemployment and a paralyzed economy -- all taking place amid an unfolding environmental disaster. This unsustainable reality demands urgent humanitarian, economic and political measures to support the Palestinian population, she said.

Recent headway in advancing Palestinian unity, particularly the full return of the Gaza crossings to the control of the Palestinian Authority on Nov. 1, is a landmark development, she said. "It is vital that all stakeholders work collectively and determinedly to maintain the positive momentum. Reconciliation is a key step in reaching the larger objective of a Palestinian state."

The Palestinian government should provide Palestinians living in Gaza a much-needed sense that Palestine is, and must remain, one, and enable Gazans to uphold their human dignity and begin rebuilding their lives, she said. Enditem