1st LD Writethru: UN envoy asks for action to change trajectory of Mideast peace

UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- A UN envoy on Thursday called for international action to reverse the current negative trend in the Palestinian-Israeli peace process and help the two sides rebuild trust.

"We can wait no longer to reverse the current negative trajectory of this conflict," Nikolay Mladenov, UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, told the Security Council.

"Every illegal settlement advancement (by Israel), every person killed and every failed effort in Gaza makes it more difficult for Palestinians and Israelis to overcome their divisions, rebuild trust, and invest in the goal of resolving the conflict. It is time to break this destructive pattern and begin again to lay the foundations for peace."

He warned that the peace process is at a critical point as the uncertainty and volatility of the current environment is hardening positions and sharpening the rhetoric on all sides, a situation that plays directly into the hands of extremists and increases the risk of another conflict.

"The international community must continue to build the conditions necessary for a resumption of talks. We must also reaffirm the international consensus that the two-state solution remains the only viable option for a just and sustainable end to the conflict. We must be unwavering in this position," Mladenov told the Security Council via teleconference from Jerusalem.

"Our choice is clear. We either take urgent concrete steps to reverse this perilous course or risk another conflict and humanitarian disaster," he noted.

"We -- the United Nations, the Security Council, the international community -- have a responsibility to prove that those who believe in violence and confrontation are wrong. But not only to prove them wrong, but to work with the Palestinian and Israeli leaders to return to the table of negotiations and quickly show tangible results that will empower those who believe in peace and thwart those who uphold terror."

"Now is the time to push for policies on the ground that rebuild trust; now is the time to engage on final-status issues on the basis of international consensus; now is the time to show political leadership to remove the obstacles to a sustainable solution," said Mladenov.

He noted that Israeli settlement activities are continuing despite broad international condemnation. "Settlement construction is illegal under international law and is one of the major obstacles to peace. Settlement-related activities undermine the chances for the establishment of a viable, contiguous Palestinian state as part of a negotiated two-state solution."

Mladenov expressed concern over a U.S. cut in funding for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), saying the U.S. cut will increase anxieties for 5.3 million Palestinian refugees "who have already suffered the longest protracted refugee crisis in the world."

He also expressed concern over the repercussions of U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital.

The decision-making Palestinian Central Council met in Ramallah on Jan. 14-15, he noted. In its final statement, the council rejected the United States as a partner until it cancels this decision and rescinds both the designation of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as a terrorist organization and the closure of the PLO office in Washington, said Mladenov.

The council further declared that the Oslo process, which reflects international consensus on the two-state solution, was no longer valid and tasked the PLO Executive Committee to suspend the recognition of Israel until it recognizes the State of Palestine and annuls its annexation of East Jerusalem; to halt security coordination and to revisit economic relations with Israel, he noted.

"We are yet to see whether these decisions will be adopted by the PLO Executive Committee and implemented."

Trump on Thursday threatened to further cut aid to Palestinians unless they negotiate with the Israelis.

"That (U.S.) money is on the table and that money is not going to them unless they sit down and negotiate peace," said Trump in Davos, Switzerland.

Mladenov stressed the the importance of maintaining support for strengthening Palestinian institutions and enhancing service delivery to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. "Allowing the Palestinian national project to backslide at this delicate stage risks further destabilizing an already precarious situation. The recent cuts to UNRWA funding only reinforces these concerns."

"I encourage all parties to refrain from action and rhetoric that will further undermine the chances of returning to meaningful negotiations and to continue their engagement in the interest of peace," said Mladenov. Enditem