Some provocative steps taken by Israel threaten to finally ruin the prospects of implementing the "two-state" formula with Palestine. Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya said this on Wednesday, speaking at a meeting of the Security Council of the world organization.
According to him, Israel "continues to increase unilateral economic sanctions" and take "measures to expand and legalize its settlement policy," which includes expropriating Palestinian property as well as demolishing homes and building outposts. "According to the Jerusalem Institute for Applied Studies, a total of 243 illegal settlements have been established in the West Bank so far," the diplomat pointed out.
According to Nebenzya, every day there are reports of damage to Palestinian property, destruction of agricultural land and mass arrests, including without charges. "More than 815 such cases of detentions have been registered in the past year," Nebenzya noted. He added that against this backdrop, active discussions in the country's new leadership about reforming its legal system, "including to authorize the disproportionate use of force," are worrisome. The diplomat claims that this has met with resentment from Israeli citizens themselves, as evidenced by massive demonstrations in Tel Aviv.
"We are convinced that such unlawful and provocative steps threaten to permanently destroy the prospects for the eventual implementation of the UN-endorsed "two-state" formula - Israel and Palestine, coexisting in peace and security within the common borders of 1967," he said.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
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Based on materials from TASS