United Nations S/ PV.7929 Security Council Provisional Seventy-second year 7929th meeting Thursday, 20 April 2017, 10 a.m. New York President: Mrs. Haley/Ms. Sison ............................ (United States of America) Members: Bolivia (Plurinational State of) ..................... Mr. Llorentty Solíz China ......................................... Mr. Liu Jieyi Egypt ......................................... Mr. Aboulatta Ethiopia ....................................... Mr. Alemu France ........................................ Mr. Delattre Italy .......................................... Mr. Cardi Japan ......................................... Mr. Bessho Kazakhstan .................................... Mr. Rakhmetullin Russian Federation ............................... Mr. Iliichev Senegal ....................................... Mr. Seck Sweden ....................................... Mr. Skoog Ukraine ....................................... Mr. Kyslytsya United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland .. Mr. Rycroft Uruguay ....................................... Mr. Rosselli Agenda The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question Letter dated 10 April 2017 from the Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General (S/2017/305) This record contains the text of speeches delivered in English and of the translation of speeches delivered in other languages. The final text will be printed in the Official Records of the Security Council. Corrections should be submitted to the original languages only. They should be incorporated in a copy of the record and sent under the signature of a member of the delegation concerned to the Chief of the Verbatim Reporting Service, room U-0506 ([email protected]). Corrected records will be reissued electronically on the Official Document System of the United Nations (http://documents.un.org). 17-10629 (E) *1710629* S/PV.7929 The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question 20/04/2017 The meeting was called to order at 10.10 a.m. There being no objection, it is so decided. The Security Council will now begin its consideration Adoption of the agenda of the item on its agenda. The agenda was adopted. I wish to draw the attention of Council members to document S/2017/305, which contains a letter dated The situation in the Middle East, including the 10 April 2017 from my delegation addressed to the Palestinian question Secretary-General transmitting a concept note on the Letter dated 10 April 2017 from the Permanent item under consideration. Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations addressed to the I welcome Mr. Mladenov and give him the floor. Secretary-General (S/2017/305) Mr. Mladenov: I thank you, Madam President, for The President: In accordance with rule 37 of this opportunity to again address the Council on the the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian the representatives of Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brazil, question. I took note of the presidency’s interest this Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Haiti, Iceland, Indonesia, month in discussing a number of issues pertaining the Islamic Republic of Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, to the Middle East and North Africa region. I will Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Maldives, Morocco, therefore highlight some of them in my presentation Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, and defer to my fellow United Nations envoys who Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, the Syrian regularly brief the Council for greater detail on many Arab Republic, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, of these challenges. Uzbekistan, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and Today, a perfect storm has engulfed the Middle Viet Nam to participate in this meeting. East and continues to threaten international peace I propose that the Council invite the Permanent and security. Millions have been displaced in the Observer of the Observer State of Palestine to the United biggest refugee crisis since the Second World War. Nations to participate in this meeting, in accordance In many countries, societies have fractured along with the provisional rules of procedure and the previous ethnic or religious lines. Non-State actors have taken practice in this regard. control of territory and terror attacks have spread indiscriminately, striking civilians of all origin and There being no objection, it is so decided. confession. From the onset, I would like to pay tribute to In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s the countless victims of these senseless acts of violence provisional rules of procedure, I invite Mr. Nickolay and call on the international community to show its Mladenov, Special Coordinator for the Middle East full and unwavering commitment to defeating terror Peace Process and Personal Representative of the and incitement, to supporting the forces of moderation Secretary-General, to participate in this meeting. against extremism, and to untangling the Gordian knot of political, economic and foreign forces that are In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s driving the myriad conflicts in the Middle East. provisional rules of procedure, I also invite the following individuals to participate in this meeting: His Developments in the Arab-Israeli conflict continue Excellency Mr. Neville Melvin Gertze, Vice-Chairman, to resonate across the region. The question of Palestine Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of remains a potent symbol and rallying cry that is easily the Palestinian People, and His Excellency Mr. João Vale misappropriated and exploited by extremist groups. de Almeida, Head of the Delegation of the European Ending the occupation and realizing a two-State solution Union to the United Nations. will not solve all the region’s problems, but as long as the conflict persists it will continue to feed them. I propose also that the Council invite the Permanent Observer of the Observer State of the Holy See to Sporadic violence has continued in recent weeks, the United Nations to participate in this meeting, in as five Palestinians and one Israeli were killed in accordance with the provisional rules of procedure and various acts of violence. Among the fatalities were the previous practice in this regard. two Palestinian teenaged boys, shot by Israeli security 2/65 17-10629 20/04/2017 The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question S/PV.7929 forces outside Ramallah, as well as a British woman forces and members of Islamist militants with links to who was murdered by a Palestinian man in Jerusalem. Al-Qaeda in Lebanon’s Ein El-Hilweh Palestine refugee camp. I note that young Palestinians in refugee camps In March, Israel approved the establishment of a across the region remain particularly vulnerable to new settlement and declared some 240 acres as State extremists and religious radicals, as living conditions land inside the occupied Palestinian territory. These in these communities remain extremely harsh. On moves further undermine the territorial contiguity of 17 April, an estimated 1,500 Palestinian prisoners and a future Palestinian State in the West Bank. Tenders detainees began an open-ended hunger strike to protest for close to 2,000 housing units, the vast majority in major population centres close to the 1967 lines, were their conditions in Israeli prisons. I am also concerned also issued. I take note of recent reports that Israel has by today’s report of an attempt to smuggle explosive adopted a policy of restraint by which construction will material from Gaza into Israel via medical material. be advanced “almost exclusively” in the built-up areas Such actions will only exacerbate existing tensions. of settlements, but it is too early to determine how this Turning to some broader regional dynamics, policy will manifest itself on the ground. Settlement several States of the region continue to bear a massive construction is illegal under international law and I burden from the flood of Syrian refugees. While urge all such activities to cease. the international community must do more to stand On the Palestinian side, multiple worrying in solidarity with Syria’s neighbours by increasing developments are further cementing the Gaza-West assistance and burden-sharing, the underlying causes Bank divide and dangerously increasing the risk of of displacement must be addressed through a political escalation. In April, the Palestinian Government solution to the ongoing conflict. reduced payments to thousands of Palestinian Authority In Syria, a democracy deficit, systematic repression employees in the Gaza Strip. It is important that the and wholesale human rights violations, including by burden of decisions to reduce expenditures be fairly the Government — which holds the primary obligation distributed and made with due consideration to the to protect the human rights of all civilians in the harsh conditions under which people in Gaza live. country — have combined with a prolonged conflict Four months ago, Palestinians in Gaza went to the to create a fertile ground for sectarian polarization, streets when people were left with only a few hours radicalism and violent extremism. One of the greatest of electricity per day. The situation was temporarily contributions we all can make today to the defeat of resolved with the help of Qatar; however, a more serious listed terrorist organizations such as the Islamic State crisis is now