UN Advisor on Middle East Says Building Jewish Homes - Not Palestinian Terrorism - Undermining Two-State Solution

In his monthly briefing to the UN Security Council, UN "Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process" Nickolay Mladenov claimed that the building of Jewish homes was "deeply concerning" and "highly worrisome" - while the murder of Israelis in Palestinian stabbing and car ramming attacks was merely "also a concern" and "also worrying." Mladenov's statement on March 24, 2017 was the first report to the Security Council since the adoption in December 2016 of Security Council Resolution 2334, which requires all states to distinguish in their dealings between "settlements" and Israel and for the Secretary-General to report on implementation of the resolution to the Council every three months. (Mladenov delivered the report on behalf of the Secretary-General).

In Mladenov's words:

"During the reporting period there have been no developments related to Member States' distinguishing, in their relevant dealings, between the territory of the State of Israel and the territories occupied in 1967... On 6 February, the Israeli Parliament approved the so-called 'Regularisation Law' which, if implemented, would effectively authorise the taking of privately owned Palestinian land in occupied territory that has been used for settlement purposes... The January spike in illegal settlement announcements by Israel is deeply concerning... In this light, the adoption of the 'Regularisation Law' was a highly worrisome development... Settlement expansion undermines the very essence of the two state solution. Resolution 2334 states that the international community will not recognize any changes to the 4 June 1967 lines, including with regard to Jerusalem, other than those changes that are agreed by the parties through negotiations...

The continuing deadly violence in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory during the past three months also remains a concern. The recent increase in rockets fired from Gaza towards Israel is also a worrying development."