Russia said on Tuesday that the main reason for the outbreak of violence in the occupied territories is Israel's unilateral actions. Palestine demanded recognition as an "independent state" and support for the two-state solution.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in a speech at the UN Security Council meeting on the Palestinian issue that the main reason for the outbreak of violence between the Palestinians and Israel is unilateral (Israeli) steps to create facts on the ground and use force to protect them.

"We cannot accept settlement expansion, home demolitions, confiscation of (Palestinian) land, mass arrests. On the other hand, we do not turn a blind eye to the extremism of discourse on the Palestinian street."

"Against the background of all this, we believe that all factors must be grouped around the two-state solution, which includes a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital," Lavrov said, stressing that it will only be possible to restore trust through direct negotiations on all core issues.


The Russian minister expressed regret that the United States and the European Union did not contribute to the process, "but they continue to take unhelpful and unfair steps towards all parties."

Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations have stalled since April 2014, partly because of Israel's refusal to release former detainees, halt settlement construction, and evade the two-state solution.

Violations and denial of rights

For his part, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said in a speech during the meeting, "The process of displacement and replacement of Palestinians is still underway with one goal that is being sought in broad daylight, which is annexation," referring to Israel's efforts to annex the West Bank.

Al-Maliki stressed that the Nakba of the Palestinian people has been prolonged, the longest period of denial of national, collective and individual rights in the world caused by the longest occupation in modern history.

Maliki called on the international community to support the two-state solution and recognize Palestine as an independent state (Reuters)

He touched on the daily violations practiced by the Israeli occupation authorities and settler terrorism, and called for the recognition of the State of Palestine, asking, "How can any country that supports the two-state solution and peace justify the non-recognition so far of the State of Palestine, without which there is no two-state solution?"

"If there is no recognition of the state of Palestine now that it is under vital threat, when will the international community do so?"

Before the Security Council session, Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan demanded that it be postponed because Israel celebrated Memorial Day, but Russia, which holds the rotating presidency of the Council this April, refused, according to Yedioth Ahronoth, which stated that the Israeli ambassador left the session after refusing to postpone it.

Memorial Day commemorates soldiers killed in Israeli combat this year on April 25.


Continuous communication

The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, said he was in constant contact with the parties concerned to calm tensions in the Palestinian territories and chart a political path forward.

In his speech to the Security Council, the UN official called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and refrain from taking any steps that may aggravate the situation, and to take decisive steps to implement what was agreed upon in the meetings of Aqaba and Sharm el-Sheikh.

On February 26, a meeting between the Palestinian and Israeli sides, attended by representatives of the United States, Jordan and Egypt, was held in the southern Jordanian city of Aqaba, which resulted in another meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh on March 19, to discuss the truce between the Palestinian and Israeli sides.

Wennesland also called for the need to respect the status quo of the holy sites in Jerusalem in line with the special role of the Custodian of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, expressing grave concern about the violence and provocative acts in recent weeks, especially the violent confrontations inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque.