Palestinians Look To Unsc To End Israeli Occupation

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki on Wednesday said his government would propose a resolution at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) aimed at ending Israel's longstanding occupation of Palestinian land.



He added that the new Palestinian unity government was in consultations with UNSC member states and regional groups with a view to drumming up support for the initiative.



At a press conference at Palestinian cabinet headquarters in Ramallah, al-Malki said that Jordan would propose the resolution on behalf of the Palestinian government as it is the only Arab country to currently enjoy temporary UNSC membership.



"We began discussing the draft resolution with other Arab countries at the U.N. on Monday," al-Malki said.



He added that slight changes had been proposed to the draft resolution – changes that had since been approved by Arab countries.



The Palestinian FM added that official consultations with UNSC member states would begin soon.



The proposal will seek to implement a "two-state solution" to the conflict, according to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who spoke before the U.N. General Assembly in New York last week.



Abbas said that a Palestinian state would be established on all territories occupied by Israel in and after 1967, and that this state – which would have East Jerusalem as its capital – would exist side-by-side with Israel.



The proposed resolution will also seek to resolve the issue of Palestinian refugees in a "just manner," while also setting a deadline for the implementation of the resolution's terms.



Palestinian negotiators also link implementation of the resolution with the resumption of peace talks with their Israeli counterparts.



Al-Malki said that, following the collapse of Palestinian-Israeli peace talks, the new Palestinian government had no other options than the UNSC by which to guarantee a deadline for ending the Israeli occupation.



"We just wanted to give life to the two-state solution and avoid a one-state solution," al-Malki said at the press conference.



He said his government did not want to adopt a confrontational attitude or hurt anybody.



"We just want to obtain our rights to a Palestinian state established within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital," he said, describing the proposed resolution as "do-able."



If the proposed resolution fails to obtain UNSC approval, he said, the Palestinian government would mull other options, including signing onto international treaties and applying for Palestinian membership in international organizations.



He added that the Palestinian leadership would also resort to the International Criminal Court with a view to holding Israel accountable for its recent 51-day onslaught on the blockaded Gaza Strip, in which more than 2,157 Palestinians were killed.



By Qais Abu Samra



englishnews@aa.com.tr



www.aa.com.tr/en - Ramallah