United Nations: Israeli and Palestinian leaders blamed for Road Map's failure
Since September 2000, 3,553 Palestinians and 949 Israelis have died.
New York (AsiaNews) "Palestinian reform continues to be slow and mostly cosmetic because of a lack of political will to address the root causes of the problem. Violence has continued over the past month with more than 50 Palestinians killed and at least 20 Israelis injured. Since the outbreak of the Intifada in September 2000, 3,553 Palestinians and 949 Israelis have died. Without a common effort by both sides, it will be hard to find a positive solution to the question." This is what Undersecretary General for Political Affairs Kieran Prendergast said in a press briefing following the Security Council meeting yesterday.
Last month the Palestinians threatened to bar top UN Middle East official Terje Roed Larsen from entering their territory because he had criticised the Palestinian Authority (PA) for stonewalling.
In his briefing Mr Prendergast outlined the lack of any real progress on resuming the Middle East peace process. "Both sides are to be blamed," he said. "Israeli civilians are being attacked and Palestinians civilians are victims of Israeli military operations. Lack of political will means slow progress in the implementation of Palestinian reform."
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat did announce his intention to reform PA security forces and give up some power, but so far his promises have not led to any changes.
Despite his criticism the Palestinian delegation at the United Nations welcomed Prendergast's briefing as being more balanced than that given by Mr Roed Larsen last month, guilty in their eyes of having harshly criticised the PA and said that it was "in danger of collapse".
Kieran Prendergast criticised Israel as well for its endless operations in the Occupied Territories and for its targeted killings.
The Undersecretary expressed his strong belief that, backed by the UN, Russia, the European Union and the US, the road map was the only realistic solution to get out of what he called the "current hopeless situation". (DS)
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28/02/2019 18:33
