Quartet Appeals to Israel, Palestinians for Two-state Solution within Two Years
The Quartet of Middle East peace mediators have appealed to Israel and the Palestinians for resumption of peace process so that a two-state solution is achieved within 24 months, said media reports.
“The Quartet believes these negotiations should lead to a settlement, negotiated between the parties within 24 months, that ends the occupation that began in 1967 and results in the emergence of an independent, democratic and viable Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with Israel and its other neighbors,” a joint statement read by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said as per reports.
“The Quartet reiterates that Arab-Israeli peace and the establishment of a peaceful state of Palestine in the West Bank and Gaza is in the fundamental interest of the parties, of all states in the region, and of the international community,” the statement was quoted as saying. “In this regard the Quartet calls on all states to support dialogues between the parties.”
The Quartet, which includes the US, Russia, the UN and the European Union, held meeting in Moscow in a bid to resolve the latest crisis in peace process between Israel and the Palestinians, reports said.
After the meeting, the mediators urged Israel to ice up its all settlement activities, flaying its recent decision to sanction construction project in East Jerusalem, said reports.
“The Quartet urges the government of Israel to freeze all settlement activities … and to refrain from demolitions and evictions,” said the statement read by Ban.
At the beginning of the discussions, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted as saying: “All of us today hope to arrive at some common conclusions which will help to promote the beginning of a dialogue between the two sides.”
On Thursday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton telephonically discussed with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu steps to improve the outlook for Israeli-Palestinian peace.
Nir Chefetz, Netanyahu’s spokesman, said that the Israeli leader had proposed some ‘mutual confidence-building steps’ that both Israel and the Palestinians could take in the West Bank.
He, however, refused to spell these out, reports said.
(Based on internet reports)
