Statement by Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Minister of Foreign Affairs if the Republic of South Africa at the United Nations Security Council Debate on the Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question

26 September 2008

Mr. President,

We thank you for convening this meeting.  We would like to thank the representatives of the League of Arab States, Saudi Arabia, Palestine and Israel for their respective statements and we are also pleased that we were able to accommodate the request of the Arab Ministers for a meeting this week. 

Mr President,

After the commitments made at the Annapolis Conference, South Africa thought that settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian Territories would cease.  The settlements are illegal, changes the facts on the ground and are a key obstacle to the peace process.  The Geneva Convention relating to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949 prohibits the occupying Power from transferring parts of its own civilian population to the territory it occupies.  My delegation joins the global community in calling for an end to Israeli settlement activity in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.  We urge this Council to demand that Israel immediately and completely freeze all settlement activity, including natural growth, and dismantle outposts erected since March 2001, in order not to change facts on the ground and prejudice final status negotiations.

Mr President,

The deadline set by the Annapolis process for a peace agreement by the end of this year is drawing close.  Despite assurances that negotiations are continuing, the situation on the ground has not improved significantly since the start of this process.  In fact, in some areas such as settlement activity, it has further deteriorated.  Both parties to the negotiation process, Israel and Palestine, have the obligation to recommit to the peace process but any positive political progress must result in visible progress on the ground. 

We continue to encourage both the Palestinians and the Israelis to persist with their negotiations to achieve the goal of the establishment of an independent, economically viable state of Palestine living side-by-side with Israel, with both States enjoying secure and internationally recognized borders.  This vision of a two-State solution has already been enshrined in various United Nations resolutions.  But clearly the increased settlement activity is threatening the possibility of this viable Palestinian State.

Mr President,

We reiterate that the primary responsibility for peace and security lies with the two sides.  This Council should also do its part and not neglect, as it is currently doing, its Charter mandated responsibility to assist in the attainment of this goal.

I thank you.

End