Israel to suspend over USD 6 mln for annual contribution to UN

NEW YORK, Jan 18 (KUNA) -- Israel announced to suspend more than USD six million from its annual contributions to the UN for 2017.
The announcement made by the Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon at the Security Council at the open debate on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.
In the wake of last month's resolution 2334, demanding Israel to "immediately and completely" cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and that it fully respect all of its legal obligations in this regard, Danon said they have decided that "enough is enough." The suspension of more than USD six million represents the portion of the UN budget allocated to anti-Israel bodies which represents the UN's double standard when it came to Israel.
He told the 15-member body that these organizations inject anti-Israel sentiments and prejudice into the UN system harm its credibility and violate the principles on which the UN itself was founded.
On his part, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov, told the Council by video teleconference, that despite the relative tranquility of the Israel-Palestinian conflict compared to other crises in the region, the specter of violence was always near.
The UN envoy said all stakeholders must avoid any unilateral action that would prejudge a negotiated final status solution.
Mladenov said that the international community has expressed its support for the two-state solution in recent weeks but added that what is needed is action, first and foremost by the parties themselves.
The open debate came two-days after the conference hosted in Paris on the peace process.
French Ambassador Francois Delattre told the press that he wanted to stress the three key priorities of the Paris conference that are reflected in the joint declaration adopted on Sunday.
The first goal he told the press of the conference was to bring back the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to the international agenda, as a key priority. "It was very important because we collectively believe that the two-state solution is threatened on the ground as well as in the minds and hearts and that this unresolved conflict has wide consequences in the whole region, including for the security of Israel that we are very attached to," he added.
The second priority, also reflected in the Paris communique, was to allow the international community to reaffirm its shared vision of the two-state solution, meaning also to call again for the halt of the settlements policy and to condemn all violence against civilians, including acts of terror. The very large participation of more than 70 countries and international organizations in the Paris conference speaks for itself, he highlighted.
As for the third objective, Delattre said was to propose a package of positive incentives so that the two-parties see a clear interest in getting back to the negotiating table. "Not to impose a solution of course, it was never envisaged, but to encourage the parties to go back to peace. And we believe that both parties, the Palestinians but also the Israelis, have a key interest in peace, and therefore in coming back to the negotiating table," he added. (end) mao.gta