“The Security Council reiterates that continued Israeli settlement activities are dangerously endangering the viability of the two-state solution based on the 1967 borders.” In a statement unanimously approved by the February 20thil UN Security Council expresses “deep concern and dismay” at Israel’s continued construction and expansion of settlements in the Palestinian territories of the West Bank. However, the Council had to vote on a draft resolution legally bindingdrawn up by United Arab Emirates together with Palestinian National Authority officials (Anp), which allegedly called on Israel to “immediately and completely cease all settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory”. According to US media reports, the resolution and the vote were withdrawn due to pressure from the US government, which promised the Palestinians a financial aid package and a six-month suspension of any unilateral action by Israel . The answer of Benjamin Netanyahu however, she was not long in coming and, in a statement released by her office, Bibi stated that “the declaration denies the right of Jews to live in our historic homeland” explaining that “it fails to mention the Palestinian terrorist attacks in which they were killed Israelis in recent weeks,” regretting US support for the statement.
The role of the USA and the secret talks between Palestine and Israel – In the days leading up to the Security Council meeting, the administration Biden he tried in every way to convince the Palestinian delegation to change their requests to avoid a potential diplomatic crisis in the entire Middle East area. The United States in fact, they would have almost certainly vetoed a resolution having legal constraints, thus opting for the presidential declaration, a more “symbolic” solution than effective, above all in order not to trigger disputes with supporters of the Palestinian cause, at a time when Washington is trying to get maximum international support against the Russia for his war with Ukraine. However, the PNA’s decision did not convince the Palestinians. Speaking to Al Jazeerathe Palestinian MP Mustafa Barghouti he said the Palestinian Authority’s decision to withdraw the vote “goes against the Palestinian national struggle.” Meanwhile, according to what the US news site reveals Axiossecret talks have been going on for weeks between Israel and the presidential office of Mahmoud Abbas to reduce tensions in West Bank. In the days leading up to the swearing-in of the new Israeli government, Palestinian civil affairs minister Hussein al-Sheikh sent a message to Netanyahu’s office through the Biden administration explaining the Palestinian Authority’s willingness to collaborate with the new Prime Minister. Netanyahu, for his part, has appointed the national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi at the helm of the secret discussions which in recent days have focused on the suspension of the vote in the UN Security Council. Again according to reports Axios however, it is not clear whether all the leaders of the parties that are part of Netanyahu’s coalition are aware of the talks and their contents.
The role of the EU and relations with the new Israeli executive – The statement by the Security Council echoes that the February 14th the foreign ministers of Italy, France, Germany, United Kingdom and United States jointly released and in which they express “deep shock at the Israeli government’s announcement of the advancement of approximately 10,000 settlement units and its intention to begin the normalization process of nine outposts” and to which Israel responded, for mouth of his foreign minister So Cohen, stating that “it will in no case accept the intervention of European countries in the Israeli-Palestinian question”. Meanwhile, the new far-right Israeli executive chaired by Netanyahu is pursuing its agenda. The February 16th the Knesset, with a majority of 94 votes favorable and 10 contrary, passed a law making it easier for Israeli authorities to revoke citizenship and residency of Palestinians imprisoned for “acts of terror.” The new law complements one that already exists and which allows for the revocation of Palestinian citizenship and residency in Israel and Jerusalem on the basis of acts that constitute “a violation of loyalty to the State of Israel”. “A racist and arbitrary law that constantly endangers and threatens the citizenship and residence of Palestinians,” she commented to Al Jazeera Salam Irsheid, lawyer of the Legal Center for the rights of Arab minorities in Israel, who represent about 20% of the total population. At least others 350 miles Palestinians live in Gerusalemme Eastwhich Israel illegally occupied and annexed in 1967.