Palestinians call for UN Security Council action Israel responds to ‘patients meeting’
Concerns were voiced at the United Nations Security Council about a shake-up to the status quo amid rising tensions over the forced visit of Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gbir, who has far-right leanings, to the Holy Land in Jerusalem.
According to Reuters and AFP, a Security Council meeting was held on the 5th (local time) at the United Nations headquarters in New York to discuss Minister Ben-Gbir’s visit to the Holy Land.
The meeting was held at the request of China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Khaled Kiari, deputy secretary-general for Middle East and Asia-Pacific affairs at the United Nations Department of Peace and Policy-Building (DPPA), explained that it was the first time an Israeli minister had visited the site since 2017. Sounds especially provocative, considering he defended
Earlier, UN Secretary-General António Guterres had urged people to refrain from activities that could escalate tensions in and around the Holy Land.
“I am concerned about any unilateral action that could exacerbate tensions or undermine the viability of a bilateral solution,” said Robert Wood, deputy US ambassador to the United Nations.
“We note that Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government platform calls for maintaining the status quo regarding the Holy Land,” he said, “we expect the Israeli government to deliver on this promise.”
Previously, on the 3rd, Minister Ben-Gbir had caused a sensation by visiting the sacred site of East Jerusalem, where the Al-Aqsa mosque is located, one of the three holiest places in Islam.
Minister Ben-Gbir is a person who has provoked strong opposition from the Muslim world by saying that prayers and worship for Jews should be allowed, which are forbidden in this holy place.
While he hasn’t made such an argument since joining Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government, he is still supported by members of his far-right Otsma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party.
Palestine has called on the Security Council to act on the situation.
However, Reuters stressed that no effective action is expected considering that the United States, which has a veto power, is a traditional ally of Israel.
Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian Authority’s ambassador to the United Nations, criticized Israel for showing “absolute contempt” not only for the Palestinians, but also for the Security Council and the international community as a whole, saying: “What red line must cross Israel before the Security Council says ‘Enough’?”
Gilad Erdan, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, met with reporters ahead of the meeting and criticized the meeting itself as absurd and pathetic.
He said there was no reason to hold a meeting, saying: “To hold a Security Council meeting on something that is not an event is absolutely absurd. It is pathetic to argue that such a brief and perfectly legal visit should lead to a emergency meeting of the Security Council”.
“Jews can visit Judaism’s holiest sites,” Erdan said.
“This is the right of all Jews,” he said.
The Security Council has adopted several resolutions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and has taken the position of supporting a bilateral solution for peace in the Middle East.
/yunhap news
