Delivered by the Deputy Permanent Representative of Estonia to the UN Mr. Gert Auväärt
I would like to thank Special Coordinator Mladenov for his briefing.
During the past months Estonia has repeatedly called for keeping the momentum alive for moving towards peace between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Hopefully the recent development of announcing normalization of bilateral relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates will contribute to this end. Estonia welcomes this historical announcement and the role played by the United States in this respect. We believe the normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates will contribute also to the stability of the whole region.
It is positive that along with this agreement Israel is committing to suspend plans to unilaterally annex areas of the occupied Palestinian territory. We also join the UN Secretary-General in his hope that this will create an opportunity for Israeli and Palestinian leaders to re-engage in meaningful negotiations.
Estonia remains committed to a negotiated two-State solution, based on internationally agreed parameters and relevant UN resolutions, taking into account the legitimate aspirations of both parties and Israeli security concerns. Only direct and meaningful negotiations between the parties can resolve the final status issues and achieve a just and lasting peace.
As the outbreak of COVID-19 continues in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, a need for unity and solidarity is even more important and we underline the continued importance of cooperation between Israeli and Palestinian authorities to tackle the pandemic.
Estonia strongly calls upon all parties to refrain from any unilateral steps, which could undermine the viability of the two-state solution and increase instability in the region. This includes Israel’s settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian Territories, including in East Jerusalem, which is illegal under international law.
We call on the Palestinian Authority to reconsider its announcement of suspending agreements with Israel, including in the area of security. This would be especially vital in the context of COVID-19.
We are deeply worried about the gradual increase of violence between Israel and Gaza after a relatively quiet summer. We condemn the firing of rockets from Gaza towards Israel or any other form of violence targeting civilian population. We call on both parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid escalation of violence, as it would further undermine the prospects for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
We encourage all Palestinian factions to work towards reconciliation, which would enable them to address common challenges and the needs and expectations of the Palestinian population and is essential in order to reach the two state solution. We also encourage Palestinians to announce elections.