76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
UN Security Council meeting on Middle East
Statement by Ambassador Jürgenson
November 30, New York
I thank Special Coordinator Wennesland for his briefing. I also thank Ms Ero for her insightful statement.
Estonia reiterates the importance of continued dialogue between the Israeli and Palestinian leaders and encourages them to engage in further practical cooperation, which would benefit the people of both sides.
It is positively noted that both the Israeli and the Palestinian delegation were represented on a ministerial level at the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee meeting hosted by Norway on 17 November. We welcome also the statements by Israeli ministers on the importance supporting the improvement of socio-economic and financial situation of the Palestinians.
Estonia also supports the international and regional efforts for reconstruction and improving the humanitarian situation in Gaza. We welcome the recent steps by Israel on easing the restrictions on Gaza and call for allowing more movement of goods and people to and from Gaza, while taking into consideration Israel’s security concerns.
Regarding the situation in the West Bank, we are concerned about the continued incidents of violence, including the clashes between the Palestinians and the Israeli security forces. We strongly condemn the terror attacks and violence against civilians, including the terror attack in Jerusalem’s Old City on 21 November. We repeat our call on all parties to refrain from violence, incitement and acts of provocation.
Estonia also remains worried about the continued Israeli settlement expansions, demolitions and evictions, as such acts are contrary to international law. We call upon Israel to refrain these activities, including the advancing of tenders and plans for constructing several thousands of new housing units in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
We take very seriously the listing of six Palestinian NGO’s as terrorist organizations by the Israeli authorities. We will continue to engage with Israel on this issue. Civil society enjoying the fundamental freedoms is an important part of democracy and also essential for promoting peace efforts between Israelis and Palestinians.
We welcome the high level conference on UNRWA organized by Jordan and Sweden on 16 November and stress the importance of continued support to the Agency. UNRWA continues to be the essential lifeline for many Palestinians and a strong contributor to the peace and stability in the region.
Finally, Estonia confirms its continued support to all efforts to create favourable conditions for the resumption of direct meaningful negotiations on all final status issues between the Israelis and the Palestinians. In this context, we welcome the meeting of the Envoys of the Middle East Quartet on 18 November and express support to their continued consultations with the parties and key regional actors.