A Chinese envoy on Thursday asked for robust actions of the Security Council to address the Palestinian-Israeli issue.
"The Security Council bears the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, and as such, must take robust actions to address the Palestinian-Israeli issue and reaffirm its unwavering support for a two-state solution," said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations.
The Palestinian-Israeli issue has been on the UN agenda for more than 70 years. Each time the Palestinian-Israeli situation is thrown into turmoil, it serves as an alarm bell for international rule of law, weighs on human conscience, and tests the effectiveness of multilateral mechanisms, he told the Security Council.
"The latest round of conflict reminds us, once again, that we cannot afford to allow the Middle East process to go off the rails, or to push the question of Palestine to the margins, or to overlook the suffering of the Palestinian people and their well-deserved rights, or to forget the many binding resolutions adopted by the Security Council, or to shirk the responsibility the Security Council must undertake," he said.
As Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi pointed out at the May 16 Security Council emergency meeting, an enduring settlement can only be achieved on the basis of a two-state solution. Only when the question of Palestine is resolved in a comprehensive, just and sustainable way, can lasting peace and security for all be truly achieved in the Middle East, said Zhang.
"We must push the two parties to relaunch equal-footed dialogue at an early date to rebuild trust, overcome their differences, and find a way to live in peace side by side. The international community, especially countries with influence on Palestine and Israel, must take an objective and impartial position and work hard to facilitate the Middle East peace process while enhancing international coordination and strengthening the synergy for peace," he said.
