New York (United Nations), January 23, 2013 (MAP)
New York (United Nations), January 23, 2013 (MAP)
Morocco’s Ambassador to the UN, Mohamed Loulichki, denounced on Wednesday, the lack of political will of Israel, which prevents the achievement of the two-state solution in the Middle East.
“After several years of stagnation, the Palestinian issue is now at a critical turning point due to obstacles and lack of political will of the Israeli authorities,” the diplomat said at a meeting of the UN Security Council on the situation in the Middle East.
The lack of political will is apparent, according to Loulichki, in strengthening Israel’s settlement activities and the pursuit of its projects to build illegal settlements on Palestinian territories, including the E1 project which threatens to “permanently destroy the territorial unity of the West Bank and kill any chance of peace.”
He said “the Israelis have prevented the Palestinians from building on their own land and have also recently destroyed Palestinian homes, as has been observed in Bab Al Shams and Bab Al-Karama,” the ambassador noted.
These policies of colonization, particularly in East Jerusalem, “have no purpose other than to change the geography of the Palestinian territory and population map,” the diplomat warned, reiterating the “strong condemnation” of the Kingdom of Morocco of the Israeli settlement policy.
In this regard, Loulichki urged the international community to “intervene to put an end to this policy which hinders the achievement of a political solution and could undermine the two-state solution.”
“His Majesty King Mohammed VI, in his capacity as Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, has repeatedly called on the Security Council and influential countries within this body to assume their full responsibility and to oppose the desecration of places of worship of Muslims and Christians, “he said.
The Ambassador also denounced the detention of Palestinian tax revenues by Israel in response to the adoption by the UN General Assembly on November 29 of a resolution granting non-member Observer status to Palestine.
Loulichki also called for an end to the blockade imposed by Israel on Gaza Strip which represents, according to him, “a true form of collective punishment.”
On the Syrian issue, Loulichki expressed hope that the Council would show more unity to create, by the end of the month, “favorable conditions for ending the Syrian armed conflict,” for ” a free and stable Syria, which guarantees the rights of all.”
The diplomat also condemned Israeli policies targeting Lebanon, commending “the unity and the clear-sightedness of the Lebanese parties which have abstained from any decision that might affect the situation in the Middle East.”
