Russia urges to stop settlement construction in East Jerusalem

2011-01-12 08:17:44 GMT+7 (ICT)

MOSCOW, RUSSIA (BNO NEWS) -- Russia's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday urged Israel to halt all settlement construction activity in East Jerusalem until an agreement is reached with Palestine.

The demand was issued following Sunday's demolition of the historic Shepherd Hotel in order to construct Jewish settlements in the eastern region of the city. This move was condemned worldwide, including by the U.S. and the European Union.

Eastern Jerusalem is under dispute as Palestinians intended to establish the region as its future capital city but Israel has impeded the recognition of the Palestinian state and set a blockade in Gaza Strip.

"The move was met with great concern in Moscow. We must say that, in the current complicated regional situation, this gives rise to additional tensions in Palestinian-Israeli relations and contradicts the positions of the mid-East Quartet," said the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Russia also called on the Israeli government to stop its settlement projects and refrain from moves which can negatively affect efforts to resume peace negotiations as well as restoring relations with Palestine.

Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed the United States for the failure of reaching a settlement freeze agreement. Netanyahu said that the U.S. government rejected Israel's proposal over the issue.

The PM allegedly agreed to the U.S. plan to extend by three months the West Bank settlement freeze moratorium but the Obama administration was the one that rejected the offer.

In September 2010, the settlement freeze moratorium expired, ending the 10-month construction halt in the disputed territories. An agreement was not reached as Israel rejected Palestinian president Abbas' conditions over the settlement moratorium.

The U.S., as part of the efforts to resume Israel-Palestine peace talks, offered a set of incentives in exchange for extending the settlement freeze moratorium for three months.

In December, the U.S. announced that it ended negotiations attempting to reach an extension from Israel. The U.S. said that it was unable to met Israel's demands. On the other hand, Netanyahu remarked that he supports a two-state solution and blamed Palestine for the lack of agreement.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-01-12

Good on you Russia. It is about time they recieved some pressure from other permenant UN Security Council Members. Obviously the US has no influence on its ally at all.

When they leave Chechnya alone, maybe they can start telling other countries what to do.

Seems you aren't at all happy with the growing amount of countries telling Israel to pull it's head in, including the USA.

But of course they are all wrong and you are right.

Other countries have been trying to order Israel around since they declared independence. What's new about any of that?

Edited January 12, 201115 yr by Ulysses G.

What's new is that the list just keeps getting bigger and bigger, and from Israel's allies.

There is nothing new about it and the US has often criticized them (and pretty much everyone else) over the years.

The US did not even become a serious ally of Israel until they needed them to balance the big USSR influence in the Middle East.

It really is helpful to read some history of the situation, before commenting on these affairs.

Edited January 12, 201115 yr by Ulysses G.

So you agree then.

I agree with rejecting Abbas' conditions. Israel has always made it clear that Jerusalem is not on the bargaining table and now that they halted building there what was supposed to be "one time only" it is being used against them. Giving in to Obama was a big mistake.

Edited January 12, 201115 yr by Ulysses G.

I really don't care if you agree with rejecting Abas' conditions. That isn't what I said.

The list of countries critizing Israel is getting bigger and bigger, and from Israel's allies.

I know I know, those pesky governments throwing a spanner in the works by trying to broker peace in a sensible way. How dare they. I'll write and tell them to cease and desist this stupid concept of peace and tell them to read some history of the situation before commenting.

If you say so.

If you say so.

Be sure and cc us too.

Nothing new at all.

Demonization of Israel: "Zionism is Racism"

An alien observing the United Nations' debates, reading its resolutions, and walking its halls could well conclude that a principal purpose of the world body is to censure a tiny country called Israel.

Beginning in the late 1960's, the full weight of the UN was gradually but deliberately turned against the country it had conceived by General Assembly resolution a mere two decades earlier. The campaign to demonize and delegitimize Israel in every UN and international forum was initiated by the Arab states together with the Soviet Union, and supported by what has become known as an "automatic majority" of Third World member states.

The campaign reached new strength in wake of the Arab oil embargo of 1973, when many African states were pressured into severing relations with Israel. In 1975, following a steady drumbeat of anti-Israel declarations pushed through the International Women's Year Conference in Mexico and then the Organization of African Unity, the majority of the General Assembly adopted the "Zionism is Racism" resolution. At the same time, it instituted a series of related measures that together installed an infrastructure of anti-Israel propaganda throughout the UN. Years later, after strenuous efforts by democratic forces, the infamous resolution was repealed.

Legacy of 1975: Anti-Israel Infrastructure Remains

However, the legacy of 1975 remains fully intact: UN committees, annual UN resolutions, an entire UN bureaucratic division, permanent UN exhibits in New York and Geneva headquarters -- all dedicated to a relentless and virulent propaganda war against the Jewish state. Together, they have made the UN into Ground Zero for today's new anti-Semitism, which is the irrational scapegoating of Israel with the true intended target being Jews. Not only do these anti-Israel measures incite hatred against Israelis and Jews everywhere, but they have done not a thing to help the Palestinian situation. On the contrary: they give strength and succor to extremists.

http://www.unwatch.org/site/c.bdKKISNqEmG/b.1359197/k.6748/UN_Israel__AntiSemitism.htm

Congratulations Russia.