On the 20th of January, a new era begins…
- UK voices ‘reservations’ over Mideast summit, refuses to sign statement
- Kerry calls PM from Paris, vows no further UN action
Israeli officials cheer ‘weakened’ Paris peace summit declaration
Sources in Jerusalem take credit for softened statement by 70 nations, which omits the ‘problematic passages’ of the anti-settlements Security Council resolution
Israeli officials on Sunday credited the efforts of the National Security Council and the Foreign Ministry for a “significant weakening” of the text of the final joint declaration issued by the participants of a peace conference in Paris.The one-day summit came to a close on Sunday evening with a statement, backed by the 70 countries, calling on Israel and the Palestinians to restate their commitment to a peace settlement and to refrain from unilateral actions.
The statement urged both sides to “officially restate their commitment to the two-state solution” and disassociate from voices that reject that goal. It also called for them not to take one-sided actions that could preclude fruitful talks.
The Israeli officials were jubilant that “problematic passages” in a contentious recent UN Security Council resolution on the settlements were not included in the Paris document. Resolution 2334, passed on December 23, harshly condemned the settlement enterprise, declaring that it has “no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-state solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace.”