Palestinian-Israeli conflict

By Own Correspondent

Among the current issues of the Middle East in the foreign policy of Russia the issue of settling the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is on the agenda.

It has been one of the most difficult tasks for world powers and international organizations for more than one decade.

The relevance of this topic is manifested by interethnic conflicts both between settlements and in the region.

Experts note that the Palestinians have finally lost hope for resolving the conflict through peace talks with Israel which have not been resumed for several years.

In order to solve their political and socio-economic problems and achieve the goal of creating a Palestinian state they are trying to appeal to international institutions and the international community mainly the EU which is pursuing its policy which is considered in Israel as pro-Palestinian.

However, Jerusalem has repeatedly accused European partners of financing various NGOs conducting anti-Israeli activities. The revolutionary events and their consequences have put the Middle East in the face of new challenges leading to the need to find a way out of the acute socio-political and economic crisis.

In these conditions and under pressure from the White House the Palestinian issue – the settlement of the conflict with Israel and the achievement of political unity – which was often speculative for the leaders of Arab and Muslim states began to seem less urgent and uncompromising.

This trend was especially intensified by the Israeli leadership’s escalation of anti-Iranian sentiments in order to make Sunni Arab countries realize the need to confront the Shiite “Iranian threat”.

In addition, the lack of political unity on the Palestinian side hinders progress in the peace process. In these conditions Russia is the only sovereign world power interested in and capable of helping Palestinian leaders reach national agreement in order to successfully defend the rights of their people.

As one of the world powers Russia through its efforts is promoting a peaceful solution to the issue and is taking measures to quickly achieve consensus between the parties.

It not only promotes its interests in the Middle East region but also demonstrates a clear understanding of the need potential and ways to resolve the Palestinian problem through negotiations and on the basis of UN resolutions and previously reached bilateral agreements.

As a member of the Middle East “quartet” consisting of the US, EU and UN during numerous meetings Russia proposed resolutions that express support for the “road map” and calls on representatives of the “quartet” to implement the provisions of the document.

Russia promised to facilitate progress towards the goal of the “map” achieving a final settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and world order of the warring parties.

The Russian Federation considers the “road map” as the only document regulating the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Moscow calls on Israel to stop operations to occupy Arab lands and create a sovereign Palestinian state peacefully coexisting with Israel within legal and officially recognized borders.

However, the situation remains difficult, and the positions of the parties remain irreconcilable. Israel continues to insist on its security and recognition while the Palestinians demand their right to self-determination and an end to the occupation.

Russia continues to actively advocate for a peaceful solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict emphasizing the importance of creating a Palestinian state in accordance with UN resolutions.

The Russian leadership calls on both sides to engage in dialogue and adherence to international law which should lead to a peaceful resolution of disputes.