UN envoy Mladenov: The region cannot afford another war
Mladenov cautioned that unilateral action by Israel in applying sovereignty to parts of the West Bank will radically change facts on the ground
By GREER FAY CASHMANNickolay Mladenov, United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and Personal Representative of the Secretary-General.(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov, speaking to the Foreign Press Association at the Inbal Hotel in Jerusalem on Thursday, said that his job is transitioning from coordination to conflict prevention.Mladenov arrived at the meeting wearing a mask, removed it while at the microphone and put it on again as he was leaving.Given that voices for and against annexation by Israel of part of the West Bank are being raised around the globe, annexation was the main theme both directly and indirectly of Mladenov's remarks.Reiterating several times that annexation is against international law, and that if exercised it will seriously affect relations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority and Israelis and Palestinians in general, Mladenov regarded restoration of negotiations and prevention of violence as his main focus.He cautioned that unilateral action by Israel in applying sovereignty to parts of the West Bank will radically change facts on the ground and will make it difficult to restore negotiations and dialogue between the Palestinians and Israel.Any such move he said, will affect the lives of both Israelis and Palestinians economically and in security terms.With the prospect of annexation on the horizon, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has already taken steps to change the situation on the ground.Mladenov was concerned that the end of civilian coordination between the Palestinians and Israel has meant that a large number of Palestinians who require medical treatment in Israel cannot receive it, because the Palestinian authorities, especially in Gaza, will not allow them to leave.There is also the problem of processing humanitarian equipment intended for Gaza, which has to enter through Israel.."There is a slow grinding down of civilian coordination, said Mladenov.
Declaring that the region had changed, he warned that""The region cannot afford another war. Another explosion, another war will be a terrible tragedy and a failure of leadership on all sides."Commenting on the collapse of the peace process because the positions of both sides have diverged, Mladenov emphasized that if negotiations are not restored the void will be filled by radical and destructive elements. The end of security coordination makes it difficult to prevent an explosion of violence, he said.Looking back on the history of what was conceived as the peace process, Mladenov described it as "a unique experiment in addressing final status issues" in the Israeli Palestinian conflict.But removal of the notion of negotiation, compromise and dialogue "takes the spirit out of the dialogue of the peace process," he said. "We're facing a monumental moment in the region as a whole."Even if annexation does take place, the UN will not abandon the region. It will continue to give humanitarian aid, but its resources are limited and it cannot meet all the needs, Mladenov explained.He made it very clear that the UN cannot replace Israel or the Palestinians. While the UN, the Quartet and the International Community are all prepared to support efforts aimed at putting an end to the conflict, support from these sources will be much more limited if there are no negotiations towards peace, he said.During question time Mladenov was asked if in the event that the peace process is revived, whether Gaza could have a role in it. His reply was affirmative providing that Gaza renounces violence and agrees to a political process. He also thought it would be helpful if Gaza and the West Bank bridged their differences and held democratic elections.Aside from the conflicts that the Palestinians have among themselves, Mladenov saw as another obstacle to peace the expansion of settlements, which he said represented a threat to a two state solution."If things continue on that road we'll be faced with a one state oppression of the Palestinian people," he said.At the outset of his address, Mladenov said that although he had been in his present position for five years, he didn't pretend to know anything about Israelis, Palestinians or the Middle East. "Anything I say is speculation," he quipped.
