New York, Sept. 26 (Petra) – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and Expatriates Affairs Ayman Safadi said that the International Coalition to implement the two-state solution affirmed there is an international consensus on this solution as the only path to achieving a just and comprehensive peace, stressing that the only obstacle to it is Israel.
In press remarks on the sidelines of the high-level week of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York yesterday, Safadi said: "The extremist position of the Israeli government, declared openly by the Prime Minister of this extremist government, is that he will not allow the establishment of a Palestinian state. When the Israeli Prime Minister says he will not allow a Palestinian state, he is in fact saying he will not allow a just and comprehensive peace; because there is no alternative to the two-state solution, which embodies an independent Palestinian state on Palestinian national soil as the path to peace." Safadi stressed that the reality the world has begun to recognize is that there is no Israeli partner for achieving peace at present, saying: "The whole world is saying we want peace, and the path to peace is the two-state solution." He pointed out that Israel says it will prevent the two-state solution and takes measures on the ground that make achieving it even harder than it already is.
Safadi said: "We can implement the two-state solution as quickly as possible. The ideas are clear, the requirements for this solution are known to all, but the obstacle is Israel this Israeli government, which is clearly working to ignite the region. Israel is igniting the region." He affirmed that in all his actions, the Israeli Prime Minister "whether in Gaza, through the genocidal war he is waging there, or in the West Bank, with settlement expansion and land confiscation, or by declaring he will not allow the establishment of a Palestinian state, or with his aggression against Syria, spreading strife there, undermining its security and stability, or with his aggression against Lebanon all of this shows we are facing an Israeli government that has begun to act with unprecedented arrogance, with unprecedented bullying. And this is the reason preventing us from achieving a just and comprehensive peace." Safadi noted that the message of the Arab-Islamic group, reaffirmed a year ago, is that it wants just peace, and it knows the path to just peace is an independent Palestinian state on Palestinian national soil, living in security and peace alongside Israel.
He said the claims of extremist Israelis who deny the humanity of Palestinians and allege they are surrounded by countries seeking to destroy them are false claims: "We refute them in word and deed, by confirming our readiness to reach peace that guarantees the Palestinian people’s rights, ensures Israel’s security and acceptance in the region, and protects it from the disastrous consequences of Israeli aggression, which the international community must act practically to curb before it is too late." Safadi continued his bilateral meetings with his counterparts on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meetings, where he met with Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Expatriates Badr Abdel Aaty, Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Al-Busaidi, Syria’s Foreign Minister of Expatriates Asaad Shibani, Chile’s Foreign Minister Alberto van Klaveren, Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann David Vadewohl, Sweden’s Foreign Minister Maria Stenergard, Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, EU, and Cooperation José Manuel Albares, Estonia’s Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, Canada’s Foreign Minister Anita Anand, and German Minister of State at the Foreign Office Niels Annen. He discussed with them ways to enhance prospects and areas of bilateral cooperation, and coordination on issues of mutual interest.
Safadi, Fuad Hussein, and Badr Abdel Aaty also held a meeting within the framework of the trilateral cooperation mechanism between Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt.
The ministers stressed their joint commitment to enhancing trilateral cooperation in all fields, in a way that serves mutual interests, strengthens joint Arab action, and implements the directives of the leaders of the three brotherly countries.
Safadi, Hussein, and Abdel Aaty also discussed developments in the region, particularly efforts to reach an immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza, the implementation of an agreement on an exchange that would end the humanitarian catastrophe caused and exacerbated by the aggression, and the need to ensure the entry of sufficient and sustainable aid into the Strip.
They also discussed the dangerous Israeli escalation in the West Bank and the region, and the necessity of stopping Israeli violations that threaten regional and international peace and security.
In addition, Safadi participated in the ministerial meeting of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC), dedicated to coordinating international assistance for Palestinians, which is chaired by Norway.
//Petra// MF
