India To UN: No Alternative To Two-State Solution For Israelis, Palestinians

India stressed that no alternative to the two-state solution can guarantee peace between Israel and Palestine and said that direct negotiations are the only path to peace.

While addressing the United Nations Security Council, Indian Permanent Representative to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj said, "No alternative to the two-State solution to guarantee lasting peace between Israel and Palestine and direct negotiation the only path that can lead us there."

"India has consistently advocated against all acts of violence," she added.

Ms Kamboj reiterated India is deeply concerned with development in the West Bank, Jerusalem and Qazi. Violent attacks and the killing of civilians have taken many Palestinian and Israeli lives. Acts of destruction and provocation are also continuing, she said while briefing UNSC on the middle east.

"Resolution 2334 was adopted by this council to reaffirm the international community's firm commitment to preventing the erosion of a two-state solution. It calls upon parties to prevent acts of violence against civilians and stresses that all settlement activities must cease and underscore the need to exert collective efforts to launch credible negotiations," India's Permanent Representative to the UN said.

The UNSC adopted resolution 2334 in 2016 by 14 votes, where the Council reiterated its demand that Israel immediately and completely ceases all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem. It underlined that it would not recognize any changes to the 4 June 1967 lines, including with regard to Jerusalem, other than those agreed by the two sides through negotiations, the UN said in a statement.

The Council called for immediate steps to prevent all acts of violence against civilians, including acts of terror, as well as all acts of provocation and destruction. It further called for the strengthening of ongoing efforts to combat terrorism, including through existing security coordination, and to clearly condemn all acts of terrorism. The Council called on both sides to observe calm and restraint, and to refrain from provocative actions, incitement and inflammatory rhetoric in order to de-escalate the situation on the ground and rebuild trust and confidence.

Also by the text, the Council called on all parties to continue to exert collective efforts to launch credible negotiations on all final-status issues in the Middle East peace process, and within the time frame specified by the Middle East Quartet (European Union, Russian Federation, United Nations, United States) in its statement of 21 September 2010. It called upon all States to distinguish, in their relevant dealings, between the territory of the State of Israel and the territories occupied since 1967, according to the statement. 

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