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Israeli plan to build new settlements in East Jerusalem is "provocative action": UN envoy

12 August 2011 04:09 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Robert Serry has expressed alarm at Israel’s announcement of new settlement building in East Jerusalem, UN associate spokesperson Vannina Maestracci said here on Thursday, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

"If confirmed, this provocative action undermines ongoing efforts by the international community to bring the parties back to negotiations and shape a positive agenda for Sept.," Serry said, according to Maestracci.

In Sept., Palestine is slated to bring a bid for statehood to the UN, a move that must be approved by the Security Council and General Assembly to be valid. Sept. also marks the deadline set by the diplomatic Quartet--consisting of the UN, the U.S., the Russian Federation and the European Union (EU) for the finalization of a peace agreement between Israel and Palestine.

"Mr.Serry noted that this announcement comes only one week after a separate decision by the Government of Israel regarding the construction of additional housing units in another settlement in East Jerusalem, which was widely criticized by the international community," said Maestracci. "The special coordinator will engage with Quartet partners on this issue."

Israel’s settlement building projects in East Jerusalem, an area contested by Israel and Palestine, have become a salient issue in the overall debate on peace in the Middle East. The Israeli government’s refusal to renew a moratorium on settlement building led to the stalling of direct peace talks between Israel and Palestine in Oct. 2010.