Mladenov: PA at risk of economic collapse unless ties with Israel renewed

UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov urged Israel to lift some of its restrictions on the movement of goods and people between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

By TOVAH LAZAROFF

OCTOBER 27, 2020 10:14

The Palestinians must renew ties with Israel and accept tax transfer or risk economic collapse, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov told the Security Council on Monday.

“The viability of the Palestinian Authority is being severely undermined by an economic and fiscal crisis that has been exacerbated by the Palestinian decision to end civilian and security coordination with Israel,” he told the United Nations Security Council during its monthly meeting on the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

He blamed the crisis on the drop in tax revenues due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the PA’s refusal to receive those revenues collected on its behalf by Israel.

The PA stopped accepting such revenues to protest pending Israeli plans to annex West Bank settlements, but it continued that protest even after Israel agreed to suspend such plans.

“I appeal to the Palestinian leadership to resume its coordination with Israel and accept its clearance revenues – money that belongs to the Palestinian people and cannot be replaced by donor funding,” Mladenov said.

“The UN stands ready to mediate solutions to the fiscal crisis and to get the Palestinian economy on better footing. I reiterate the secretary-general’s call for both sides to re-examine the nature of their economic relationship and improve it for the benefit of both peoples,” Mladenov said.

He also urged Israel to lift some of its restrictions on the movement of goods and people between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Mladenov took Israel to task for the decision of the Higher Planning Council for Judea and Samaria to advance and approve plans for 5,288 settler homes.

“This resumption of major settlement activity, which follows an eight-month break in Area C housing advancements, is of great concern,” Mladenov said, warning that such building impeded the “contiguity of a future Palestinian state.”

He continued: “I reiterate that all settlements are illegal under international law and remain a substantial obstacle to peace. Settlement-related activities should cease as they undermine the prospect of achieving a viable two-state solution in line with UN resolutions, international law and prior agreements.

MLADENOV ALSO called on Israel to halt its demolition of illegal Palestinian structures in the West Bank given that it’s “nearly impossible” for Palestinians to obtain building permits. Of particular concern, he said, was a donor funded school in the Bedouin community of Ras Al-Tin near Ramallah which was under threat of demolition.

On a separate note, Mladenov called on Israel to renew the visas of staff members from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Israel halted such visa renewals in response to the commissioner’s publication of a black list of companies doing business with Jewish entities over the pre-1967 lines.

“I am deeply concerned that critical mandated work on human rights by the United Nations is obstructed in this manner. I urge Israel to facilitate the return of international staff members,” Mladenov said.

He also reported on the violence by Israelis and Palestinians in the past month, including the firing of five rockets at Israel from Gaza, as well as the discovery of a Hamas tunnel into Israel and the IDF’s retaliatory fire of 13 missiles into Gaza.

Mladenov highlighted an October 25 incident in which a 17-year-old Palestinian teen was killed during “an encounter” with the IDF near the West Bank village of Turmusaya.

“There are conflicting claims about the circumstances and cause of death. I urge a prompt and independent investigation into the events that led to the death of the boy,” Mladenov said.

He also charged that “settlers perpetrated some 34 attacks against Palestinians, resulting in 30 injuries and damage to property,” adding that “Palestinians perpetrated some 29 attacks against Israeli settlers and other civilians in the West Bank, resulting in five injuries and damage to property.”

In addition, Mladenov said, “I am also deeply concerned over the deteriorating health condition of Maher Al-Akhras, a Palestinian detainee who has been on a hunger strike for over 90 days in protest of his administrative detention. On 12 October, Al-Akhras rejected an offer by the Israeli authorities whereby he would only be released on 26 November, the original end date of his detention order, in return for immediately ending his hunger strike. To date, there has been no agreement to end the standoff.”

TURNING HIS attention to Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, known to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif, Mladenov said he was concerned by statements Palestinian officials have made against Muslim visitors to the holy site from nations that have signed normalization deals with Israel.

“I note the delicate balance of the status quo at the Holy Compound. Any forms of politicization that may increase the risk of an escalation within the sanctity of its grounds must be rejected,” he said.

Mladenov welcomed the burgeoning Israeli normalization deals with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan.

“I sincerely hope that new avenues of cooperation to advance Israeli-Palestinian peace will emerge. The normalization agreements between Israel and three Arab states must help create such opportunities,” Mladenov said.

He ended with a reaffirmation of the need for a two-state resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, based on the pre-1967 lines, in line with UN resolutions and international law, noting that this plan “continues to be affirmed by broad regional and international consensus.”