Indonesia Calls for End to Illegal Israeli Settlement Expansion

By Office of Assistant to Deputy Cabinet Secretary for State Documents & Translation     Date 10 Mei 2019
Category: News
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Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi leads the Arria-Formula meeting, in New York, the US, Thursday (9/5). (Photo by: Ministry of Foreign Affairs PR).

Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi leads the Arria-Formula meeting, in New York, the US, Thursday (9/5). (Photo by: Ministry of Foreign Affairs PR).

The Indonesian Government has called for an immediate cessation of the construction of illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

“The continuing expansion of illegal settlements by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories is unacceptable,” Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi said on Thursday (9/5).

The Minister made her statement at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Arria Formula meeting adopting the theme “Israeli Settlements and Settlers: Core of the Occupation, Protection Crisis, and Obstruction of Peace.”.

According to Retno, illegal Israeli settlements have multiplied from about 110,000 in September 1993 to 620 thousand in the end of 2017 and she considered this a major obstruction to peace process between Israel and Palestine.

“While the plight of the Palestinian people remains bleak, we should never lose hope and willingness to resolve the conflict through dialogue and negotiations,” she added.

Furthermore, the Minister conveyed three things as follows: (1) the construction of illegal settlements in the Palestinian territories including in East Jerusalem further diminishes the hopes of the two-state solution; (2) the construction of illegal settlements is a source of various violations of law and human rights against the Palestinian people; and (3) the international community has a shared responsibility to put an end to the Israeli illegal settlement policies.

“Public pressure from the international community to end the settlements is absolutely vital,” Retno said, adding that to maintain the international community attention to the issue of settlements is by designating an international day of solidarity with victims of illegal settlements.

For the record, the Arria Formula meeting is an informal meeting that allows the UNSC member to deliver their views on international peace and security issues. As president at the UNSC for the whole month of May, Indonesia continues to pay special attentions to the Palestinie issue until the State stands side by side and on an equal footing with all nations in the world. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs PR/ES)

 

 

Translated by: Galuh Wicaksono
Edited by: Muhardi/Muhammad Ersan Pamungkas

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