MOSCOW, November 29. /TASS/. Israel’s construction of settlements in the West Bank threatens to finally undermine the already fragile chances for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, Russian Foreign Minister Department of the Middle East and Northern Africa deputy head Alexey Skosyrev said during an online conference dedicated to the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People Monday.
"The reality and facts on the ground being created by Israel threaten to finally undermine the already fragile chances for the emergency of an independent Palestinian state in the future. And, in these circumstances, many Middle East experts predict the implementation of a single-state scenario in the future," he said.
According to Skosyrev, the achievement of a comprehensive Palestine-Israeli settlement was and remains a priority of Russia’s policy for the Middle East, and Moscow’s position on this long-lasting problem has remained unchanged for decades.
"We believe that Palestine’s acquisition of national sovereignty will become an important factor in ensuring peace in the Middle East. This is why we believe that the annual celebration of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People is an important reminder for the international community of its responsibility for the implementation of the corresponding UN Security Council decisions," he noted.
The diplomat noted that, at this date, it is important to speak about the danger of any unilateral measures that can predetermine the resolution of disputes regarding the final status of the Palestinian state.
"This includes, first and foremost, Israel’s ramping up of the illegal settlement activity in the West Bank, its attempts to change the historic status quo in the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which we have been observing lately, combined with the practice of expropriation of land and bulldozing of Palestinian houses," he added.
Skosyrev reminded that Tel Aviv’s steps only became possible because of the unilateral and biased position of the previous US administration, led by Donald Trump.
"But, after its resignation, the majority of decisions made on the Middle Eastern track, and on the Palestinian-Israeli track in particular, such as recognition of the entirety of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and the relocation of the US embassy there, remain unchanged. Therefore, the expectations of many politicians and experts that the US position will be corrected after Joe Biden’s victory did not come to fruition," he noted.