The Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Ron Prosor, said Tuesday in UN Security Council that a Palestinian unilateral move for statehood in September "will not bring peace to our region." Speaking at the monthly debate on the situation in the Middle East, Prosor said that "the Palestinian initiatives at the United Nations may be superficially attractive to some, yet they distract from the true path to peace."

Prosor turned to the Palestinian Ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour, and asked him: "On behalf of whom will you present a resolution in September? Mr. Abbas or Hamas? Will it be on behalf of both the Palestinian Authority and the Hamas terrorist organization, which advances a charter calling for the destruction of Israel and the murder of Jews? Will it be on behalf of Akram Haniyeh – the PAs Chief Spokesman— or Ismail Haniyeh – the Hamas Prime Minister in Gaza?"

Open gallery view Isreali Ambassador to the UN, Ron Prosor, in February 2011. Credit: David Bachar

The Israeli ambassador added that the international community must adamantly oppose the UN vote. "There are no shortcuts to statehood," Prosor said. "You cannot bypass the only path to peace. The Palestinians...will have to get off the bandwagon of unilateralism – and back to the hard work of direct peacemaking."

Prosor turned again to the Palestinian ambassador and asked him about the Palestinian leadership. "There is much uncertainty about the future Palestinian government," he said. "Its acceptance of the Quartet conditions, the peace process, control of its security forces, and many other questions. It will take at least until after the Palestinian elections next year before it is clear what Palestinian unity really means. Even the most basic condition for statehood does not exist. The Palestinian Authority does not maintain effective control of all its territory nor does it hold a monopoly on the use of force. The Hamas terrorist organization still maintains de facto control in Gaza."

