CRI听力:UN Holds Emergency Meeting on Israel Tensions

A United Nations official is warning that Israel's plans for further settlements in east Jerusalem threaten the viability of the future Palestinian state.

UN political chief Jeffrey Feltman has made the comment at an emergency meeting of the Security Council.

"The reality is that continued settlement activity in occupied Palestinian territory is doing significant damage to any possibility of a lasting peace between the two sides and is moving the situation ever closer to a one-state reality."

Tensions have been revived between Arabs and Jews over Israel's plans to build about 1-thousand housing units in east Jerusalem.

Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, is urging Israel to halt all settlement activities immediately so peace talks with Palestine can resume.

"We support the United Nation to take actions, and respond to Palestine and other Arab countries' demands as soon as possible."

Palestinian ambassador Riyad Mansour insists Israel is to blame for the situation.

"If we cannot collectively convince the occupying power to negotiate with us the end of occupation, to allow for the independence of the state of Palestine and therefore to actualise the global consensus on a two-state solution, then the option of two-state solution might not be available to us."

But Israel's ambassador Ron Prosor is defending the new construction.

"It says a great deal that the international community is outraged when Jews build homes in Jerusalem but doesn't say a word when Jews are murdered for living in Jerusalem. The hypocrisy is appalling."

Feltman has suggested more Security Council action on the issue, pushing both sides to commit to meaningful negotiations.

The UN is also urging Israel to end the blockade of Gaza Strip.

For more on this, I earlier spoke to Li Guofu, Senior Research Fellow with China Institute of International Studies.

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