Following today’s United Nations Security Council meeting in New York that addressed the Trump Administration's Mideast initiative, a Senior Administration official told Arutz Sheva that "by not putting forward a polarizing resolution, the United Nations Security Council demonstrated that the old way of doing things is over.
"For the first time on the Israeli-Palestinian issue, the Council was willing to think outside the conventional box, and not reflexively fall back on the calcified Palestinian position, which has only allowed the failed status quo to continue."
The senior official continued: "We are optimistic that countries are keeping an open mind with regard to our Vision for Peace, and are willing to have an honest and open discussion on it as a possible basis to restart negotiations for a realistic two-state solution. As we’ve said all along, our plan is the start of a process, not the end. We hope the Palestinians will take advantage of the opportunity to move the ball forward."
Meanwhile, Belgian Foreign Affairs and Defense Minister Philippe Goffin, on behalf of other current and previous EU Security Council members issued a statement claiming the U.S. Mideast initiative departs from "internationally agreed parameters".
Speaking for Belgium, Estonia, France and Germany, and Poland, Goffin continued: "We are also deeply concerned about potential steps towards annexation after repeated calls for a possible annexation of areas in the West Bank. The annexation of any part of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, constitutes a breach of international law, undermines the viability of the two-State solution and challenges the prospects for just, comprehensive and lasting peace. In line with international law and relevant UN Security Council resolutions, we do not recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the territories occupied since 1967."
Also, in a speech by HR/VP Josep Borrell in the European Parliament on the U.S. Mideast initiative, Borrell said: "At an international level, for a number of years, there has been little or no substantive engagement in efforts to resolve the conflict. Indeed, as one observer pointed out to me recently, there is neither peace nor a process.
"In recent years, we on the European Union side, are perhaps the only actor to have stayed the course," referring to EU support for PA takeover of Judea and Samaria land, as Borrell continued to say: "We are also active on the ground. No other international actor has been as engaged as we have been in practical efforts to build a future Palestinian state. In 2019 alone, the European Union and its Member States had an open portfolio of some €600 million in assistance to the Palestinians. I have said it during my hearing, €600 million is almost €1.5 Million a day."
