(Communicated by Foreign Ministry Spokesman)
In the wake of the resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly last night, Israel expresses its disappointment that once again the UN agenda has been "hijacked" by those espousing a one-sided, anti-Israel political position. Not only is the UN position unhelpful in promoting the peace process, but it actually encourages Palestinian terrorism.
The UNGA resolution diverts attention from the primary reason for the failure of the Middle East peace process: Palestinian terror. If there were no terrorism, the anti-terrorism fence - that has been proven to enhance the security of Israeli citizens - would not have been built. The UN resolution totally ignores the reasons for the construction of the fence. Israel has the same right as any other country to protect its citizens.
We have all witnessed what is happening in the PA in the last few days. Arafat is not prepared to implement the reforms that he promised before the Europeans and Egypt, and the international community just ignores that and passes a resolution that gives a boost to Palestinian terrorism and to Arafat's refusal to cooperate.
Israel appreciates the states - few in number, but superior in quality - that voted against this destructive exercise at the General Assembly.
Israel is particularly disappointed by the European stand. The willingness of the EU to fall in with the Palestinian position, together with its desire to reach a European consensus at the price of descending to the lowest common denominator, raises doubts as to the ability of the EU to contribute anything constructive to the diplomatic process.
The solution to the Middle East conflict is not to be found at the Court in The Hague or in the corridors of the UN in New York. Rather, it should be sought in Ramallah and in the Gaza Strip, the source of the terrorism. Israel is steadfast in its desire for peace and will continue to do everything in its power to achieve progress in that direction.