KSA tells UN: Rein in Israel

Israeli defiance and intransigence stand in the way of achieving lasting peace in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia’s envoy to the UN has told the Security Council.
“Israel’s continued expansion of settlements and its treatment of Palestinian prisoners are expressions of its defiance and disdain of the international community,” Kingdom’s Permanent UN Representative Ambassador Abdullah Al-Muallemi said.
Speaking at an open debate on the Middle East, he said that Israeli settlers were continuing their attacks on Palestinians.
The Saudi representative also referred to the death of a nine-year-old Palestinian boy, Malik Adel Al-Shaer, who was run over by a settler vehicle.
He called on the UN and the international community to mount pressure on Israel to respect the rights of Palestinian prisoners and Palestinian children.
Stressing the importance of implementing the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, Al-Muallemi said Saudi Arabia and all other Arab countries have, through the Initiative, shown their good intention to achieve just and lasting peace for Israel and Palestine, but the opportunity is fast receding due to the continuing Israeli aggression.
“The worsening humanitarian situation and the resulting outflow of refugees are posing a threat to security and stability in the region,” Al-Muallemi said.