Rusia Desak Israel Hentikan Bangun Pemukiman Baru
Russia Calls on Israel to Suspend Settlement Plans
Editor : Cahyani Harzi
Translator : Dhelia Gani
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Moskow (B2B) - Rusia menyerukan Israel menghentikan rencananya membangun permukiman di wilayah Palestina yang didudukinya dan "memperlihatkan pengekangan diri serta menahan diri dari tindakan sepihak".
Pernyataan tersebut dikeluarkan saat Vitaly Churkin, Wakil Tetap Rusia untuk PBB, Kamis.
"Di antara keprihatinan utama ialah kegiatan permukiman Israel di wilayah pendudukan Palestina, termasuk Jerusalem Timur dan keputusan untuk membekukan pengiriman pajak dan hasil bea cukai buat pemerintah Otonomi Nasional Palestina," kata Churkin.
"Bukan hanya itu secara negatif mempengaruhi hubungan Israel-Palestina, tapi juga membuat penerapan formula penyelesaian dua-negara jadi dipertanyakan," katanya.
Penyelesaian dua-negara, yang mendapat dukungan luas masyarakat internasional, berarti Israel yang aman hidup dalam kedamaian dengan negara Palestina Merdeka.
Belum lama ini, Israel telah menyetujui beberapa rencana permukiman buat ribuan rumah baru di Tepi Barat Sungai Jordan dan Jerusalem Timur, yang direbut Israel pada 1967, sehingga membuat Presiden Pemerintah Otonomi Nasional Palestina, Mahmoud Abbas, menuduh Israel melewati garis merah.
"Situasinya bisa diredam, kalau saja Israel mau mempertimbangkan kembali rencana pembangunan permukiman buat E1 di Jerusalem Timur dan melanjutkan penyerahan uang buat Pemerintah Otonomi Nasional Palestina," kata Churkin sebagaimana dikutip Xinhua, Kamis pagi.
Rusia juga menyerukan dilanjutkannya pembicaraan antara Palestina dan Israel, yang macet lagi sejak pemungutan suara di Sidang Majelis Umum PBB pada 29 November guna meningkatkan status Palestina menjadi negara pengamat non-anggota.
Saat menyampaikan kembali peran Rusia dalam proses perdamaian tersebut, Churkin berkata, "Rusia akan terus secara aktif memfasilitasi secara bilateral serta multilateral, termasuk melalui Kuartet Timur Tengah, guna mewujudkan perdamaian yang berkesinambungan dan abadi antara Palestina dan Israel. Kuartet itu terdiri atas Amerika Serikat, PBB, Rusia dan Uni Eropa."
Rabu pagi, Jeffrey Feltman --Wakil Sekretaris Jenderal PBB Urusan Politik-- memberitahu Dewan Keamanan, yang memiliki 15 anggota, kemungkinan bagi penyelesaian dua-negara bertambah buruk dan 2013 akan menjadi tahun penentuan dalam proses perdamaian.
Meskipun tak ada pernyataan atau resolusi resmi yang disetujui oleh Dewan Keamanan dalam pertemuan itu, Rusia, Uni Eropa, Gerakan Non-Blok, China, India, Brazil dan Afrika Selatan --semuanya-- berbicara menentang kegiatan permukiman Israel di wilayah Palestina yang diduduki.
Moscow - Russia on Wednesday called upon Israel to end its plans for settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory and to "show restraint and refrain from unilateral actions."
The statement came as Vitaly Churkin, the Russian permanent representative to the United Nations.
"Of special concern are the settlement activities of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories including East Jerusalem and the decision to suspend transfer to tax and duty revenues for the Palestinian National Authority," Churkin said.
"Not only does it impact negatively the Palestinian-Israeli relations, but also put in question the implementation of the formula of the two-state solution," he said.
The two-state solution, widely backed by the international community, means a secure Israel to live in peace with an independent State of Palestine.
Recently, Israel has approved several settlement plans for thousands of new homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem captured by Israel in 1967, prompting Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to charge Israel of crossing a red line.
"The situation can be diffused should Israel reconsider the settlement construction plans for E1 in East Jerusalem and resume financial transfers to the Palestinian National Authority," said Churkin.
Russia also called for resuming talks between Palestine and Israel, which have been further stalled since the UN General Assembly vote on Nov. 29 to upgrade Palestine ´s status to a non- member observer state.
Reiterating Russia´s role in the peace process, Churkin said, " Russia will continue to actively facilitate both bilaterally and multilaterally, including through the Middle East Quartet, which is composed of the United Nations, the European Union, Russia and the United States, for sustaining and lasting peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis."
Earlier on Wednesday, Jeffrey Feltman, the UN under-secretary- general for political affairs, told the 15-nation Security Council that the possibilities for the two-state solution are deteriorating and that 2013 "will be a decisive year in the peace process."
Although no formal resolution or statement was approved by the Security Council in the meeting, Russia, the European Union, the Non-Aligned Movement, China, India, Brazil and South Africa all spoke out against the Israel i settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories.
