U.S. not interested in Palestinian unity - Moscow after Washington's decision to block UNSC press release
MOSCOW. Nov 20 (Interfax) - The U.S. refusal to work on the UN Security Council's press release on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict drafted by Russia and Egypt demonstrates double standards and proves that the United States does not support Palestinian unity, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday.
The draft was blocked on November 16.
"The U.S. mission to the UN Security Council blocked the UN Security Council's press release drafted by Russia and Egypt, which hailed 'the agreement to end the Palestinian split' signed in Cairo on October 12, and the efforts taken by the Egyptian president for its achievement," the ministry said.
Most delegations to the UN Security Council were ready to support the initiative and "deemed the appeal to the Palestinian sides to take measures to unite the Palestinian lands, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, under a single Palestinian government to be important and timely," the ministry said.
"No one should doubt that Palestinian unity is a major factor in the achievement of the national aspirations of the Palestinian people and a necessary prerequisite for direct and substantive Palestinian-Israeli negotiations," the ministry said.
"Yet Washington does not seem to accept this logic. The Americans used the pretext of 'remaining uncertainties about the agreement's implementation' and refused to work on the statement. This is another example of double standards in the U.S.' foreign policy," the ministry said.