Quartet representatives — United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, United States Secretary of State John Kerry and European Union High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Federica Mogherini — met in New York on Friday 23 September, where they stressed the need for urgent positive measures to reverse the situation in the Middle East in order to avoid making the one state reality permanent, along with permanent occupation and conflict – which they say are incompatible with the achievement of the two people’s national aspirations.
In a joint statement, the Quartet calls on all sides to implement the recommendations of its 1 July 2016 report (see EUROPE 11585) and create the conditions for resumption of "meaningful" negotiations to end occupation and solve all final status issues.
The Quartet examined the main obstacles to peace. It therefore underlined "its strong opposition to ongoing settlement activity", and expressed its "grave concern" as regards "the acceleration of settlement construction and expansion in Area C and East Jerusalem" and "the continued high rate of demolitions of Palestinian structures". Condemning the recent resurgence of violence, the Quartet again called on all sides "to take all necessary steps to de-escalate tensions by exercising restraint, preventing incitement, refraining from provocative actions and rhetoric, and protecting the lives and property of all civilians".
The Quartet also expressed "serious concern for the continuing dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, exacerbated by the closures of the crossings as well as for the illicit arms build-up and activity by militant Palestinian groups, including rockets fired towards Israel, which increase the risk of renewed conflict". "In addition, advancing Palestinian national unity (...) remains a priority",’ Mogherini, Ban, Lavrov and Kerry stated. They were joined at their meeting by the French and Egyptian foreign ministers to discuss their work in support of peace. "All agreed on the importance of close and continuing coordination of all efforts to achieve the common goal of the two-state solution", the Quartet said in its statement. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)