Guterres: UN safeguards international law in Mideast

UNITED NATIONS, United States: Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday emphasized the UN’s role as the guardian of international law in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, days before US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law is to present a new Mideast peace plan to the Security Council.
Jared Kushner, a key architect of the Trump administration’s blueprint that has enraged the Palestinians, is to brief the council’s 14 other members at a behind-closed-doors lunch on Thursday.
“Our position is very clear. We are the guardians of the UN resolutions and international law in relation to the Palestinian question,” Guterres told a wide-ranging news conference at the UN headquarters.
“We are totally committed to the two-state solution,” he added, reiterating his stance that the peace plan must be based on the pre-1967 borders.
The US plan makes numerous concessions to Israel, proposing the establishment of a Palestinian capital in Abu Dis, a suburb of Jerusalem. The Palestinians have long sought the whole of east Jerusalem as their capital.
The US proposal also gives consent for the annexation of Israeli settlements as well as the Jordan Valley, Palestinian territories occupied by Israel since 1967.
The Palestinians, who have strongly criticized Trump’s plan, have indicated they plan to submit a draft resolution through Tunisia, a non-permanent member of the Security Council.
The resolution’s content has not been divulged as yet, but the United States would likely oppose it, using its veto if necessary, should it gain the support of nine council members, the minimum required for passage.

Guterres: UN safeguards international law in Mideast