Palestinian envoy to UN for action against Israel

Speaking to journalists inside the U.N. headquarters in New York, Riyad Mansour said he has met with the Security Council president for December, Russias ambassador Vitaly Churkin. Mansour also said he plans to meet with other Security Council members including the United States and Portugal.Mansour said he is seeking action on Israels continued settlement building in the occupied West Bank and in East Jerusalem.What I will be raising with my colleagues, the members of the council today and in the next few days as I meet with them and consult with them, is that we want the Security Council to shoulder its responsibility with regard to all these violations, especially the violation of the continuation of the illegal activities of Israel in the settlement front. And we will see what will be the result of this consultation to collectively decide what is possible.Our desire is obvious. We want the most most effective reaction from the Security Council. But that is our desire. The reality is something different because we know the balance of forces and how the Security Council is composed of countries that have, some of them, certain positions with regard to this issue, he said.Israel and its main ally the United States insist that only a peace treaty can establish a universally recognized Palestinian state. But the Palestinians say they have been patient through 20 years of futile talks.Israel has pressed ahead with new settlements. The Palestinians have refused repeated Israeli calls to renew peace talks unless Israel stops building settlements on land they want for a state.So therefore you know, the fact that we do not succeed sometimes in adopting a resolutions in the Security Council in connection with settlements does not stop us from coming again and again back to the Security Council demanding from it to shoulder its responsibility and to act in accordance with international law because there is an agreement among all member states at the United Nations that settlements are illegal, obstacle to peace, and need to be stopped completely to allow for the two sides to negotiate in an atmosphere that is conducive to increasing the possibility of success, said Mansour.He added, Therefore, when we come again and again to the Security Council for an action to stop these illegal settlement activities, we are in line with the international law and the Israelis are not and we keep demanding from the Security Council to elevate itself to a level to muster a political will to find a practical way by resorting to measures to bring Israel into compliance.And I believe it should be our collective decision in the international community to succeed in that endeavor if we truly want to open doors for negotiations between us and the Israeli side.The Palestinians have also applied for full U.N. membership and for the recognition of the state of Palestine. The request is now being considered by the Security Council, but the United States has already pledged to veto it in the 15-nation body if it is brought to a vote.