NEW YORK — Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Ayman Safadi, participated yesterday evening (New York time) in the monthly Security Council briefing on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian issue. The session was convened by the British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Yvette Cooper.
اضافة اعلان
The following is the text of Safadi’s speech:
"In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Madam President, I congratulate you on the United Kingdom’s presidency of the Council this month, and I thank you for the invitation to this session.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The massacre in Gaza has stopped. But the suffering of its people has not ended. Their homes remain destroyed, their schools are rubble, their children are hungry, and their wounded and sick are without treatment.
U.S. President Donald Trump ended the war after more than two years of killing, destruction, and starvation. His plan provided a roadmap for reconstruction, stabilizing the region, and progressing toward peace. Implementing this plan in its entirety is the path to ending this suffering.
Ceasefire violations must stop—there have been more than 1,500 Israeli violations and over 600 Palestinian deaths since the ceasefire was announced. Humanitarian aid must flow into Gaza without obstacles, and the reconstruction process must begin. Gaza must remain linked to the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, to embody an independent, sovereign Palestinian state on all occupied Palestinian land, living in security and peace alongside Israel based on the two-state solution and international legitimacy.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Security Council supports security and stability in the Middle East by backing President Trump’s plan for Gaza and Security Council Resolution 2803. The international community protects the right of all peoples in our region to live in peace by preventing Israel from continuing its annexation of the occupied West Bank.
The entire international community rejects the annexation of the West Bank. President Donald Trump has confirmed he will not allow it. However, the Israeli government has accelerated illegal measures to make annexation a fait accompli, killing all chances for peace.
The facts are clear. For the first time since 1967, the Israeli government approved a resolution to seize Palestinian lands as 'state lands,' paving the way to annex over 60% of the West Bank in Area C. They have also authorized settlers to buy land, granted themselves demolition powers in Areas A and B, and enacted legislation to accelerate the confiscation of Palestinian property in East Jerusalem.
Last year alone, Israel approved plans for 27,941 housing units in settlements—doubling the highest record from 2023. They have also displaced over 37,000 Palestinians and destroyed 5,000 facilities.
The holy sites in occupied Jerusalem have not been spared. Violations against the legal and historical status quo are escalating, with nearly 65,000 incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif in 2025. Furthermore, unprecedented taxes have been imposed on church properties, threatening their confiscation.
Distinguished Council,
These actions, including the destruction of UNRWA headquarters and obstructing its mandate, are flagrant violations of international law. Annexing the West Bank means the death of any chance for a just peace. This is a danger that must end immediately.
The alternative to the two-state solution is a 'one-state reality' where five million Palestinians live under occupation without rights—this is systematic apartheid, which will never bring security to Israel or the region.
We want a just peace that fulfills the Palestinian people’s right to freedom and statehood while ensuring Israel's security and normal relations with all Arab countries. But what does Israel want? If they do not want two states, and they do not want a single democratic state, they must answer this question.
Peace will not be achieved by occupying more Syrian land, targeting Syria’s stability, or continuing the occupation of Lebanese land.
Dear Colleagues,
Annexing the West Bank is an announcement of the death of peace and a hostage-taking of the region’s future for more war. We are at a turning point: either we head toward a peace that recognizes the humanity of the 'other,' or we continue down a path of exclusion and hatred.
Let us face the truth with courage. Peace will not be achieved as long as extremist ministers in Israel call for the killing and displacement of Palestinians. We in Jordan and the Arab world seek a future of peace that ensures rights for Palestinians and security for Israelis.
Thank you."
