UAE says no alternative to two-state solution 

AMMAN — Representative of the United Arab Emirates, State Minister Khalifa Shaheen Almarar, on Tuesday emphasised that Jerusalem has a special and significant status that must be respected, including its historical and legal position, and the Hashemite Custodianship over its holy sites, “both in word and in action”.

Almarar expressed his country's concern about the increasing prevalence of invasions, demolitions and forced displacements of Palestinians. The representative stressed that such actions are escalatory and have caused more Palestinian casualties in the first quarter of this year than in the entirety of the previous year, which was considered the bloodiest in two decades.

The coming period will bring cause for concern if Israel continues to “strengthen the grip of settlers” and provide them with legal immunity, using them as means to seize more Palestinian land, he added. Almarar noted that according to the UN, there are currently 700,000 settlers in 279 settlements, illegally established on Palestinian land, including 147 settlement outposts.

Almarar stressed the urgent need to protect the two-state solution as the international community and Security Council’s agreed-upon vision to end the conflict, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra. 

The UAE sees no alternative to the two-state solution, as it has been deemed the only viable option, Almarar said, calling on Israel to immediately cease all settlement activities and comply with its responsibilities under international law, including international humanitarian law.