Lavrov warns against US attempts to replace Palestinian state by making it permanent UN member

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Saturday that the US and some other countries may replace the establishment of a Palestinian state with a formal declaration of acceptance as a full UN member.

Speaking at a news conference on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Türkiye, Lavrov said the goal of the plan is to divert attention to the "propaganda effect" while "on the ground" Washington would try to keep everything as it is now -- with no unified Palestinian state and most of the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel.

"According to our data, the Americans and some other Western countries are running around with such an idea — to declare that Palestine has become the 194th UN state. A beautiful announcement, Palestine will have a permanent representative with all the rights that the rest of the UN members have.

"And this will distract attention to the propaganda effect, while on the ground (they) will try to preserve everything as it is," he stressed.

Palestine currently has observer state status at the UN General Assembly, which it received in Nov. 2012.

The top Russian diplomat also criticized Israel's plans to turn the Gaza Strip into a "buffer zone," saying they violate all international legal frameworks.

The minister emphasized that the Palestinian state is not a "whim," and that without its establishment "it is impossible to stop the violence in the Middle East, to calm the Arab street, which sees injustice and sees how this injustice is being perpetuated."

Lavrov urged Palestinian groups to reconcile, noting that Israel often refuses to engage in talks with them, citing the lack of a "unified negotiator" who is recognized by all and represents all Palestinians.

The top diplomat said his Palestinian counterpart Riyadh al-Maliki informed him on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum that the participants of the intra-Palestinian meeting held in Moscow on Feb. 29-March 2 approved a communique in which all sides recognize the platform of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

"If so, it would be a very important step, because Palestinian unity is something that the Palestinians can do on their own," he said.

Israel has launched a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack, which Tel Aviv said killed less than 1,200 people.

At least 30,320 Palestinians have since been killed and 71,533 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.