Voicing deep concern over the deteriorating Middle East situation, India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA), a group of emerging powers, has asked Israel to stop the "illegal" settlement activities in occupied territories and condemned violent attacks on Palestinians.
Israel has to stop settlement activities, not as a "concession" in the course of the negotiations but rather as an obligation under various UN Security Council resolutions and international law.
IBSA also condemned the increasing violence by settlers against Palestinians living in adjacent areas.
The IBSA countries believe the UNSC has an essential irreplaceable role to play in the peace process mainly by condemning violence, calling for a complete halt to settlement activities and calling for the implementation of all its resolutions," Viotti said.
Britain, France, Germany and Portugal also said in a joint statement that they were "dismayed by these wholly negative developments" and called on the Israeli government to stop attacks on mosques and Palestinians by extremist settlers.
