UN chief: Denial of Palestinian statehood ‘unacceptable’

The right of the Palestinian people to build their own state “must be recognized by all,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres tells the Non-Aligned Movement, a forum of over 100 countries that are not aligned with any major bloc at the UN, during a summit in Uganda.

“The refusal to accept a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians, and the denial of the right to statehood for the Palestinian people, are unacceptable,” the UN leader insists in the Ugandan capital Kampala.

Such a stance “would indefinitely prolong a conflict that has become a major threat to global peace and security; exacerbate polarization; and embolden extremists everywhere,” Guterres warns.

“The right of the Palestinian people to build their own state must be recognized by all,” he says.