UN General Assembly
2011

one of the most turbulent regions on the planet. We had great hopes for the resumption on 9 May 2010 of indirect negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians, mediated by the United Nations. The start of direct bilateral negotiations represented real hope for reaching a global peace agreement based on a two- State solution, with an independent and viable Palestinian State living side by side in peace and security with Israel and its neighbours. It is undoubtedly the failure of those talks that has led the Palestinian Authority to take steps to achieve recognition of the State of Palestine based, on the one hand, on the 1967 borders, and on the other, on its admission as a full Member of the United Nations. This is the moment for our Organization to take a bold decision designed to settle the Israel-Palestinian problem definitively, a settlement without which the Arab Spring will be unable to guarantee peace and 11-51191 18 security in the entire Middle East. Indeed, the failure of democracies to resolve this long-standing crisis will