NEW YORK, September  26, 2009 (WAFA)– The international community must step up pressure on Israel to fulfil its obligations to the Middle East peace process, Lebanon’s President told the General Assembly today, warning that Israeli “threats of attacks and wars” were futile and only delayed a long-term solution to the region’s troubles.

Michel Sleiman told the Assembly’s high-level segment, held at United Nations Headquarters in New York, that Israel should be compelled to meet its obligations “within a specific and reasonable time-frame,” in line with a recent declaration by the Arab League at a summit in Doha.

“Or else, how are we to convince our peoples that the international community is capable of achieving a just and comprehensive peace and thus of putting an end to the various aspects of the Middle East conflict, including Israeli withdrawal from all occupied Arab territories and the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian State with Al-Quds [East Jerusalem] as its capital, if it is not capable of forcing Israel to halt its settlement construction, to lift the unjust siege on Gaza, and to stop the judaization of Jerusalem?”

Mr. Sleiman said a lasting solution to the Middle East conflict will not work unless the parties demonstrate “genuine political will to commit themselves to peace and its obligations.”