Thank you Mr. President,
I wish to take this opportunity to express the State of Palestine’s sincere gratitude to all the Member States that voted in support of the important resolutions that have just been adopted by the General Assembly under agenda item 38, Question of Palestine, once again by a resounding majority.
We convey additional appreciation to those countries that cosponsored these resolutions for their strong endorsement and support, and express in this regard our special appreciation to Senegal, Chair of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, for leading the co-sponsorship of these resolutions, to Namibia, Vice-Chair of the Committee for presenting the resolutions to the Assembly; and to Afghanistan, Vice-Chair and Acting Rapporteur of the Committee, for presenting the annual report of the Committee, reflecting on the ongoing plight of the Palestinian people, the continued search for a just solution, and the Committee’s continuous efforts in this regard, in line with its General Assembly mandate, since it was established in 1975, forty-five years ago.
We renew our gratitude in this regard to all Members and Observers of the Committee and to the Division for Palestinian Rights and the Department of Global Communication’s Special Information Programme on Palestine for all of their efforts, advocacy and outreach in support of the realization of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and the achievement of a just, lasting and peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Question of Palestine as a whole in accordance with international law and the relevant UN resolutions.
Mr. President,
The resolutions adopted today constitute important contributions by the General Assembly, in line with international law and the letter and spirit of multilateralism, towards addressing the fundamental issues and prolonged challenges we continue to face more than seventy-two years since the Nakba that befell the Palestinian people in 1948 and the dire consequences and painful hardships they continue to endure to this day, including the continued deprivation and denial of the right to return of more than 5.6 million Palestine refugees and the cruel, fifty-three year Israeli occupation of the Palestinian land and oppression of the Palestinian people since 1967.
Central to all of the resolutions just adopted, both the programmatic and political, is the goal of a just, lasting, comprehensive and peaceful solution to the Question of Palestine that will bring an end to the Israeli occupation, fulfill the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including to self-determination and freedom in an independent, sovereign State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on the pre-1967 borders, and a just solution to the Palestine refugee question on the basis of General Assembly resolution 194 (III). These are the pillars of a just and lasting Palestinian-Israeli peace and of genuine security and stability for both peoples and the region, pillars on which the international consensus remains strong, as reflected in the overwhelming support once again for the resolution on the “Peaceful settlement of the Question of Palestine”.
Mr. President,
We reject the offensive remarks by the Israeli representative against the integrity of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian people and against the States who have sponsored and voted in favor of these resolutions. This is not the so-called “Question of Palestine”, as he flippantly stated, it is in fact the longest standing item on the UN agenda. And, once again he went on to insult the General Assembly by claiming everyone in this chamber is “detached from reality”. On the contrary, this is reality and what has been said here in the General Assembly are not so-called “Palestinian talking points”, these are the international talking points, this is the international consensus, the consensus that Israel – the occupying Power – continues to reject, obstruct, deny, belittle, and attempt futilely to destroy.
The debate today in this chamber, with the participation of countries from every region of the globe, is clear expression of international law and its respect by the international community. The exception is Israel, which refuses to abide by international law, flagrantly trampling the Charter, international humanitarian and human rights law and UN resolutions, having gotten too accustomed to violating the law with zero consequences.
We reiterate what was stated in our intervention earlier today: it is high time for accountability for such blatant and systematic breaches of international law and violations of the human rights of the Palestinian people. Only accountability can change this miserable situation and give hope for a future of justice and peace. Peace cannot be built on the basis of illegality and oppression. Peace is built on the foundation of justice, that is international law, and upon compromise, and no one, no one, has made a greater compromise for peace than the Palestinian people and their leadership.
The hypocritical and degrading claim by the Israeli representative that this institution’s approach has “failed” perhaps should highlight even more the need for concrete action by States to implement the resolutions adopted by the General Assembly and of course the Security Council, to give meaning and substance to the commitments made, to give life to the international consensus, and to ensure accountability for such illegal and contemptuous behavior, which we all know is what is causing so much grief and suffering in Occupied Palestine, what has undermined every single peace initiative and negotiations across over two decades, and what is preventing the establishment of genuine peace and security between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples and in the Middle East region as a whole.
We urge mobilization of the necessary political will to change course of decades of inaction towards real action for a peaceful end to this conflict. We call for respect of these resolutions and the obligations and commitments affirmed therein. Implementation is not only paramount for the realization of just solution, but equally paramount for the credibility of this organization and the viability of our international rules-based order for the benefit of all countries and peoples.
Mr. President,
In closing, I wish to reiterate our deep gratitude for principled support given to the resolutions on the Question of Palestine and for the support and solidarity to the Palestinian people expressed in the debate and in the many messages of solidarity received in these past days, from all corners of the globe, from countries small and large, in commemoration of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. These resolutions reflect the collective will of the international community to uphold the law as it pertains to the Palestine question and ultimately contribute to a just, lasting and peaceful solution. For this, the General Assembly should be proud.
I thank you, Mr. President.
STAY CONNECTED