Statement by Ambassador Dr. Riyad Mansour, before the United Nations Security Council, Open Debate on the Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestine Question on 22 October 2013

 Mr. President,

At the outset, I congratulate Azerbaijan on its Presidency of the Security Council this month under your able leadership. We also express appreciation for Australia’s skilled leadership of the Council in September.

I thank Mr. Jeffrey Feltman, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, for his briefing.

Mr. President,

When we addressed the Security Council at the last open debate in July, we appealed to the international community to act upon its political, legal and moral obligations towards the question of Palestine and Palestinian-Israeli peace.  We stressed the need for meaningful steps to support the peace process towards fulfillment of the decades-long promise to assist the Palestinian people to realize their rights and justice, including a just solution for the plight of the Palestine refugees, and to realize their freedom in their independent State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital, living side by side with Israel in peace and security on the basis of the 4 June 1967 borders, the foundation of peace in the Middle East.

Our message to the Council, and our calls for action to salvage peace prospect, remain as urgent today as prior to the launch of direct negotiations between the parties nearly three months ago on 29 July. If the situation persists as is, marked by Israeli impunity and recklessness, yet another opportunity to make peace a reality will be lost.

This must be a matter of concern for the Council and international community as a whole.  Support for peace negotiations, as resoundingly pledged just weeks ago from the General Assembly rostrum, and by the Quartet in its most recent statement, whereby it “reaffirmed its determination to actively support the pursuit of a comprehensive resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict”, requires more than only commending the decision to resume negotiations and encouraging perseverance. It requires meaningful action to help the parties overcome the persistent obstacles, including by ensuring respect for the parameters of the solution, on which there is international consensus, towards the actual achievement of a final peace agreement.

Mr. President,

In September, before the General Assembly, President Mahmoud Abbas reaffirmed in the clearest terms the abiding Palestinian commitment to a peaceful, negotiated solution, based on the parameters enshrined in relevant United Nations resolutions, the Madrid principles, the Arab Peace Initiative and the Quartet Roadmap.  He stressed, inter alia, “The goal of peace that we seek is defined and the objective of these negotiations is clear to all, and the terms of reference, basis and foundations of the peace process and of the agreement we seek are longstanding and are within reach.”  Moreover, he reconfirmed our readiness to engage in good faith in the negotiations, stressing: “I assure you that we shall respect all of our commitments and foster the most conducive atmosphere for the continuation of these negotiations in a serious, intensive manner and provide the guarantees for its success, aimed at reaching a peace accord within nine months”.

The State of Palestine is upholding this commitment and acting with seriousness of purpose in pursuit of the Palestinian people’s inalienable rights and legitimate national aspirations. We have conducted ourselves with utmost responsibility, in line with international law, the Charter and UN resolutions, including of the Security Council, fully cognizant of the high risks and consequences entailed in the failure to seize the small opportunity that remains for realizing the two-State solution.

We have seriously engaged in several rounds of negotiation with Israel, maintaining our focus on the overall objectives of peace and coexistence, despite the striking imbalance of power and the cyclical distractions and complications caused by the occupying Power.  We have done so despite the hardships being endured by the Palestinian people under occupation and despite the challenges faced by our Government in addressing the needs of our people under such conditions, including the deliberate impairment of our capabilities to meet their needs and to allay their concerns, regarding both their daily subsistence and their future.

At this juncture, we reaffirm our gratitude for all efforts made by the international community in support of the negotiations and the goal of peace.  We recognize the efforts and leadership of the United States, as well as the European Union, Russian Federation and United Nations as members of the Quartet, by the Ministerial Committee of the League of Arab States and by all other concerned States from around the world.  Moreover, we recognize the efforts of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) and the support of the donor community, stressing the importance of such assistance to Palestine for alleviating the negative impact of the occupation and the ongoing financial crisis on our people and our Government institutions.

However, despite the genuine efforts being exerted, tangible progress remains elusive and hopes are diminishing, as the challenging situation on the ground persists and provocative Israeli actions and declarations undermine the spirit and intent of the negotiations.

Mr. President,

The Security Council must be aware of the vastly negative impact that unlawful Israeli policies in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem – the territory that constitutes the State of Palestine – are having on the ground and on the Palestinian conviction in the fairness of the political process and the potential for its success.  Illegal and provocative Israeli actions, whether by the Government, its occupying forces or its extremist settlers, are raising deep doubts about Israel’s true intentions in the negotiations, reinforcing the notion that it is only using this period to further entrench its settlement enterprise and de facto annexation of Palestinian land, while simultaneously attempting to ease international pressure in this regard.

Over the past months, Israel has continued its settlement activities in grave breach of international law, in total contradiction to the objectives and spirit of the negotiations, and in flagrant disregard for the global calls for cessation. Moreover, it has done so with full knowledge that these illegal actions are further undermining the contiguity of the Palestinian Territory and viability of the two-State solution and aggravating already-high tensions.

Since resumption of negotiations, Israel has advanced approval of over 3,000 settlement units and the confiscation of hundreds more dunums of Palestinian land, in addition to a barrage of provocations and incitement, including by cabinet officials and Knesset members.  In this regard, we refer to a report by the Israeli NGO Peace Now, which exposed, among other things, a 70% rise in the construction in settlements in the first half of this year.

Such illegal actions and tactics must be rejected by the international community and it must remain vigilant in its calls for a full halt to all Israeli settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.  The international consensus on this issue must remain firm.  We further call on all States to pursue measures to cease and prohibit any support to settlement activities in fulfillment of their obligations under international humanitarian law.

We also recall here the responsibilities undertaken by the Quartet members and highlight the call made in its 27 September statement for “all parties to take every possible step to promote conditions conducive to the success of the negotiating process and to refrain from actions that undermine trust or prejudge final status issues”, stressing the need for actions by all concerned parties consistent with and supportive of this call.

In this regard, we also draw the Council’s immediate attention to the dangers arising from constant Israeli provocations and aggressions in Occupied East Jerusalem, particularly at Al-Haram Al-Sharif and Al-Aqsa Mosque.  Such actions, particularly by Israeli settlers and Jewish extremists, have escalated and are dramatically fueling tensions.  We condemn and reject all reckless attempts to inflame religious confrontation, which would have grave consequences for the region and wider international community, endangering international peace and security.  We call on the Security Council to closely monitor developments in Jerusalem and to act responsibly, in line with its Charter duty, to demand a halt to all such incitement, provocations and inflammatory rhetoric and to avert further destabilization of this critical situation.

Mr. President,

In addition to the illegal measures being carried out in connection with Israel’s settlement campaign – whether construction of settlements and the wall, confiscation of land, forced displacement of civilians, demolition of homes, or the constant terror, violence and destruction being perpetrated by Israeli settlers – Israel, the occupying Power, also persists with its collective punishment and systematic human rights violations against the Palestinian people.  Military raids, excessive force against civilians, including peaceful protesters, arrest and detention of more civilians, including children, and abuse and mal-treatment of the thousands of Palestinians who remain captive in Israeli prisons and detention centers continue unabated.  Moreover, the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip remains of grave concern as Israel’s illegal blockade, now well into its sixth year, continues in collective punishment of the entire population, exacerbating poverty, widespread socio-economic ills and despair.

We thus reiterate to the international community two calls in specific: We call for the protection of the Palestinian civilian population in accordance with humanitarian law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention, an obligation long-acknowledged yet unfulfilled.  And, we call for lifting of this inhumane blockade on our people and for the sustained opening of the Gaza Strips crossings to allow for the normal movement of persons and goods, in accordance with humanitarian law as well as past agreements between the parties.

Mr. President,

It is against this backdrop that peace talks continue – an environment hardly conducive to the pursuit of peace.  Yet, the Palestinian side remains committed to the goals of peace, justice and coexistence, stressing here that peace and justice are two sides of the same coin, interdependent and mutually reinforcing.  We are prepared to undertake our responsibilities to resolve all final status issues – Jerusalem, refugees, settlements, borders, security, water and prisoners – for the achievement of a just, lasting peace and the independence of a sovereign, contiguous, viable and democratic State of Palestine, living side by side with Israel in peace and security on the basis of the pre-1967 borders.

For a credible process to be sustained, however, the reality on the ground must be redressed.  Serious efforts are needed to close the wide gap between this reality and the hopes, expectations and requirements for a successful political process.  Israel must show in word and deed that it is willing and able to uphold its responsibilities and legal obligations and act forthwith, both at the negotiating table and on the ground, to make peace possible. This obviously necessitates an end to all of the illegal, destructive policies of this military occupation.  The international community must be unrelenting in this demand. The alternative is a continued rise of tensions and instability, sabotaging this final opportunity to realize the two-State solution, an alternative that we, along with the international community, clearly seek to avert.

Mr. President,

In conclusion, I am compelled to reiterate our grave concerns about the situation of Palestine refugees in Syria.  All are aware of the horrific impact of the conflict on the civilian population in Syria, including Palestine refugees, and the massive suffering being endured.  We call again for intensive efforts, including by the Security Council, to ensure the protection of all civilians and to promote a political solution to this conflict as rapidly as possible.  We stress that the vulnerability of the Palestine refugees stems directly from the failure to resolve this problem for over six decades due to Israel’s deliberate denial of their rights, a fact that reinforces the imperative of a just solution for their plight in the context of any final peace agreement and regional peace. Until that day is realized, we recognize the extraordinary efforts of UNRWA, UNHCR, UNICEF, OCHA, the ICRC and all humanitarian organizations working in Syria and the neighboring countries to aid and alleviate the suffering of the refugees and displaced in this time of crisis.

I thank you, Mr. President.