Unofficial transcript 
Agenda item 37 “Question of Palestine”, November 29, 2012

QATAR:  Mr. President, I am honored to congratulate at the outset President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian brotherly people on taking the first step that was long awaited by the Palestinian people and a large part of the world -- namely, upgrading Palestinian’s representation to the UN.  I would also like to express our happiness at this historic achievement, while at a time when there’s great international support for the inalienable right of the Palestinian people in ending the occupation of Israel, establishing an  independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem -- with Jerusalem as its capital.  I’d also like to reiterate our unwavering support of the Palestinian question and our resolve to stand side by side with the Palestinian people until it ends the injustice which it has suffered for more than six decades.
Mr. President, the large number of countries devoted for the state of Palestine sends a message to the international community, the whole international community, that there is an international unanimity to achieve the Palestinian rights and to enable the Palestinian people, which suffered for so many decades to establish its independent state and live within internationally recognized borders recognized by international law.  In this respect, Qatar reaffirms that the continued Israeli occupation and the persistence in the settlement policies of Israel is the main core of the Arab-Israeli conflict.  It is the worst violation of human rights made by -- committed by Israel against a defenseless, persecuted people.
Israel’s claims that it fights terrorism is false.  Israel is in a state of occupation, and the right to overthrow foreign occupation is a legal right and cannot be equated with the practices of the illegal occupation.  In this respect, we condemn the Israeli aggression two weeks ago against Gaza which claimed the lives of more than 168 people and injuring hundreds of innocent civilians.  In this respect, we call upon the international community to assume its responsibility, full responsibility to deal in a resolute way with the Israeli government to put an end to the siege imposed on Gaza and to refrain from any military operations against the defenseless population in the Occupied Territories, including the Gaza Strip.
Mr. President, Israel, the occupying authority, continues building the separation wall, which undermines the human rights of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.  Israel continues to desecrate Islamic shrines, especially the Aqsa Mosque, allowing the extremist settlers to commit aggression against those who perform prayers in the Aqsa Mosque.  It expels Muslims and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from Jerusalem and giving their places to those settlers trying to change the character of Jerusalem.
We, all  Islamic and Arab countries, condemn these policies, which undermine the opportunities for a comprehensive and lasting peace.  The occupation -- Israeli occupation authorities continue their settlement policies, paying absolutely no heed to calls by the international community calling upon it to end this policy, which undermine opportunities for a just peace based on two solutions, the state of Palestine next to Israel.
In this respect, we have to reaffirm that the main condition for the success of any negotiations between the Palestinian Authority and the occupation authorities of Israel is to end settlement immediately, not to suspend it, as some countries call for.
Israeli policies, whether on Jerusalem illegal settlement or the barrier, prisoners or use of force on every occasion, all of these practices affirm that there is no goodwill, not the security pretext that Israel invokes to reject peace based on international legality.  We would like to reaffirm that measures taken by the Israeli authorities to Judaize Jerusalem and to change the Islamic and Arab character of this city are null and void.
Mr. President, Israel’s continued illegal practices against the occupied Palestinian people leads to an exacerbation of the situation in the area and undermines the chances for peace.  Qatar reaffirms that there is no way that there will be normal relations between Israel and the Arab countries until Israel complies with international legality and respects the land for peace principle, which is the basis for the negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis since the Madrid Conference in 1991.
Qatar also affirms that the only way to enable upcoming negotiations to reach a successful outcome is for Israel to stop all its settlement activities and abide by international law.  It is reprehensible morally that some countries still pressure Palestinians to go back to the negotiating table and throwing the blame on Palestinians while we are ignoring the main reason for the failure of all attempts to revive negotiations, namely the absence of Israel’s goodwill and the continuation of flouting all UN resolutions by Israel without any attempt to ending its occupation of Palestine.  I thank you, sir.