ABDALLA BAALI (ALGERIA):  Mr. President, the report of the Committee on the Exercise of Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People which is before the Assembly today sets out in a lucid and impartial fashion the tragic situation that prevails for the Palestinian people in its homeland occupied by Israel, and it situates our consideration of the Palestine question in a particular worrisome context.  
The report shows, if it was still necessary to do so, how indispensable it is for the work and the activities of the committee to be pursued in conformity with its mandate as long as Israel continues to occupy Palestinian territories and persists in its flagrant violations of international law.
The year that has just passed was marked by Israel's policy of colonization and repression with the trail of atrocities, abuses and confiscations that follows in its wake.  In this atmosphere of death and destruction, a glimmer of hope appeared with Israel's pullout from the Gaza Strip.
For this pullout to constitute a genuine break with the past and a mechanism to lend momentum, once again, to the peace initiative, it will have to find a place within the context of the road map and open the path to a withdrawal of Israeli forces and the thorough dismantlement of settlements in the West Bank and around Al-Quds Al-Sharif.
The continuing construction of the separation wall, the intensification and expansion of settlement activities in the West Bank and the continued isolation of East Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank remain a source of grave preoccupation for my delegation and give rise to serious misgivings as to Israel's genuine intentions with respect to the final status of the territory.
Through these measures, in reality, Israel is drawing a new map of the occupied territories on the ground and thus severely compromising the chances of a future Palestinian state to be independent.  It further jeopardizes the principle of integrity and territorial continuity for the future state.
My country wishes to reiterate its position of principle according to which the settlements and the wall being built by Israel in occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem violate international law and Security Council and General Assembly resolutions and are contrary to the provisions of the road map.
My country is very concerned about the very serious deterioration of the situation from three perspectives, the humanitarian, economic and social perspective in the occupied Palestinian territories and we reiterate our condemnation of the inhuman practices of the Israeli army against the Palestinians, their property and their institutions.
Today, on this day of solidarity with the Palestinian people, who have seen now another milestone within this long period of ruination and injustice, my country, Algeria wishes to reiterate its firm support for the heroic struggle of this brave people to achieve its national inalienable rights.
Mr. President, the time has come for the international community to shoulder its responsibilities and put an end to the Israeli policy of occupation.  The Security Council has recently been seen to act with uncommon speed, vigor and effectiveness to bring about the withdrawal of foreign forces in the same area.  It is incumbent upon the council if it wishes to maintain its credibility in the eyes of the international community to act with the same level of resolve including having recourse to chapter seven to ensure that Israel withdraws unconditionally and without any further delay from the occupied Palestinian and Arab territories and thus complies with international law.
Such a withdrawal should be paired with a total and unconditional freeze of the settlements throughout the occupied Palestinian territories and with the cessation of the construction of the wall and the demolition of the parts that have already been erected, as recommended by the International Court of Justice and supported by our august assembly.
These are the conditions that can secure a successful outcome for the Gaza pullout and a serious resumption of negotiations on the final status, which has been postponed too long.
The international community represented by the four parties must also implicate itself further in order to bring about a fair and lasting solution to the Middle East conflict based on respect for resolutions 242, 338, 1397, 1515 and 1544 of the Security Council as well as of the principle of land for peace and to fully implement the road map as endorsed by the Security Council.
Mr. President, while reaffirming my country's attachment to a negotiated solution that is peaceful and based on international law, as President Abdelaziz Bouteflika solemnly recalled at the Arab American Summit of the South held in Brazil in May, 2005, we are more than ever convinced that a final settlement of the Israel-Arab settlement must be based on an end to the occupation and the withdrawal of the Israeli army from all the occupied Arab territories, including the Syrian Golan and the last remaining occupied enclave in Lebanon, the cessation of all [inaudible] activities throughout the occupied Palestinian territories, the dismantling of existing settlements, the cessation of the building of the separation wall and the renunciation to all policies that tend to increase and inflame passions and mortgage the success of the peace process.
Our assembly must adequately respond to the national aspiration of the Palestinian people to recover its legitimate rights, and first and foremost its right to self-determination and its right to create its own independent state with its capital Al-Quds Al-Sharif.  Thank you.