THE PERMANENT MISSIONOF

SOUTHAFRICA
TO THE UNITEDNATIONS

333 East 38th Street 9th Floor NewYork, 10016 NY Tel:(212)21T5583 . ' Fax (212)652-2498 E-mail: pmun@southafrica-newyork.net

STATEMENT BY AMBASSADORDUMISANI KUMALO PERMANENTREPRESENTATIVE OF THE REPUBLICOF SOUTHAFRICA

AT THE SPECIALMEETING TO MARK FORTY YEARS OF OCCUPATION ORGANIZED BY THE COMMITTEE ON THE EXERCISE OF THE INALIENABLE RIGHTS OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE

UNITED NATIONSGENERAL ASSEMBLY NEW YORK 07 JUNE 2OO7

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Mr Chairman, For more than 60 years,the Palestinianpeople have led an intolerablelife. In the nast 40 years following the 1967 war, Palestinians have endured illegal occupation by Israel that has affected all aspectsof their lives. They have suffered"u"ry imaginable violation; the continuing withholding by Israel of the much-needed palestinian tax revenues;the endlessexpansionof Israeli settlements;the building of the Separation Wall that has been declaredillegal by the International Court of Juitice; u, *rjl as the cruel restrictions of movement and accesson Palestiniansthat has underlined the fact that Palestinianpeople remain stateless. Despite these challenges, the Palestinian inalienableright to self determinationand statehood representsthe steadfastness, hopes and dreams of millions of palestinians living in the Occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. It represents the yearning for the nonnality that only comesfrom being able to callyour home - home. Today, more than 2.5 million Palestiniansare confined to dozens of enclaves separated Israeli roads,settlements, by military zonesand the Separation Wall. This meansthat the impact of the Israelioccupationexcludes40% of the palestinians fiom tlreir territorv. Even the Palestinian cities such as Nablus,Jerichoand Ramallahhave been redttced to isolated spots that can only be reached via 450 roacl blocks and 70 check points. Mr Chairman. Recently. South Africa was honouredto host the tIN African Meeting on the euestion of Palestine,l-reld under the auspices of the Committee on the Exercise of the InalienableRights of the Palestinian People, in Pretoria from 9-11 May 2007. The Final Document adopted concluded that the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, the systematichuman rights abuses and discriminatory practices committed against the Palestinian people by the Israeli occupying forces constituteswar crimes in terms of the Fourth Geneva Convention and the Protocol I Additional to the GenevaConventions. The participants were highly critical of Israel's routinely disproportionate and indiscriminate military operations in Palestinian population centres. In this regard, they reminded Israel, the occupying Power, of its responsibilitiesand accountuUitity under intemational law. They called upon all Govemments, intergovernmental organizations and others to meet their legal obligations faced with Israel's noncompliance, and take appropriateactions. Mr Chairman. The LJnited Nations,in particularthe Securit5, Council, carriesa specialresponsibiliry to find a solution on the lsraeli-Palestinian issue. This year will afsomark 40 yearsof defiance by Israel of Security Council resolution 242 which called for the witirdrawal of Israeli troops from the territoriesthat it occupiedafter the 1967 war.lt is tirle fbr the United Nations to accept that Israel continues to re.iect with irnpunity all resolutionspassedby both the GeneralAssembly and the SecurityCouncil u,rj thi, cannot be allowed to continue for another40 years.

2 Recently, the responsibilityof trying to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has shifted to the Quartet made up of the LrN, EU, Russia and the US. The challenge for the Quartet has always been the fact that it is not a representative body, despil the participation by the Secretary-General.The fact that it excludessome of the countries in the region that could contribute effectively to a lasting solution has robbed the Quartet of the potential to make significant progressand achieve the soal of a twoState solution and lasting peace. Perhaps it is time for the international community to consider other alternatives to bring about peace betweenthe Israelis and the Palestinians. lt is for this reason that we welcome and supportthe decision of the Arab League Summit in Riyadh in March 2007 that offered lsrael full normalization of relations with the Ara6 Leaeu e,s 22 countries in exchangefor full withdrawal from Arab territoriesoccupied:rn 1967, togetherwith a negotiated resolutionof the Palestinian refugeeproblem. We believe that efTortsmust be made to persuadethe lsraeli authoritiesto respond constructively and creatively to the Arab initiative. An historic moment for peace may be at hald and the lsraeli Govemment may wish to seriously consider ii in the interest of all people in the Middle East and for regional and internationalpeaceand stabilitv. Mr Chairman, On this day that we mark 40 years of illegal occupation"my delegation reiterates our unwavering sllpport to the Palestinianpeople in their struggle for the establishment of an independent Stateof Palestine, with East Jerusalem its capital, living side-byas side with lsrael with both States enfoying secure and internationally recospised borders. This vision of a two State solution, as enshrined in Security Cluncil resolution 1397 (2002), and the principle of land for peace must therefori underpin any permanentsettlementof the Middle East conflict. I thank you.