Statement by Palestinian Observer before the General Assembly 64th Session

Vote on Report of Fact Finding Mission on Gaza Conflict

New York( 

5 November 2009

PALESTINIAN OBSERVER:  Thank you very much Mr. President.  I want to express the gratitude of P
alestine for your outstanding efforts in facilitating the meeting of the General Assembly to consider the report of the Human Rights Council and to the discussion and the consideration of Goldstone report.  And also Palestine would like to express its gratitude to all of our Arab brothers who have submitted the draft resolution along with those who have cosponsored the draft resolution.  
We are grateful to all of you for that united stand in submitting the draft resolution which has been adopted by everyone.  We also would like to express our thanks to all the countries who have voted in favor of this resolution, and I also must add that we interpret the voting of all those who abstained as being supportive of the essence of the resolution, and we take note of some of the problems that they had on the procedural side.  
I want also not to dignify myself by responding to the comment and the question by the representative of Israel because the Palestinian side cooperated fully with the Goldstone team when they went to investigate.  The Israeli side did not, but obstructed the effort and the mission of Goldstone.  So therefore our actions speak louder than our articulation in terms of not being afraid of international law and honoring it, respecting it and cooperating with it.
And those who claim that they are a democratic country, they are afraid of exposing themselves to the investigation of such a distinguished commission.  And be that as it may, let me just say that tonight is a very important night in the history of the General Assembly.  It is a very important night in the history of fighting against impunity and seeking accountability.  
We are not done with the exercise.  Tonight, congratulations to all of you because you allowed the process to begin of what is contained on the Goldstone report.  We are preparing ourselves for the high contracting party to be convened in Switzerland.  And this connection, we give a special gratitude to the representative of Switzerland for their courage and for their defense of international law, international humanitarian law and the issue of accountability.
So we will be ready for unfolding this segment of the recommendation in the report of Goldstone.  We will be also ready and we will come back to the General Assembly after three months and we will consider the report of the Secretary General and we will do that with a view for further action, including actions in all parts of the United Nations and in the Security Council.  
This journey of fighting impunity and seeking accountability is a long journey.  We are proud that the General Assembly was very responsible in instructing the Secretary General to advance the report to the Security Council.  It will be an official report in front of the Security Council.  We will continue knocking on the door of the Security Council to shoulder its responsibility.  
While we are seeking all other elements contained in the report of Goldstone, we will work very closely with the Commission on Human Rights seeking from her modalities and how to deal with the issue of compensation and the establishment of a compensation fund.  We will come back to that issue once we seek all of the expertise and the suggestions from her distinguished office.
We will continue to work with the Red Cross and other appropriate parts of the United Nations to see how we can deal with the issue of dealing with the weapons that were used and the ammunition during this war.  And once we seek that expert information, we will come back to it because it is another recommendation contained on the Goldstone report.  So therefore we started the journey today.  It is a process and we will continue this process until we make sure that the Israeli criminals who have committed war crimes against the Palestinian civilians to face justice and to get the punishment that they deserve.
Now for us on the Palestinian side, we will continue to uphold international law.  We are not afraid of international law and international law is on our side.  We will never accept that there is any kind of asymmetry between the occupiers and between the victims, the Palestinian people under occupation.  International law is on our side and international law is the course that we have to force on Israel sooner or later.  
Thank you very much, Mr. President.  And I want to thank everyone in this hall and to say, Goodnight and tomorrow will be another day.  Thank you.