Mr. Yahya Mahmassani, permanent observer for the League of Arab States to the United Nations.  
YAHYA MAHMASSANI:  Thank you sir.  I am pleased to convey the greetings of Mr. Amre Moussa, Secretary General of the League of Arab States and express my thanks for the support you have given to the creation of an independent state of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital.  The commemoration of the observance of the international day of solidarity of the Palestinian people in the framework of its suffering and its deprival of basic rights and the continued Israeli occupation of their territory, as well as the repercussions of the aggression against Gaza and the deterioration of the situation in this area.
The war crimes which Israel is guilty of against Palestinian civilians should not go unpunished because they are flagrant violations of international law, conventions and agreements and the United Nations and their specialized bodies should take legal responsibility and a stand against these crimes and those perpetrating them, especially when these actions are supported by special commissions of inquiries, especially the Goldstone report, as well as the special committee created to investigate the situation and the report of the special rapporteur who presented the briefing to the General Assembly recently on his findings.  
All of these reports faithfully recorded the acts of the occupying power, the war crimes and bear witness to the deliberate attacks on civilians, the use of Palestinian civilians as human shields, the use of weapons that are internationally banned, as well as the violation of the fourth Geneva Convention with a deliberate attack on civilians and destruction on civilian homes, religious sites and hospitals.
We support international efforts towards the two-state solution and to find a just and comprehensive solution to the Israeli-Arab conflict.  But this position of Palestine, our position continues to face the attempts of the Israeli government to colonize the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and to create a physical reality of facts on the ground, which would make it impossible to create a Palestinian state.  
I wish to stress our position, which is to continue to support the proposal of president -- US President Barack Obama in the framework of his serious attempt to find a comprehensive peace in the region, and his position, which calls to put an end to Israel settlement activity in the West Bank, especially in East Jerusalem, as well as the concerns in the -- at the withdraw of the American position that comes through Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which is a very serious hindrance and impediment to peace in the region.
Sir, ladies, gentlemen, the Israeli authorities continue to completely ignore all rules, agreements, human rights charters, thanks to the protection or the immunity that they enjoy as a state.  The Security Council must respond to the situation in the occupied territory.  The situation cannot continue.  It shows a flagrant imbalance in international relations.  This cannot go on.  We can no longer accept an Israeli coercion.  We cannot no longer go -- continue pursuing the dream, the mirage of a Palestinian state and occupied territory.  
Israel's position makes us all responsible for the actions that should be taken for the next negotiations to be serious.  It is the humanitarian responsibility.  Negotiations should not allow Israel to continue occupying Palestinian territory and making the creation of a Palestinian state impossible.  The end of settlement activity, the end of the unjust blockade, the reopening of crossings -- border crossings -- all of this is necessary to reach a solution to the situation.
Sir, within the League of Arab States, seeing the gravity of the situation, we affirm the need to uphold international standards and the principles enshrined by the international community, the charter of the United Nations and resolutions on the Palestinian situation and the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Far from having a double standard, we aspire to a real peace which will return land to its true owners and herald the dawn of a new era in the Middle East.  
General Assembly: 
320th Meeting
November 30, 2009 	1
Unofficial Transcript

General Assembly: 
320th Meeting
November 30, 2009 	1
Unofficial Transcript