Mr. Bashar Ja'afari, permanent representative of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations, reading out a statement from His Excellency, Mr. Walid Al-Moualem, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Syrian Arab Republic in his capacity as Chairman of the 36th Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers.
BASHAR JA AFARI:  Thank you very much sir.  I would like to thank you first for having organized this session for the observance of the international day of solidarity with the Palestinian people.  I would also like to thank all those who took part in assuring the success of this occasion and for the important statements they have made, which stress the importance of the rights of the Palestinian people to their land, to their homeland.  
I would also like to thank you for inviting Professor Walid Khalidi, who is with us today, to deliver a keynote presentation.  This historical overview we have just heard, which dwelt on many important points and made it possible for us to better understand what has happened in the past and what continues to happen in the occupied Palestinian territory, especially in occupied Jerusalem.  
Professor Walid Khalidi's presentation is really what I would call intellectual medicine.  That is how I see it.  And I call this an intellectual dose, so to speak, because there are many people who hesitate to support the cause of Palestine in the United Nations and they especially would benefit from consultations to have this intellectual medicine administered to them, so to speak.  Perhaps then they would realize that the question of the Palestine people is a fair issue.  It is the fair question par excellence.  And all that has been done by the occupying power to Palestinians and other Arab people in the occupied territories are illegal actions against the charter of the United Nations, for which Israel is fully responsible.  
Mr. Chairman, it is my honor to now read the statement of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Syrian Arab Republic in his capacity as Chairman of the 36th Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers.  Honorable Paul Badji, Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, ladies and gentlemen, distinguished delegates.  It is our pleasure on the observance of the international day of solidarity with the Palestinian people, in a special meeting of your committee, to express our appreciation to your person and to your committee for the role you play every year in the organization of this important international meeting, which recalls for the world the tragedy of a people who have been suffering for 61 years.   
We highly appreciate your sincere efforts and your solidarity with the Palestinian people and your support for this fair struggle to recover the legitimate rights to self determination and the creation of state, which is independent and enjoys its full sovereignty with Jerusalem as its capital, as well as the guarantee of the right of Palestinian refugees to return based on the relevant decisions of the United Nations.  
As we commemorate the international day of solidarity with the Palestinian people, we would like to draw your attention to the actions of the occupying power, the daily acts and barbarous practices against an unarmed people.  These acts include the propagation of religious sites, the methodical demolition of houses, the destruction of crops and land, the arrest of thousands of citizens and penning up thousands of elderly people, children and women in this tragic situation which is aggravated by the inhumane practices of the Israeli occupying power.  
It is deplorable that the Security Council of the United Nations is unable to reach a firm decision to put an end to these practices, especially to halt the building of colonies in occupied Palestinian territory, especially Jerusalem.  All of this in the face of repeated demands of member states of the United Nations and appeals from international public opinion. 
Israel continues to arrogantly ignore over 600 resolutions and decisions of the United Nations, its different agencies and bodies, calling for the withdraw of Israel from occupied territory in order to attain comprehensive, lasting and permanent peace settlement in the region.  
Israel continues to uphold the illegal wall, to pick away at territory through illegal occupation.  The West Bank and Gaza are more like to enormous prison camps where the most elementary standards of human rights and dignity are flouted.  
Israel knows that the end of last year, a war of aggression against Gaza -- it unleashed this war with lethal weapons which left thousands of dead and injured behind them including children, women and elderly people.  All of this was a complete flouting of the charter and prevailing international convention.  The conclusion of the special committee to investigate the events in Gaza, the Goldstone committee chaired by Justice Richard Goldstone, the report of which contains details of the serious violations of international law, international humanitarian law and acts which could be deemed war crimes and even crimes against humanity.  
Israel last year redoubled its inhumane acts and decisive aggression in Jerusalem, including the aggression against the Al Aqsa mosque, so Syria, which has almost half a million Palestinian refugees on its territory believes and continues to believe that a comprehensive, lasting and durable peace settlement can, indeed, be reached.
This can be done through very simple means.  This would be to fully implement United Nations' resolutions taken against Israel, especially Security Council resolution 242, 338 on the occupied Syrian Golan, revitalizing the peace process which began in Madrid in 1991, the Arab peace initiative, which set up the road map in 2003 supported by the member countries of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers in their successive meetings, the last mandate having been given by the meeting in Damascus which took place in May of this year.
Allow me sir to address the international community from this forum and to call on it to show its responsibility to the people of Palestine and to work seriously to put a halt to the machinery of repression, destruction and Israeli terrorism, which goes against every international rule and tradition.
We greatly appreciate your committee's efforts and we call on you to continue sending your support to the Palestinian people in their just struggle for the liberation of their stolen lands.  So until they can once again enjoy their legitimate rights, especially their right to return.  Be assured sir that Syria will provide all the support you need in order to fulfill your noble task.  Walid Al-Moualem, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Syrian Arab Republic, Chairman of the 36th Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers -- signed.  Thank you very much Mr. Chairman.  
General Assembly: 
320th Meeting
November 30, 2009 	1
Unofficial Transcript

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