Sudan
SUDAN REPRESENTATIVE:  Mr. President, the Israeli barbaric war against Gaza was not a secret.  I say that Israeli barbaric war against Gaza was not a secret.  It has been seen by people close and far.  Millions of people around the world followed it through different mass media.  The Israeli terrorizing of civilians and assassination of civilian population is no longer controversial.  The Israeli occupation authorities waged a destructive war against Gaza that left a high toll among civilians and a destruction to the infrastructure and to the property of citizens.  Major and widespread violations of international law, international humanitarian law and human rights as well as the Geneva Conventions of 1949 have occurred.
What Israel did was simply an episode in a criminal record that’s continued since its heinous occupation of Palestinians and the Arab Occupied Territories.  It is an expression of an ultimate defiance of life and a contempt for the United Nations and its resolutions.  It is yet another episode in its series of killing and destruction, destruction of life in all its forms, in a world genocide against the Palestinian people.  It’s a war in which Israel was not able to kill the will or the steadfastness of Palestinian people.  Its Wall of Separation was not able to separate the Palestinian people from their aspirations to a life in dignity.  
The discussion by GA of this report assumes a special importance to bring back the required credibility to the international organization, particularly that the GA is the pulse of the international community and its hope in deterring Israel and put an end to the suffering of the Palestinian people.  
The fact-finding mission established by the Human Rights Council, as explained in the report, the mission, I say, came up with many conclusions – legal and documentary – that were extremely important.  The report concluded that there were war crimes, crimes against humanity that were committed by the Israeli occupation authorities.  The report also clarified that the conduct by the Israeli occupation forces constitute a grave violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, whether in terms of its willful killing or the willfully causing great suffering to civilians. 
The report also said that the Palestinians were directly targeted, which is a violation of their right to life.  The report also enlists acts of oppression of the people of Gaza who are under a blockade and consider such an act a crime against humanity.  The fact-finding mission investigated many reports in which Israel destroyed the infrastructure, the food production units, water and sanitation units, and even mills.  The report said that the violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention and the violation of other laws, as well as excessive destruction, is an undisputedly war crime.  
As for the destruction of government offices and infrastructure, the report stated that the attacks against such infrastructures were deliberate, as well as the attacks against civilian targets which represent a violation of the norms of international humanitarian law.  The report also believed that there is a systematic policy by the Israeli occupation authorities to target civilian population.  
The international commission also find that in addition to the widespread destruction of homes during the incursions, the Israeli forces also went on another deliberate, destructive campaign that preceded their withdrawal, which his a violation of the family’s right to life.  
With regard to the violations of the rights of civilians, the Goldstone Report said that the conduct by the Israeli occupation forces is a grave violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention and it is a war crime.  It concluded that targeting Palestinian civilians aimed at punishing and humiliating, terrorizing and collectively punishing them and using them as human shields are only other acts – other war crimes.  The Report also mentioned that the Israeli strikes at mosques and hospitals were deliberate and direct and that these acts are acts – are violations of the rights of Palestinian people and acts targeting civilian targets.
The Commission concluded that the Israeli occupation authorities are responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity.  It reached the conclusion that the major reasons for the suffering is occupation.  The Report said, and here I quote:  “The Israeli continued occupation of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank is the basic element for the violations of human rights, international humanitarian law against the people entitled to protection and it undermines the possibilities and the prospects for development and peace.  The Israeli failure to recognize and acknowledge its responsibilities as an occupying force led to an increased burden for the Palestinian people.  The Israeli practices cannot end resistance.  On the contrary, it foments and enriches this resistance, in addition to some acts of violence that are the direct byproduct of such a policy.  The Commission believes that ending occupation is a precondition for life and dignity for Palestinians.”  (end of quotation)
The conclusions of the Goldstone Report constitute a direct challenge to this international organization and puts it face to face – in the face of its international responsibility to address the recommendations.  The conclusions, as we say, is a challenge to our international organization.  Our organization has to face its historic responsibility to address the recommendations of the Commission to support the steadfastness of the Palestinian people referred to by the Commission and to respond to its legitimate rights, mainly seen as their right to enjoy – as their right to self-determination to the establishment of its own state and to the achievement of just and comprehensive peace with the withdrawal of Israel from all the Occupied Arab Territories, occupied in 1967, on the basis of the United Nations relevant resolutions.  
While some international circles provide protection to the occupation authorities, this has sent a negative message to Israel which did not stop at its destructive war against Gaza.  It just started another war recently against Al-Quds Al-Sharif.  It started demolishing homes, Judaizing the Holy City and continuing to build settlements.  It also continued its excavations under the Aqsa Mosque and the blockade enforced against the faithful, preventing them from fulfilling their rights.  This precipitated another disaster to the Palestinian people.  
This Assembly must condemn the Israeli acts in Al-Quds.  It also must declare null and void any Israeli actions aiming at changing the legal, material or demographic and institutional character of the Occupied Syrian Golan.  The measures undertaken by Israel to impose its legal and administrative authority are null and void, including building and expanding the Israeli settlements which are considered a challenge to the international community and a grave violation of international law, the United Nations Charter and its resolutions, including Security Council Resolution 497, and the Fourth Geneva Convention.
We also have to see to it that the Israeli withdrawal, full withdrawal from the Lebanese territories including the Shab’a Farms, Glyka Va Shuba [?] [01:47:11], and the Rajr [?] Village must become a reality.  
It might be a good opportunity today to salute the steadfastness of thousands of Palestinian prisoners languishing in the prisons of the Israeli authorities.  
Mr. President, the Goldstone Report has not only unmasked the Israeli crimes and war of genocide perpetrated against the defensive Palestinian people.  So I repeat – it has not only uncovered the war crimes and crimes of genocide against the defenseless people, it has also unmasked a double standard by those who pay lip service to justice and to the need to end impunity.  
The Goldstone Report showed us how hypocritical these are.  It also demonstrated that credibility and justice is selective and is based on double standards.  Those are the ones who harm the reputation of this international organization.  Our people aspire to be covered by – to be entitled to the justice that it should pursue.  
In conclusion, we’d like to pay tribute to the efforts of the HRC and call on the GA to endorse the Report and to adopt a draft resolution in this regard.  The GA should also remain seized of this matter.  Thank you for your attention.  
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