Unofficial Transcript by Human Rights Voices

November 25-26, 2013, UN Headquarters, New York
General Assembly: 57th Meeting: Question of Palestine (Agenda Item 36); Situation in the Middle East (Agenda Item 35)


PALESTINE:  Mr. President, I am honored on behalf of the State of Palestine to address the General Assembly in this important debate.  In this International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people I reaffirm the gratitude of the Palestinian people and government for the compelling expressions of solidarity received from all around the world, including as conveyed at today's commemorative meeting of the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People.  
We express our appreciation to the Chair of the Committee, Ambassador Diallo of Senegal, for presiding over the special meeting and for his statement and introduction of the draft resolutions on the Question of Palestine today, as well as to the Rapporteur of the Committee, Ambassador Grima of Malta, for presenting the Committee's report and to the other bureau members including the distinguished ambassadors of Afghanistan, Cuba, Indonesia, Namibia, and Nicaragua, and all the members and observers of the Committee for their principle support of the just cause of Palestine.  I also commend the efforts of the Division for Palestinian rights and DPI Special Information program on Palestine.  
I also thank Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon for his report on the peaceful settlement of the Question of Palestine and tireless efforts and express our appreciation for the support of the UN system for the noble goal of peace including the efforts of his special representative Robert Serry of UNSCO, and the efforts of the DPA and all UN agencies on the ground, assisting the Palestinian people including, inter alia, UNRWA, UNDP, UNICEF, OCHA, WFA, UN Woman, UN Habitat, UN FPA, and the OHCHR.  Here we also express appreciation for the commitment to the first UN development assistance framework for the State of Palestine aimed at enhancing development support and assistance to the Palestinian people and strengthening institutional capacity in line with national priorities.  
Undoubtedly the international political, humanitarian, financial and morale support extended over the decades has helped to sustain the Palestinian people and bolster their resilience as they have confronted innumerable hardships in exile and under occupation, while awaiting the realization of their inalienable rights, justice and peace.  We are grateful for the support while again calling on the international community to exert all possible efforts in line with relevant resolutions, the UN charter, and international law to redress the injustice the Palestinian people have endured for far too long.  
Mr. President, our appeals to the international community are directly linked to the permanent responsibility of the UN towards the Question of Palestine until it is resolved in all aspects.  This responsibility is being upheld by the international community in many ways.  However, political progress remains elusive due to Israeli's flagrant contempt of the resolutions and authority of the UN and due to the absence of political will characterized by the paralysis of the Security Council which has precluded accountability by Israel implementation of relevant resolutions and advancement of a just peace.
The General Assembly, however, continues to act to uphold its responsibilities and in the last debate on the Question of Palestine on 29 November 2012 the Assembly undertook the historic courageous decision to accord to Palestine non-member observer state status in the UN.  With the adoption of 67/19, a resolution fully consistent with the right to self-determination, enshrined in the charter and relevant resolutions -- from resolution 181 to 194 to 242 to the present -- another milestone was set in the long march of the Palestinian people for freedom and realization of their inalienable rights and legitimate national aspirations.
Resolution 67/19 constitutes an important step towards insuring the state of Palestine's rightful place among the community of nations.  As the application submitted in 2011 by President Abbas for full UN membership regrettably remains pending before the Security Council, we are certain that the Assembly's overwhelming support of this decision will be considered on the right side of history, deemed an essential step towards rectification of this injustice and fulfilling the international covenant in this regard.  Sixty-five years after the adoption of resolution 181 partitioning mandate Palestine and the onset of the Nakba of the Palestinian people.  
We are proud that the support for resolution 67/19 came from all corners of the globe, comprising countries from every major political and regional group.  This initiative was rightly viewed as a crucial opportunity to reaffirm support for and salvaging the two-state solution at a time when its viability and popular conviction in it were being seriously eroded by the illegal policies of Israeli, the occupying power in the Occupied Palestinian Territory including East Jerusalem, the Territory constituting the State of Palestine.  And unfortunately to reaffirm support for the Palestinian people's right to self-determination, freedom from occupation, and the independence of their state with East Jerusalem as its capital.  
In fact, the global position in support of the two-state solution based on the parameters of, inter alia, the 4 of June 1967 borders, Jerusalem, as the shared capital of the two states, and a just agreed solution for the Palestine refugees in accordance with relevant UN resolutions, the Madrid Principles, the Arab Peace Initiative and the Quartet Road Map is the position to which the Palestinian people and leadership have been committed for at least a quarter century since formal acceptance of the two-state solution with the adoption of the Declaration of Independence of the State of Palestine in 1988.
This significant compromise to establish our state, on only 22% of our historic homeland, for the sake of restoring our rights, achieving our freedom, and ending the conflict is among the boldest reflections of the Palestinian commitment to peace and coexistence with Israel, despite the great injustice endured by our people including the Palestine refugees who number over five million and continue to suffer the untold hardships of disposition and exile, including as a result of the many crisis that have wrecked the region, the most recent being the tragic conflict in Syria, which has gravely affected the Palestine refugees community. 
The State of Palestine is upholding this commitment as reflected in the serious engagement in all stages of the peace of process from the Madrid Conference forward to its legitimate actions at the UN, to safeguard and promote the rights of the Palestinian people.  We continue to act responsibly, respecting international law and UN resolutions, fully cognizant of the high risks entailed in a failure to seize the opportunity that remains for realizing the two-state solutions, a point starkly underscored by the Under Secretary General for Political Affairs in his recent briefing to the Security Council.  
We have thus engaged in over twenty rounds of negotiations with Israel in the context of the direct talks resumed on 29 July 2013 upon the initiative of the U.S. Secretary of State Kerry and with the vital support of the League of Arab States, as well as the European Union, Russian Federation and UN as members of the Quartet and all concerned states from around the world.  During the negotiations, Palestine has maintained focus on the objectives of peace and coexistence, determined to overcome the obstacles that have repeatedly undermined the process.  
Unfortunately, despite the genuine efforts we are exerting and despite the international community's full support, real progress remains elusive and hopes are diminishing as the challenges on the ground persist with provocative Israeli actions, distractions and declarations undermining the spirit and aim of the negotiations to justly resolve all final status issues:  Jerusalem, the Palestine refugees, settlements, borders, water, security and prisoners. 
This is most reflected in the high tensions and mistrust provoked by Israel's recent threats to construct thousands of more settlement units in grave breach of international law and blatant disregard for the global calls for a halt and in contradiction to the basis for the resumed negotiations and the goals of the peace process.  
Mr. President, the reality on the ground in occupied Palestine is critical.  Illegal and destructive Israeli actions, whether by the government, its occupying forces, or its extremist settlers, are sowing deep doubts about Israel's true intentions in the negotiations, reinforcing the notion that it is only using this period to further entrench its illegal settlements enterprise and de facto annexation of Palestinian land and continue its subjugation of the Palestinian people while simultaneously attempting to ease international pressure in this regard.  
Over the past year, Israel has intensified its aggression, colonization, and collective punishment against the Palestinian people in flagrant breach of international law including the Fourth Geneva Convention and the human rights covenants and General Assembly, Security Council, Human Rights Council, ECOSOC, UNESCO, and other resolutions in this respect of the ICJ Advisory Opinion and in arrogant disregard of the international calls for compliance.  
This has included, inter alia, relentless construction of settlements and all particularly in and around occupied East Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and the Jordan Valley.  Confiscations of hundreds of dunams of land forced displacement of Palestinian civilians, especially affecting Bedouin families.  Demolishing of hundreds of homes and properties … targeting Palestinian Jerusalemites and Area C.  Violent military raids by the occupying forces causing loss of life, injury and destruction, excessive force against peaceful civilian protesters, daily arrests and detention of civilians with more than four thousand arrested in the reporting period and on, as indicated by the Secretary General, continued imprisonment of nearly 5,000 Palestinians under horrific conditions and abuse, including hundreds of children and prisoners stricken with cancer and prisoners on hunger strike whose lives are endangered, and myriad of measures obstructing the movement of persons and goods, foremost the illegal blockade on the Gaza Strip and aggravation of religious sensitivities, risking the outbreak of religious conflict with incessant provocations by Israeli extremists against holy sites, especially at Al Haram Sharif, the detention of the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and the harassment of worshippers including during Christian Easter observances and Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan.
Extremist Israeli settlers have continued their criminal rampages, terrorizing Palestinian civilians, destroying farmlands and thousands of trees, effecting the livelihoods of thousands of families, vandalizing churches and mosques and threatening the sanctity of Al Aqsa mosque.  The Settlers Act would support protection and incitement from Israeli officials who persist in encouraging colonization of the Palestinian land and persist in their rejection of the two-state solution and rights and even existence of the Palestinian people.  
With regard to the situation in the Gaza Strip, it is condemnable that the inhuman Israeli blockade has entered its seventh year in collective punishment of the entire Palestinian civilian population there and in grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention.  The blockade remains the cause of vast humanitarian suffering, exacerbated poverty, and other socioeconomic ills and despair.  It continues to impede reconstruction of thousands of homes and destroyed civilian infrastructure and continues to prevent economic recovery as imports remain restricted and exports nearly prohibited.  
A water and energy crisis also persist in Gaza where 90% of the water is unfit for human consumption and power outages of up to sixteen hours a day are severely impairing the function of hospitals, schools, water and sanitation networks, businesses and human life.  
Mr. President, we reiterate our calls for an end to the Israeli blockade, the illegal colonization of our land, the collective punishment of our people and the violation of their human rights, including of the thousands of Palestinians who remain imprisoned by the occupying power and who must be released.  Such actions constitute systematic violations of human rights law and grave breaches of international humanitarian law under which our people are entitled to protection and are contrary to the good faith required to lead the negotiations to the achievement of peace.  
In this regard, we reiterate that the two-state solution and Israeli settlement campaign are completely irreconcilable and such illegal measures cannot be justified under any pretext.  The international consensus is clear.  Settlement activities are illegal, constitute the major obstacle to peace and must be halted.  Speaking for peace, while engaging in its destruction makes a mockery of the international community's support for the two-state solution and sabotages all efforts in this regard, as does claiming readiness to negotiate without conditions while actually imposing conditions on the ground in the form of illegal facts that entrenched the occupation and obstruct peace.  
Mr. President, we are at a critical juncture in the long historic search for peace to which the State of Palestine is fully committed as reflected in our adherence to resume negotiations and parameters of the peace process, on which an international consensus prevails.  
The decisions made now will determine whether the solution of two-states -- the State of Palestine and State of Israel, living side by side, in peace and security, based on the pre-'67 borders will be achieved or whether that solution will be brought to an end by Israel's illegal policies.  Our collective efforts, no matter how well intentions, will fail with far reaching consequences if Israel persists with the illegal policies of its forty-six-year military occupation and continues to undermine the foundations of a peaceful solutions.  This will trigger the onset of alternative efforts -- political, legal, and popular -- to end this injustice and attain the rights of the Palestinian people, aspirations that they will never forego.  
In order to sustain meaningful negotiations and overcome the political impasse toward the conclusion of a peace agreement, the reality on the ground must be immediately redressed.  Israel must tangibly demonstrate in word and deed its willingness to end its occupation and make peace.  The mentality and policies of occupation in all manifestations must end.  This is imperative to stem the decline of the situation, shore up popular belief in the possibility for peace, build trust between the parties and salvage this final chance for the two-state solution.
In the absence of a change in the Israeli behavior, we must continue to call for international action to compel Israel, the occupying power, to respect all of its legal obligations.  The message must be conveyed that Israel must cease all illegal policies and that the price of occupation is steep while much is to be gained from peace.
Violations must be met with measures for accountability.  Failure to do so would be a disservice to the cause of peace, endangering the future of the Palestinian and Israeli peoples and prospects for peace and security in the Middle East and beyond.  The time is now for meaningful action to promote a just and lasting solution that will ensure the attainment of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and establishment of peace between Palestinian and Israel, which constitutes the cornerstone of Arab-Israeli peace, as set out in the Arab Peace Initiative, an historic initiative for comprehensive regional peace.  
We are at the crossroads and reiterate our appeal to all states, intergovernmental organizations, the UN system as a whole and civil society to extend the support necessary to realize Palestinian-Israeli peace which is all the more urgent in the context of the dramatic developments in our region.  
On its part, the State of the Palestine will continue to act responsibly, upholding its commitment to peace, cooperating with all international efforts in this regard, based on its conviction in the rule of law and international resolve to secure a just solution.  Internally, we will continue to develop our national institutions to strengthen our state's foundations, serve our people, and ease their hardships while still under occupation.  
We are grateful for the international support of these efforts, progress of which is well documented by the AHLC, World Bank, and UN, despite the constraints and setbacks due to Israel's unlawful actions and the ongoing financial crisis.  We will also continue to strive for reconciliation so vital for achieving Palestinian national aspiration.  
Mr. President, in conclusion, the Palestinian leadership is determined to bring an end to the tragedy endured by our people.  We are determined to peacefully achieve the independence of the State of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital, on the basis of the pre-'67 borders, fulfill the rights of the Palestinian people including the Palestine refugees and establish peace and security between Palestinian and Israel.  
We are grateful for the principle support of all concerned states and peoples worldwide and urge that no effort be spared to achieve long overdue freedom, justice and dignity for the Palestinian people.  In this regard, we appeal for support for the International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People in 2014, as an important contribution towards fostering the necessity momentum and political will in the year ahead to achieve the rights of our people and make Palestinian-Israeli peace a reality.  
I thank you very much, Mr. President.
IRAN FOR THE NAM:  In the name of God, the most compassionate and most merciful.  
Mr. President, I have the honor to address the General Assembly today on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement on agenda item 36, Question of Palestine.  This important debate coincides with the commemoration of the International Dat of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
On this day the international community reaffirms its continued and unwavering support for and solidarity with the long-suffering people of Palestine in their national struggle to achieve the independence of their state, peace and justice.  
NAM pays tribute to the resilience of the of Palestinian people in their pursuit of their legitimate national aspirations which they have been for too long unjustly denied.  
Mr. President, following the historic adoption by the UN General Assembly of resolution 67/19 of 29 November 2012, that accorded to Palestine non-member observer state status in the United Nations, Israel, the occupying power, has blatantly intensified its illegal settlement activities along with many other unlawful policies and practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territory including East Jerusalem.  
The situation continues to be extremely severe in the Jordan Valley where thousands of Palestinians including hundreds of Bedouin families have been displaced and thousands more are at risk of forced displacement due to Israel's illegal criminalization, and around occupied East Jerusalem where the occupying power continues pursuing measures aimed at the quiet transfer or depopulation of the indigenous Palestinian inhabitants, and at ensuring a Jewish majority in the City.
In this regard, NAM calls for a complete end to all Israeli settlement activities, the construction of the wall, home demolitions, residency revocations, excavations including near Al Haram Sharif, noble sanctuary and closure of Palestinian institutions in the City.  
We condemn Israel's detention and imprisonment of thousands of Palestinian including women and children who are subjected to deplorable conditions of captivity and all forms of ill treatment.  We also condemn the ongoing terror, violence, and provocations by extremist Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians and properties, including homes, agricultural lands, and Moslem and Christian holy sites.  We caution that such actions are fueling religious sensitiveness, that risk further destabilization and must be brought to an immediate end by the occupying power, which bears responsibility for all of the illegal criminalization activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and for the consequences and must be held accountable for these crimes.
Israel, the occupying power, continues the illegal construction of settlements and networks of Israeli-only bypass roads, linking to settlements, the confiscation of vast land areas, and the transfer of Israeli settlers to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as it has flagrantly pushed ahead with its plans to colonize and de facto annex more Palestinian land, even in the midst of a peace process.
The Non-Aligned Movement remains firm in its condemnation of Israel's illegal settlement policies and practices and stressing that all such unlawful attempts to alter the demographic composition, corrected on a status of the Occupied Palestinian Territory including East Jerusalem are all null and void and have no validity whatsoever.  
In this connection, the movement calls for urgent action and practical measures by the international community, in particular by the Security Council to compel the occupying power to cease completely its settlement campaign in the Occupied Palestinian Territory including East Jerusalem, and to abide by all of its obligations under international law including the Fourth Geneva Convention, UN resolutions, advisory opinion and its obligations under the Roadmap in this regard.  
Mr. President, the sea, air and land blockade of Gaza imposed by Israel, the occupying power, entered its seventh year in June 2013, deepening poverty and despair among the more than 1.7 million Palestinian living there.  The devastating impact of the illegal blockade and the repercussions of the trauma, destruction and displacement inflicted by Israeli military aggressions, particularly in 2008-2009 and 20012, have continued to impact every human right and to disrupt every aspect of life.  
This blockade constitutes collective punishment of the entire Palestinian civilian population in Gaza, which is in grave breach of international humanitarian law, in particular the Fourth Geneva Convention.  In this regard, the movement calls upon Israel, the occupying power, to promptly and unconditionally end its illegal blockade of the Gaza Strip and open all its crossing points to ensure the regular and sustained movement of persons and goods in accordance with obligations under international law, Security Council resolution 1860, and all other relevant UN resolutions.  
Israel has continued this arbitrary and abusive imprisonment and detention of thousands of Palestinian civilians including children as young as 12 years old who are being subjected inter alia to forced interrogation, violent beatings, psychological harassment and humiliation, unhygienic conditions, solitary confinement, torture, denial of access to medical care, education, family visits and medical neglect leading to death.  
It is the conviction of the movement, as stated in the Declaration of Palestine Political Prisoners, adopted by the Sixteenth Summit of Heads of A State or Government of the Non-Aligned Movement in Teheran in August 2012.  That the Palestinian prisoners should be immediately released and the plight of these prisoners should be addressed by the international community, particularly the Security Council and the Human Rights Council. 
Mr. President, NAM expresses deep concern at the lack of progress in the Middle East peace process and regrets that, even as peace negotiations have resumed, pessimism is overtaking hope as every passing day they affirm that Israel, the occupying power, is more interested in maintaining its control over the Palestinian land rather than achieving a just peace.  For this objective, the occupying power has relied primarily on its settlement activities, perpetrated in grave breach of international humanitarian law, in addition to other unlawful practices aiming at the isolation, separation and subjugation of the Palestinian people and constituting gross human rights violations and collective punishment.
In this connection, we stress the need need for intensified and coordinated efforts by the international community to compel Israel, the occupying power, to cease its illegal policies and genuinely commit to the peace process on the basis of United Nations resolutions and longstanding terms of reference.  
The international community must act to prevent the total collapse of the peace process after so many years of efforts and support for this process on the basis of a clear foundation rooted in international law, UN resolutions, and the international consensus on the two-state solution, based on the pre-1967 borders and a just and comprehensive solution for the plight of the Palestinian refugees on the basis of General Assembly resolution 194_3.
The movement welcomes all efforts and initiatives aimed at realizing justice for the Palestinian people and … stress the importance of the admission of the State of Palestine and as a non-member observer state by the United Nations General Assembly on 29 November 2012, and its admission as a member state by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) general conference.  We consider this development as a vote of confidence that Palestine meets the charter criteria of statehood, and is ready and willing to assume its charter responsibilities.  
We express optimism that the granting of non-member observer state status to Palestine by the General Assembly will help accelerate the momentum in the Security Council regarding its pending United Nations application.  
In conclusion, Mr. President, the movement reaffirms its unwavering commitment to a just and comprehensive solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict with the question of Palestine at its core, and to the immediate restoration of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to exercise its self-determination and sovereignty in its independent State of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital.  I thank you, Mr. President.
TUNISIA FOR THE ARAB GROUP:  Mr. President, it gives me great pleasure to speak to you on behalf of the Arab group in the general debate on item 36 of the agenda, relevant to the Question of Palestine which coincides with the commemoration of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.  This important occasion during which the international community reiterates its solidarity with and support for the fraternal Palestinian people in its long struggle in order to achieve its legitimate aspirations to self-determination and to live in dignity, peace and stability and to build its independency.  
I would like to express the … for Ambassador Abdou Salam Diallo, the Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People for his statement and presenting the resolutions that reaffirms Palestine.  The Ambassador of Malta for submitting the report of the Committee and would like to thank Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the UN, for his report on the peaceful settlement of the Question of Palestine.  The adoption by the General Assembly on this time last year of resolution 76 [sic]/19 [67/19] providing for … Palestine the observer non-member state in the United Nations was a landmark in the history of the Palestinian people.  This resolution adopted by a … majority expressed this --  He brought support of the international community for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in the context of the two-state solution.  It also embodied the … of the various components of the international community that there is no alternative to seeking peace and stability in accordance with the relevant international frames of reference in order to open new vistas for all the peoples of the region.
The international community was optimistic with the resumption of the direct negotiations between the Israeli and Palestinian side under the auspices of the U.S. and expressed its full support and encouragement for this step, which should have all efforts so as not to be squandered, especially in the current circumstances experienced by … which no longer brook any further setbacks and disappointments.  
The League of Arab States was -- the states of the League of Arab States were among the first states to support the strike and expressed the hope that it will culminate in a full and as comprehensive solution to the Palestine question which would allow the Palestinian people to regain its rights and independence of a state along the borders of the June 1967 with Jerusalem as its capital, and allows coexistence among all parties in the region in peace and security.
… regrettably what we notice today on the ground of -- Israel's positions and practices.  The provocative statements by a member of its officials run counter to the necessary seriousness to achieve the desired peace and also threatens the ongoing negotiations and prospects of settlement between the two side.  
Mr. President, these illegal settlement processes are a gross violation of the rules of international law regulating the legal status of territories under foreign occupation.  Also they seek the change the character of the occupied territories which involves the threat of partitioning the Palestinian territories and their fragmentation and imperiling the prospects of the establishment of the Palestinian state.  And this in context -- the Arab group calls for putting an end to the settlement activities which are a gross violation of the norms of international law and the resolutions of international legitimacy and the frames of reference of the peace process.  
The Arab group continues to condemn the acts of aggression by the occupying power and the Israeli settlers against the Palestinians and their confiscation of their lands and territories, the demolition of their land and infringement of their most fundamental rights, including those of the detainees and the captives.  Such practices are in the view of the components of the international community a breach of international legitimacy and blatant challenge of the principles of human rights and international humanitarian law.  
The Arab group also condemns the repeated acts of aggression by the occupation authorities and Israeli settlers against the City of Al-Quds and its Christian-Islamic landmarks and the seeking to alter its geographic and demographic character, in addition to desecrating Islamic and Christian houses of worship and abusing their visitors.  The group calls for the total lifting of the stifling Israeli embargo imposed on the Gaza since 2007 to put an end to the serious and tragic repercussions resulting from it, which deprived the Palestinian refugees from the most elementary requirements of decent livelihood, including women and children.
Mr. President, the Aran group affirms the contents of the statement issued by the meeting of the … Committee on the Arab Peace Initiative held last week in Kuwait, called the Committee.  And I quote:  We assert support for the continued negotiations … warning of the risks resulting from the continued acts of aggression and practice of Israel including the settlement policies which would derail the current negotiations and cause the U.S. and the other members of the Quartet to seek to compel the Israeli government to cease all its policies and practices which are destructive to the current track of negotiations and the peace process.  [end of quote]
The Arab Group recalls the fact that the Committee asserted and I quote:  The Arab commitment to the contents of the Arab Peace Initiative and its frames of references, principles and bases to achieve peace in the region, all of which are based on international law and relevant resolutions of the UN, one which would put an end to the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories and independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, along the borders of June 1967 and solving all the final status issues including borders, security, Jerusalem, refugees, border and the release of the Palestinian prisoners.
Finally, I cannot but reaffirm the fact that the Arab group is wedded to the need to achieve a just and durable and comprehensive solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict on all these facts, foremost of which is the Palestinian question and affirms the need to regain the Palestinian people of all its legitimate and inalienable rights to self-determination within its independent, sovereign state within the borders of June 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital.  Thank you, Mr. President.
KUWAIT:  In the name of God, the merciful, the compassionate.  Mr. President, at the outset we wish to subscribe to the statements by Tunisia on behalf of the Arab Group and to the statement of Iran on behalf of NAM.
The General Assembly debate of this important item coincides with the celebration of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People and the first anniversary of resolution 67/19 on the admission of Palestine as a non-member state status within the United Nations.  We express thanks and appreciation for the Secretary General and for the various United Nations entities, especially the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, especially with regards -- and also for the Special Committee on the investigation of the Israel practices on the human rights of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Territories.
We support all efforts in order to reach final solution, especially the ongoing negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli sides.  in order to achieve a final solution on all final status issues, such as borders, settlements, water, Jerusalem, refugees, and security -- we pay tribute to the United States on the -- on its role in the resumption of negotiations.  However, the Israeli practices may undermine the opportunity to achieve a final solution.  The Israeli government continues the construction of new settlement units, expanding also the already existing settlements in total disregard for its international obligations and for the international community calls to end these practices, these illegal practices which contravene the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949.
The Israeli government continues to confiscate land and limit the movement of a people and goods by dividing the Palestinian territories.  The blockade imposed by Israel on Gaza entered its seventh year which has augmented the hardship of the Palestinian people.  
The thousands of Palestinian citizens which languish in Israel practices [sic] also contravene international law and international humanitarian law, which also is a major reason for the ongoing tension in the regions.  We call on the international community to exert pressure on Israel to stop its aggressive practices and its illegal blockade against Gaza, unconditionally open all crossings and stop all illegal settlement activities.  
Put an end to its repetitive aggressions against the Aqsa mosque and its attempts to alter the character, the geographic and demographic character of Jerusalem, and to comply with Security Council resolutions -- 242, 338, 1397, 1515, 1870, 1860 which call for the withdrawal by Israel from all territories occupied in 1967.
We call for the release of all Palestinian detainees and prisoners in Israel prisons.  We call on the international community to exert pressure on Israel for the fair treatment of Palestinian prisoners in accordance with international law and the international humanitarian law as a first step towards their freedom.  We call on Israel to implement Security Council resolution 497, calling for Israel to withdraw from the occupied Syrian Golan and to withdraw to the pre-June 1967.
We also support brotherly Lebanon and its efforts to preserve its security and its territorial integrity.  We call on Israel to stop its aggression, its land and air aggression against Lebanon, and to withdraw from all occupied Lebanese territories in accordance with Security Council resolution 1701.
In closing we support all the legitimate aspiration of the brotherly Palestinian people.  The people of Kuwait, its leadership, will continue to support financially and politically the brotherly people of Palestinian towards the end of Israel occupation, the establishment of the Palestinian state with Al Haram Sharif as its capital.  In accordance with international terms of reference, we hope that the Palestinian state will be the 194th state in the United Nations.  Thank you.
CUBA:  Thank you very much.  Mr. President, Cuba is grateful for the provocation [sic] of the report of the Committee for the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and associates itself fully with the statement made by the distinguished representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement.  With today's debate, we extend the long list of discussions in the United Nations on the Palestinian question without achieving a fair solution which will put an end to Israel's crimes against the Palestinian people and which will make it possible for them to fully exercise their inalienable right to self-determination in a fully independent State of Palestine.
Israel, the occupying power, continues to defy international community persisting in its breach of international laws and treaties and in flouting General Assembly and Security Council resolutions.
The report of the Committee for the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People notes an aggravation of the situation in the region, especially in Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, especially as a result of the excessive use of force by Israel against Palestinian civilian population and to many other illegal policies and practices, such as the expansion of Israeli settlements, continued violations of human rights and collective punishment which lead to immense suffering for the Palestinian people.  
By overwhelming majority the General Assembly approved on November 29, 2012 resolution 67/19, giving Palestine the status of non-member observer state of the United Nations.  This set Israel to announce plans to build more than three thousand housing units in occupied territory, including occupied East Jerusalem and withholding transfer to Palestine of tax and customs revenue collected for Palestinians.  
Cuba reiterates its condemnation of the continued expansion of all illegal Israel settlements in Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, as well as the continued violations of Security Council resolutions and the Fourth Geneva Convention.  
The independent international investigation mission of the repercussions of Israeli settlements on the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of the Palestinian people in the entire Occupied Palestinian Territory including East Jerusalem appointed by the Human Rights Council concluded that this campaign of settlements violates many human rights of the Palestinian people.  That the violations were interrelated and they were part of a general pattern of violations which is mainly characterized by denial of the right to free self-determination and systematic discrimination against the Palestinian people.  
The violent attacks of Israeli settlers against the Palestinian population in the West Bank and East Jerusalem persist.  The illegal construction of the wall in the occupied West Bank continues despite the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice of July 9, 2004.  Restrictions have led to severe damage to most of the population which is deprived of access to medical services, education and social services as well as markets and sacred sites of East Jerusalem.  
During the period covered by the report of the Special Committee, Israel undertook the demolition of at least 594 buildings belonging to Palestinians which added to the displacement of at least 924 individuals.  During this period, Israeli forces killed at least a 196 Palestinians and injured over 1,600 people in the Gaza Strip.  Also, Israeli forces caused the death of twenty Palestinians and injured more than 4,200 in the West Bank and East Jerusalem during confrontations.  
The restrictions on the circulations of people and goods from the Gaza Strip and towards it continued to lead to a deterioration of living conditions of 1.7 million Palestinians living there, including women and children.  
Mr. President, I have mentioned just a few of the alarming figures provided in the new report of the Committee for the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, which eloquently illustrate the severe violations which Israel continues to perpetrate against the Palestinian people. 
Cuba renews its strong condemnation of these actions and the illegal occupation of Palestinian territory including East Jerusalem by Israel.  Cuba calls on the occupying power to immediately desist from its aggression.  The international community must not remain unmoved any longer at the continued deterioration of the situation and must take action to ensure that the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council are respected.
The Security Council must take the responsibility it does have and accept without any further delay the request for recognition as a member state of the United Nations presented by the State of Palestine in 2011, which is the expressed wish of the immense majority of states which are members of this organization.  The passivity of the Security Council before Israel's crimes because of the threat or the use of the veto by one of its permanent members is the highest expression of hypocrisy of those who are self-appointed models in the defense of respect for human rights.  When it comes to criticizing or punishing developing countries which do not agree with their policies, or defy the political, social, economic order they intend to impose.  
Cuba supports the initiative of the Committee for the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People to have the General Assembly of the United Nations proclaim an International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People in order to show increased international awareness of the cause.  
Mr. President, before concluding I wish to salute on behalf of Cuba the decision of Guyana and El Salvador to establish diplomatic relations with the State of Palestine.  Furthermore, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania and Switzerland have decided to give Palestinian delegations in their countries the status of embassies or similar entity.  Just a few days ago, we bore witness to an historic moment in the General Assembly when the representative of the State of Palestine participated for the first time in an election in this body.  Cuba congratulates the government and the people of the Palestine for this event, which is a new step towards the final objective, the participation of the State of Palestine as a full member of the United Nations organization.  
Cuba will continue to support the Palestinian people in its legitimate struggle for justice, dignity, peace and the right to self-determination.  And it also renews its desire for peace, its wishes for peace in the rest of the peoples of the Middle East.  Thank you very much, sir.
UAE:  Mr. President, on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with Palestinian People, I wish first to emphasize the message from His Highness Sheikh Kahlifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates -- may God protect him -- to the Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People regarding the firm position of the United Arab Emirates government and people towards supporting the State of Palestine until full restoration of its territories and its legitimate rights including the right of return and self-determination and the establishment of an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.  
I also take this opportunity to express our appreciation and continued support for this Committee and its efforts towards advancing the Palestinian cause and peaceful solution of all its aspects in accordance with the resolutions of international legitimacy.
Sir, my delegation welcomes the participation of the Palestinian delegation.  For the first time, since the establishment of the United Nations in voting on one of the United Nations GA resolutions and regards it as a significant and historic step.  We look forward to completing this step soon with the international recognition of Palestine as a full member and independent state in the United Nations like all other states.  
The United Arab Emirates strongly supports all regional and international positive political efforts that have been made for decades in order to achieve a peaceful, fair settlement for the Palestinian cause, including the recent efforts made by the United States which led to resuming direct political negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli sides -- three months ago with a view to reaching a final peace agreement that settles all core issues.  In this connection, my delegation empathizes the essential role played by the United States in resuming negotiations.  However, if negotiations fail we cannot go back to square one.  
We also emphasize the commitment of Israel, the occupying power, to lift the end of siege imposed on the Gaza Strip.  Release thousands of Palestinian detainees.  Withdraw from all Occupied Palestinian Territories which is a prerequisite for creating a favorable environment to continue these negotiations and reach an acceptable peace agreement within the nine-month deadline based on the two-state solution and peaceful coexistence in accordance with relevant UN resolutions, the Arab Peace Initiative and the agreed principles of the peace process. 
We strongly condemn the ongoing Israeli settlement activities and hold the Israeli government responsible for the present breakdown in negotiations and other efforts aimed at achieving a just settlement for this cause.  We urge the international community, especially the Quartet, the Security Council to take serious and concrete measures towards forcing Israel to immediately cease all its illegal settlement activities.  
Mr. President, the economic and social conditions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories have deteriorated severely because of the ongoing Israeli practices, on the one hand, and the inadequate resources of the Palestinian Authority on the other.  We hope donors will provide more emergency aid to the Palestinian people and continue their development assistance contributions in a timely manner in order to enable the Palestinian Authority to overcome the current financial crisis and alleviate the negative effects of the occupation.
In closing, Mr. President, my delegation which cosponsored four resolutions under this item at the General Assembly believes that a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East is the only strategic option for countries which support peace and stability in the region, which cannot be achieved without addressing the root causes of the Arab-Israeli conflict, including Israel's withdrawal to the pre-June 1967 borders and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with full sovereignty and East Jerusalem as its capital.  I thank you, sir.
BAHRAIN:  In the name of God the Compassionate, the Merciful.  Mr. President, on the opportunity afforded me by this International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, Bahrain would like to reiterate its support for this people in its march forward to recover its inalienable rights and the creation of an independent state in its territory whose capital would be Jerusalem, just like all other people.  
His Majesty, the King of Bahrain, has sent a letter to the Committee for the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People in which he urged the international community to remain vigilant and to follow the situation carefully, to put an end to all activities which might impede and hamper negotiations resulting from Israeli practices and to put an end to the illegal settlement activity in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, especially Jerusalem and the repeated Israeli attacks against religious sites, especially the Al Aqsa mosque as well as the blockade of Gaza and to ensure that negotiations take place, to ensure that all religious sites are treated in an equal fashion.
His Majesty also noted that the time is a propitious one for a lasting and just peace so the international community must reiterate its efforts or must rather step up its efforts for the success of these negotiations.  We … hope that we will be able to rapidly put an end to this conflict, and we have no doubt that the creation of an independent Palestinian state – one which would be lasting and viable, living side by side with Israel within safe borders is an urgent matter, especially following the adoption by the General Assembly by an overwhelming majority of a resolution which granted Palestine the status of non-member observer state and this as a mark of support for the struggle of the Palestinian people.  
His Majesty the King has also stated that these are feasible, legitimate aspirations insofar as the United Nations are working for just and lasting peace with the support of all its members and that we will achieve this objective through the creation of two sides which will live side by side in peace, cooperating with each other. 
Mr. President, we would like to convey our gratitude to His Excellency Ambassador Diallo, Chairman of the Committee for the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People.  We'd also like to thank all members for the praiseworthy efforts undertaken to draft the report which we have before us and we appreciate their ongoing efforts to enable the Palestinian people to exercise their inalienable rights, recognized by the General Assembly back in 1974 and we have the inalienable rights which were underscored by the Security Council resolution in 1967 and which applies to the Palestinian people and all Arabs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.  We'd like to thank the chairman as well for his work in raising awareness, the awareness of the international community of the Palestinian people's suffering and needs and all media activity within the framework of the General Assembly.  For example, the awareness raising and training program to Palestinian journalists, which took place here last year to shed light on various aspects of developments related to the issue of Palestine and the peace process in the Middle East.
Mr. President, the report before us contains information, information which reflects a detailed reiteration of the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.  From this information, one can deduce that the deterioration is ongoing -- day after day.  Given the constraints and limitations on freedom of movement, the blockade on Gaza and the continued building of the Wall of Separation by Israel, a just and lasting peace is a strategic option.  It is also an option which will require the implementation of United Nations resolutions and the implementation of all relevant documents and resolutions including respect for the Roadmap and the Arab Peace Initiative.  The International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People reflects the aspirations and the feelings of the international community regarding the Palestinian people.  Thank you.
PAKISTAN:  Thank you, Mr. President.  Mr. President, this assembly's resolution 67/19 adopted last year is a landmark in the struggle of the Palestinian people to realize their right to self-determination.  The resolution sparked the dream that an independent state of Palestine would emerge soon on the map of the world.  Today, we express once again our solidarity with the Palestinian people.  
Earlier this year, hopes for a State of Palestine were revived with the reactivation of the peace process.  In this regard we pay tribute to the United States Secretary of State, Mr. John Kerry, whose persistent and resolute diplomacy brought the Palestinian Authority and Israel government back to the negotiating table.  
What we have seen in the past few months is that the dialogue between the two sides is fragile.  Despite this we must not lose hope.  The talks should not break down.  We understand and respect the vow of secrecy between the two sides on the sensitive and difficult negotiations they are conducting.  Public signs about these talks are, however, not very encouraging.  
Resignations of the Palestinian negotiators point to serious problems behind closed doors.  Mr. President, there are four obstacles to the success of these negotiations which must be removed.
First, the two sides -- the people of Israel and Palestine -- not just their official representatives should believe in and support a two-state solution.  Two independent states, Palestine and Israel, with their border drawn as it existed before the 1967 war should plan to live side by side in peace and security.  East Jerusalem, the Al Quds … Sharif, will be the Palestine state's capital.  Mr. President, a two-state solution is the best solution on the table.  All others, a bi-national state, a unitary singular state are mirages that would further fracture the two states and shatter all the hopes for peace.  The vision of the two-state solution should be owned and backed by multiple religious communities and secular constituencies on both sides.  For that, the leaders on both sides have to inspire and instill confidence.
Mr. President, Palestine and Israel must heed Secretary Kerry's call for a sense of urgency because if no progress is made in the nine-month talks, the window of opportunity would start closing off and the peace process would plunge back into freefall and uncertainty.
Second, Israel must wind back its plans for expansion of illegal settlements.  The Secretary General in his report, Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine, maintains that settlements are illegal under international law and has warned that the situation on ground presents a growing cause of concern over the viability of a two-state solution.  
Mr. President, Israel knows that these settlements are the single biggest impediments to peace talks.  And yet it chose to announce over 1700 units on November 3rd, followed by plans for construction of another 20,000 units in the West Bank, including in the E1 area.  
Mr. President, this frantic surge in settlements should be halted to give the talks a chance to succeed.  In this regard we urge the United States to use its special relations and influence with Israel.  
This is also necessary to prevent the Palestinian state from turning into disjointed enclaves.  The new Palestinian state must have a geographically viable contiguous territory.  
Mr. President, we welcome the release of the Palestinian prisoners by Israel, but regret that the impact of this gesture has been neutralized by the announcement of new settlements.
Third, dispossessions in the occupied territory, especially in East Jerusalem, must be stopped.  The report of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People records significant increase in demolition and displacements.  The number of people displaced from East Jerusalem in the first eight months of the year was more than the combined total for 2011 and 2012.  Media reports suggest that while the number of settlers grows, thousands of Palestinians are being forced to leave Jerusalem.
Fourth, in Gaza, the collective punishment meted out to the Palestinians continued into its seventh year.  An average of less than 200 people were allowed out of Gaza per day in the first half of 2013, compared to around 26,000 in the same period before the blockade.  Nineteen out of 20 UNRWA projects have ground to a halt due to the shortage of construction materials. 
Mr. President, the international community should not remain silent while Palestine continues to disappear before our eyes.  We appreciate the European Union guidelines on funding of projects in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.  The Quartet should also become more active to support the peace process.  
Mr. President, Pakistan believes that the resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict, including through the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territories and the Syrian Golan is the only guarantee of sustainable peace in the region.  
Mr. President, the Palestinian Authority set about an ambitious task of building infrastructure and institutions for the future Palestinian state three years ago.  They have made considerable progress towards achieving this objective.  But still, there is a long way to go.  The international community must step forward to help the Palestinians more vigorously in this endeavor.  
Finally, Mr. President, Palestine sits at the United Nations today as a state and was able to vote in the General Assembly for the first time last week.  This is a reality which must be recognized by all.  There is no alternative.  The sooner this realization sinks in, the lesser would be the suffering on all sides and the better it would be for peace and stability of the region.  I thank you, Mr. President.
QATAR:  Mr. President, allow me at the outset to convey to you my gratitude, gratitude for having convened this meeting, and to extend my thanks to the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People for the efforts undertaken to reduce the suffering of the Palestinian people and to ensure that all of its rights are restored.  
I'd like to here pay tribute to the role played by the division of the rights of the Palestinian people at the United Nations for efforts undertaken.  We'd like to back the statement made by Tunisia on behalf of the Arab Group as well as the statement by Iran on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement.  
Mr. President, we convened this year at a time when we are marking and celebrating the very first historic decision by the General Assembly granting the State of Palestine the status of observer.  This was an historic decision, one which repaired a great injustice done to the Palestinian people.  This is also a decision which is in keeping with the ultimate objective which is the creation of a Palestinian state within the pre-'67 borders with its capital, East Jerusalem to restore the Palestinian people their rights and to work for peace in the Middle East.  The only viable solution is that of the two-state solution.  We have to here refer to the Madrid initiative and the exchange of land of peace.  
The Arab Peace Initiative has stated this.  The achievement of this objective unfortunately is hampered by the strategy of the fait accompli by Israel and the use of force, as well as Israel's rejection of the option of peace and the creation of the Palestinian state and, of course, the continuing settlement activities in the occupied territories, in addition to the statements made by its representatives which reject the concept of a fair and lasting peace based on documents approved at the United Nations.
Mr. President, Israel continues to violate international humanitarian law.  And this is quite clear from international documents such as the report of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People.  Palestinians continue to be detained in Israeli prisons, women and children suffer as well, buildings are bulldozed and demolished, violence continues.  We are especially concerned by the strategy of the Israeli government which is to sabotage the Palestinian economy and to deprive the Palestinian people of access to water.  
Qatar wishes to condemn any attempts to judize Jerusalem as well as the desecration of holy sites, including the holy mosque, including excavation work carried out under the mosque.  We urge the United Nations as well as all international organizations to ensure that the national character of Jerusalem is respected.  
Turning now to Gaza, the unfair blockade imposed on Gaza continues, and it continues despite the deterioration of the humanitarian and economic situation there.  Building material, for example, has been prohibited from being imported into the territory despite the calls heard by the United Nations.  Electricity unfortunately is short on supply and the daily life of the people suffers as a result.
Deterioration of the conditions of life for the Palestinian can be found both in the West Bank as well as Gaza.  In addition to the repression by the occupying forces, military aggressions against the Palestinian people, violations of international law by the administering power, all remind us today the need to lend our support to the Palestinian people whenever we are able to do so and to invite and urge the international community to work for lasting just peace, to mitigate the suffering of the Palestinian people as well as the creation of a Palestinian state on all territories which were occupied after 1967.  
Mr. President, Qatar wishes to underscore that the occupation of the Syrian Golan is a threat to international peace and security throughout the region.  It is, of course, a violation of international human rights and human law and international law.  These are all attempts by Israel to annex the Syrian Golan and, of course, these attempts are null and void.  
Israel is also attempting to get their hands on the natural resources in the area including water resources.  
And by way of conclusion, upon the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity of the Palestinian People, I wish to express our solidarity with the Palestinian people and its government in its struggle to put an end to foreign occupation and for the recovery of the inalienable rights.  Qatar will continue to lend the necessary aide and assistance to the Palestinian people until these inalienable rights have been restored.  Thank you, sir.
LIBYA:  Thank you, Mr. President.  In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.  About a year ago in an historic step, the General Assembly adopted resolution 76/19 [sic] by which it acknowledged the existence of the State of Palestine which was accepted on the basis of which as an observer state in the United Nations.  This was a step through which the international community affirmed that it is resolved to move towards responding to the aspirations of the Palestinian people and the achievement of their dream of establishing their independent sovereign state over their total territory.  
However, the General Assembly resolution was soon met by arbitrary, provocative actions by the Israeli authorities.  These included the pursuit of new aggressive settlement policies to build thousands of residential units in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, with the aim of planting more new Jewish immigrants on the remaining Palestinian land that was still in the hands of Palestinians and undermine the prospects of the establishment of any form of Palestinian state, even on less than 20% of the Palestinian -- of the historic land of Palestine.  
This is clearly borne by the increase in the Israeli settlement activities during the first quarter of this year at the rate of 355% compared with the same period last year.  Despite wide international condemnation of the Israeli settlement policy and the continuous affirmation by the United Nations of the fact that the breach of international law, the Israeli occupation authorities persisted in their arrogance and their illegitimate practices, their violation of international law and the rejection and the refusal to acknowledge the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.
Mr. President, the Palestinian people have been oppressed for decades through the use of occupation of its territory and its displacement all over the world.  The Palestinian suffering increases every day by the perpetration of Zionist settlers, armed to the teeth, of daily aggressions against the actual owners of the land who are the Palestinians with impunity and without being held accountable by any authority.  Rather they are encouraged by the occupation forces to persist in such barbaric practices.  These barbaric practices have inflicted gross damages on people and property. 
The Israeli occupation authorities seek to depopulate Palestinian territories through detention, intimidation, home demolition and displacement, especially in East Jerusalem, which has been the subject of a fierce campaign to judeaize it and alter its character.  
The Israeli occupation authorities have imposed an embargo on more than a million and a half Palestinians in the largest presence on the faith of the earth, so called the Gaza Strip, in a blatant violation of the most rudimentary human rights and principles of international law, including the Geneva conventions.
I don't think I need to recall the details of the various atrocities perpetrated by the Israeli occupation authorities.  These are daily practices in full view of all and always in our memory.
Mr. President, the Question of Palestine is the only question which is as old as the United Nations.  And yet it has remained without a solution, even without the prospect of a solution, unlike all other international questions.  The reason being the fear to implement the resolutions of this organization of relevance to this question because Israel is treated as a state above the law and it acts on this basis and always finds those who protect it at the expense of the rights of the Palestinian people.  
Israel has never been desirous of achieving a peace agreement with the Palestinians.  A peace agreement that would allow the Palestinians to exercise self-determination and the establishment of the sovereign independent state.  Therefore, Israel has consistently used the so-called peace process since 1993 to buy time in order to assimilate further Israel territories so as to render the establishment of a viable Palestinians state impossible, which is the current status quo in view of the settlements metastasizing like cancer in the occupied territories.  
Mr. President, I do not know what will be achieved by the Palestinian-Israeli talks if the Israelis have never officially recognized an inch of the land of Palestine as Occupied Palestinian Territory.  
Also call on the Palestinians to recognize Israel as a state for the Jewish people without defining the borders of such an Israeli state.  This clearly means the expulsion of the Palestinians remaining in the territories that were occupied in 1948 and the establishment of greater Israel as envisaged by the leaders of the racist Zionist movement and the Israeli religious extremists and hence the displacement of the remaining Palestinians on the Palestinian territories.
Mr. President, in this chamber, you have heard the Israeli delegate who doesn't want to … the history of the last century.  Rather he invokes the history of the past three thousand years.  He does not want to know that the number of Jews in historic Palestine was in 1917 no more than 7% and that their number, in spite of the Balfour Declaration which gave -- it does not own to those who do not deserve it the number of Jews in 1947 was no more than 36% of the population of historic Palestine.  These facts they do not want to acknowledge and they always say that the whole of Palestine belongs to the Israeli Jews who have come from every corner in the world and where they displaced the indigenous owners who are the Palestinians. 
Mr. President, Israel's continued intransigence and its rejection of all attempts at settlement and its continued building of new settlements in the Palestinian territories will only lead to further bloodshed and will block international initiatives to establish peace in the region.  It is incumbent of the Security Council and the international community to alter the way they deal with Israel.  They should see to it that the Palestinian people have their own independent state, if peace is to endure in the region.  This will only be achieved through supporting the endeavors of the State of Palestine to obtain full membership in all international organizations.  I say peace will not be achieved except through supporting the endeavors of the state of Palestine to obtain full membership in all international organizations as it did in UNESCO and the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces from all occupied Arab and Palestinian territories including the occupied city in Golan and the Shebaa Farms.  Thank you, Mr. President.  

RIGHTS OF REPLY
ISRAEL:  Thank you, Mr. President.  Today we heard a number of Arab delegations liberally spreading condemnation of and accusation.  It would appear that these delegations are attempting to trample on the democratic process in the General Assembly in the same way they trample on the freedom of their own people.  One would think their efforts would be better spent improving the human rights situation in their own backyard.  The cynical attacks undermine the professional nature of this forum.  It's unfortunate that certain delegations insist on politicizing and monopolizing the value time of this body as most of this discussion unfortunately was.  
Many have used this forum to launch a range of baseless accusations against my country, acting as cheerleader for a Palestinian cause which takes us away from peace instead of assisting us in reaching it.  It's truly absurd to hear some of the words of the most oppressive tyrannies lecture the Middle East's only true democracy about human rights.  One is to wonder what rights these distinguished representatives might be referring to.  Perhaps they mean religious right such as exercise by Libya who spoke today.  
I'll take Libya, for example.  It's a tragedy that after all the international efforts to better the lives of the Libyan people and to free it from one of the world's worst dictators, its representative chose to use the same rhetoric and language of Kaddafi's time.  Using words such as calling my country a racist Zionist movement, calling people and settlement whether one likes it or not as cancerous.  If they really cared about the situation, Libya I would advise them that as so much of weapons coming from Libya is being shot in my country and hampering the peace process.  Maybe they would be better off instead of lecturing Israel and to take care of their own people and for Israel and the Palestinian cause maybe stop the -- better control their own borders.  One-sided, dogmatic cheap propaganda which is nonproductive.  You know name calling does not lead us to real peace.  Actually takes us away.  
Many countries congratulated or few countries congratulated the Palestinian delegation for voting at the YCTY.  I'd like to remind the delegates that this vote has nothing to do with reaching a Palestinian state.  The Palestinian state would be achieved by negotiation.  The road for peace which we all pray for goes through Ramallah and Jerusalem and not in such discussion as here.
I would not like to utilize the time, the ten minutes that I am allocated.  I just want to talk to our members of the NAM who spoke here.  We've heard many representatives from the NAM who has criticized Israel today.  I would like to point out that these same representatives that they chose to ignore the crime of the state that is the Chair of NAM, spoke about for NAM, Iran -- some of the countries spoke about -- we have the honor to agree to the statement by Iran.  
Iran is actively supporting a murderous regime in Damascus and at the same time leading the chorus of attack in this hall against Israel.  This rhetoric of NAM hypocrisy must stop.  Countries who care about the peace process should assist both Israel but mostly the Palestinian in making the right choice -- the proud choice, the courageous choice of negotiating on the ground instead of in the GA.  Thank you.  
SYRIA:  Thank you, sir, for the floor.  I did not wish to take the floor at this late hour.  However, the lies and the allegations submitted by the representative of the Israeli occupation deserve a reply, albeit very quick. 
Sir, Israel, whose representative boasted human rights is the last state and I reaffirm and I underscore, the last state that can approach human rights given the tremendous and countless human rights violations committed by Israel since 1948 in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, the Occupied Golan and in Lebanon.  
Sir, the representative of the Israeli occupation said that Israel helps the Syrian people.  Prima facie, I thought that I misheard.  However, it seems that what I heard was true.  If anything, this shows the hallucination by the representative of Israel.
The only assistance provided by Israel is the aide to the armed terrorist groups in the occupied Golan in the disengagement area.  This has been recognized by the Israel representative in his statement today.  This assistance to terrorist groups including Al Qaeda, sir, is not tantamount of violation of international law and the disengagement agreement -- alone it endangers UNDOF in the occupied Golan.  
This is precisely what happened when the armed groups assisted by the occupation power and being treated medically in Israeli hospitals when they kidnapped UNDOF staff repeatedly and attacked the premises.  I will stop at that, sir.
LIBYA:  Thank you very much, Mr. President, for having given me the floor for my right to reply.  Like those who spoke before me, I didn't want to take the floor and further postpone the adjournment of this meeting, but given what I have heard, I simply feel forced to respond and to exercise my right to reply.
What we have said and what the Arab delegations have said regarding violations of human rights by Israel is not something that was simply invented by us.  No.  It is a documented reality.  Documented by the various reports of human rights entities and bodies and international organizations.  
We are here to consider the Palestinian issue as well as the reports which have been prepared by various international bodies dealing with the Palestinian question.  And all of them do nothing more than reaffirm exactly what was said by the Arab states regarding settlement policies, violations of human rights, violations of the Palestinian people or indeed the blockade of Gaza.  All of this has been documented.  These are things that cannot be denied.  They are a simple reality.  And regardless of anything that might be said -- especially the Israel delegate says, this is a simple reality.  Thank you.
GA-58TH MEETING–QUESTION OF PALESTINE

November 26, 2013 (AM) 

QUESTION OF PALESTINE
VENEZUELA:  Thank you very much, Mr. President.  Mr. President, Venezuela associates itself with the statement made by the Islamic Republic of Iran on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement.  We likewise wish to recognize the laudable work which the Committee on the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People has been doing to safeguard the initiatives that make it possible to achieve the long desired acceptation of the Palestinian state.  
Mr. President, when in 1977 the General Assembly of the United Nations asked all that November 29 be the annual observance of the International Day of Solidarity of the Palestinian People, a long battle began to keep alive the need for Palestine to become one member more with full rights in the United Nations.  Recently, on November 18th, we saw how the Permanent Observer of Palestine Riad Mansour, voted for the first time in the General Assembly of the United Nations, a historic moment which will be part of the memory of the battles Palestine fought to achieve its permanent liberation.  
Just a year ago resolution A6728 was approved elevating the status of the Palestine in the United Nations.  This was one step more towards sovereignty, freedom and independence and full membership in this organization becoming real.  
Our Bolivarian government cosponsored this resolution and we are proud of it.  Nevertheless, although we believe it was an important step on the road towards recognition, the final objective has not yet been reached.
Mr. President, on November 29, 1947, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted resolution 181 proposing the creation of two states on the territory of Palestine, an Arab state and a Jewish state.  Just days after that resolution was adopted, a military offensive began of territorial and demographic expansion with the intension of expelling Palestinians from their lands and preventing their return.  This is how the State of Israel was unilaterally proclaimed.  
On May 15, 1948, the displacement of Palestinians as product of their eviction from their historic residence began.  But not only was a process of expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their ancestral territories begun, but also a process of implantation which intended to modify the ethnic and cultural composition of the region.  
Curiously, that same year, on December 10, 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was also approved.  Let us recall that this Declaration was inspired as a necessary response at the time to the atrocities committed against peoples during the Second World War.  Just a few days after commemorating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Palestinian people are still owed the granting of this legitimate ambition to be a state in the international area.  
This historic impunity exercised by the occupying power of Israel, encouraged by the right to veto exercised by a permanent member of the Security Council has made it possible to create a whole dossier of murders, of generation of children, teenagers, men and women, all Palestinian who only ask for a worthy life on their lands.  The proliferation of illegal settlements, the building of walls and watchtowers, restrictions of their free circulation of the Palestinian people, prevention of delivery of basic public services are only just some of the many grievances which this organization has denounced on a daily basis through the reports of the United Nations on the Question of Palestine.  The right to return of the people of Palestine to their lands cannot be avoided as well as the release of hundreds of political prisoners among them children and teenagers, which must be included in the agenda of negotiations. 
The occupying power has practiced state terrorism violating international law, human rights and international humanitarian law.  They have flouted all United Nations resolutions putting themselves outside international law.  They have practiced apartheid and ethnic cleansing.  They have collectively punished the civilian population and violated the Fourth Geneva Convention.  Palestinian people has a legitimate right to continue seeking dignity, justice and the inalienable right to self-determination as an independent state with East Jerusalem as their capital, on the basis of borders prior to June 1967.
Mr. President, the entire Bolivarian government has sent a message in the framework of the celebration of this International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, reiterating its objection of the illegal policies applied by the occupying power Israel which ignores the rights of the Palestinian people with the disintegration of the territorial policy of the State of Palestine as their purpose.  The government of Venezuela positively agrees the re-launching of direct talks between Palestine and Israel which should lead to a firm, lasting peace within which border states can live as sovereign countries independent within internationally recognized borders.  A political solution is … peace and security in the Middle East and their peoples.  Thank you very much, sir.
MALAYSIA:  Thank you, Mr. President.  I am pleased to see you presiding this morning's plenary.  Malaysia thanks Ambassador Abdou Salam Diallo, Permanent Representative of Senegal, Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People for his statement.  
My delegation would also like to thank the bureau members of the Committee and the division of for Palestinian rights for the report.  Malaysia would also like to align itself with the statement made by the Islamic Republic of Iran on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement.  
Mr. President, the government and the people of Malaysia join the international community in observing the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.  This event resoundingly prove the legitimacy of the struggle of the Palestinian people for self-determination, sovereignty and independence.  In this regard, my delegation underlines our support towards the establishment of a sovereign state of Palestine living side by side in peace and security with Israel, based on pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.  
As with many others, we also recall with satisfaction the momentous adoption of General Assembly resolution 67/19 on 29 November 2012 which accorded Palestine with non-member observer state status in the United Nations.  On that historic date, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas called on the assembly to issue a birth certificate of the reality of the State of Palestine.  
My delegation looks forward to the day when the State of Palestine will be issued with an identity card.  Not the one made famous by the late Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish in his residence forum of the same name, but one that recognizes them as a full flesh member state of this organization.  
Mr. President, my delegation commends the Palestinian leadership for their continued courage and sacrifices to foster a conducive atmosphere for the resumption of the direct negotiation with the Israel site.  However, it is apparent that this is not matched by the negotiating partners.  Although the negotiations are supposed to be confidential, the current status of the ground are no secret.  The unceasing construction of illegal settlements and out-force by Israel on Occupied Palestinian Territory.  
Malaysia condemns Israel's continued building of illegal settlement in Palestinian lands, including in East Jerusalem, an act which we find even more reprehensible at a time when Israel should be committed to the success of the talks.  In this regard, my delegation recognizes that the State of Palestine has maintained its commitment to the direct negotiation in spite of the provocations of the occupying power.  We therefore urge the international community to demand that Israel immediately cease its illegal settlement building in Occupied Palestinian Territory including East Jerusalem before the possibility of a two-state solution is completely eroded.  
Responsible member states must also play their part in insuring that the international accepted parameters of the two-state solution are respected and adhered to by Israel.  Malaysia also reiterates our rejection on other violations committed towards the Palestinian people, including violence by Israeli settlers, the illegal construction of the separation wall, demolition of homes and forced displacement of Palestinians and the exploitation of natural resources in Palestinian lands.  
Of particularly grave concern to us is the serious humanitarian situation in Gaza.  The people of Gaza have suffered months of food insecurity and now they have to deal with energy shortages as well.  Malaysia demands an immediate lifting of the blockade on Gaza and an end to the illegal and inhuman collective punishment carried out by Israel on the people of Gaza.  
Mr. President, as a member of the Committee on the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, Malaysia endorses the Committee's report and its recommendations.  My delegation also welcomes the reactivation of the Committee's working group headed by Malta.  
The Question of Palestine continues to be a main foreign policy issue in the Asia Pacific region despite our … geographical distance from the Middle East.  In this regard, my delegation was pleased with the convening of the United Nations international meeting in support of Israeli-Palestinian peace in Beijing in June this year.  We look forward to such events being held as a frequent fixture in the calendar of the Asia Pacific region, where Malaysia and other like-minded countries would continue to lend our support.  
My delegation is also heartened to see such strong backing from the Committee from Latin American States, many of which have long been expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people.  We supported the appointment of the pluri-national state of Bolivia as a member of the Committee following their application in July this year.  We also recall the significant contribution played by Venezuela which hosted the Committee's 351st Meeting in Caracas on 18-19 April this year.  Indeed, this is perhaps what makes the Question of Palestine so special in that it reached into the hearts of people around the world regardless of race, religion or nationality.  
Malaysia supports the noble work done by the admission of Palestinian rights as well as the Department of Public Information in this regard.  My delegation is also pleased to cosponsor all resolutions under this agenda item.  
Mr. President, let me conclude by recalling the message of solidarity made by the Honorable Prime Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, in conjunction with the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People which is to reiterate Malaysia's strong support to the Palestinian cause and to continue working with the international community to bring justice for Palestine, as we have demonstrated over the past forty years.  
I thank you, Mr. President.  
TURKEY:  Mr. President, I would like to start by extending our warm congratulations once again to the delegation of the State of Palestine on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People and also on the upcoming first anniversary of the historic working of 29 November 2012 in the United Nations General Assembly.  The Question of Palestine continues to lie at the heart of the fundamental challenges we face in the Middle East region, which is going through a period of transformation and change.  
Denial of the right of the Palestinians to have a state of their own has no justification on any moral, political or legal grounds.  In the absence of any immediate and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue, the prospects for regional peace, cooperation and welfare will only remain a distant dream.  
Turkey has always supported the two-state solution based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Palestine living side by side in peace and security with Israel.  Progress on the Middle East peace process and its successful completion of comprehensive peace negotiations between the parties for a just and lasting solution have become increasingly critical against the backdrop of the recent developments in the Middle East region.  
Turkey for all these reasons has sincerely welcomed the resumption of direct peace negotiations between the parties in July this year and commended to the Palestinian and Israel leadership to finally reach a viable two-state solution.  We also expressed our appreciation for the commitment and the timeless efforts shown by the U.S. Secretary of State as well as for Arab League's keen support for continuation of peace negotiations within the framework of nine months.
We welcome to Quartet expression of its determination to lend effective support to the efforts of the parties and commitment to reach a permanent status agreement within nine months.  However, we have also been indicating the fact that time was a valuable parameter in the process and another opportunity for peace and stability in the region should not be missed.  
Unfortunately, four months into the negotiations the lack of progress and continued settlement activity has resulted in frustration and resignation of the Palestinian negotiation team.  The reasons which led to this frustration should be well read by the international community.  Although we are encouraged by President Abbas's determination to continue the negotiations, yet other announcements for new settlements were made over the last few days.  If we sincerely wish to achieve peace, parties should act in good faith, build confidence, avoid provocative actions including settlement freeze, prisoner release, and security arrangements for both sides.  
I'd like to reiterate once again that Turkey, as it has always been, is ready to contribute to all international efforts towards a just and lasting settlement.
Mr. President, on the other hand, the situation of Palestinian prisoners including children and women under Israeli custody remains a source of concern.  The international community must be firm in its condemnation and rejection of these and other unacceptable Israeli actions, inter alia, restrictions on the freedom of movement of people and goods, which constitute attempts to artificially change the demographic and multicultural identity of Jerusalem.  
Mr. President, so many times we have repeated under this roof and at various other platforms that the blockade in Gaza is illegal and that all restrictions on Gaza are counterproductive.  The full implementation of the Security Council resolution 1860 is important.  The deteriorating economic, social and humanitarian conditions in Gaza as a result of the restrictions adversely affect the already fragile situation in the region.  Turkey has taken urgent action to alleviate some emerging vital shortages including financial assistance to get fuel for generators used in critical services like health, water and sanitation in Gaza.  We have also recently sent an urgent dispatch of wheat flour … to Gaza amounting to 10,000 tons via UNRWA.  
As a share of the working group of the financing of UNRWA, I call on the international community to continue and even enhance its support to the work of the UNRWA which is an essential pillar for any possible stability in the Middle East.  I would like to reiterate once again that only immediate sustained and unconditional opening of legal crossing for the flow of humanitarian assistance, commercial goods, and persons to and from Gaza can alleviate the deteriorating socioeconomic and humanitarian situation and its repercussion on security and stability there.  
Mr. President, Turkey will continue to support the Palestinian reconciliation which we believe constitutes one of the pillars for a lasting peace in the Middle East.  We strongly support the goal of establishing a unity government which embraces the Palestinian people as a whole.  
In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that we have a historical opportunity in front of us in the coming five months to reach an agreement and finally end this decades-long conflict.  It is now the time for a sincere and concrete action.  We need to seize every momentum which will have to revitalize the talks between the parties and take concerted action towards a two-state solution in accordance with the UN resolutions, Madrid Principles, Roadmap, and Arab Peace Initiative.  
Turkey believes the international community and the UN, in particular, plays an important normative role in setting parameters of law and justice, hoping that these parameters will be observed fully.  Turkey will support all resolutions which the General Assembly will take action on under today's agenda item.  I thank you, Mr. President.
SAUDI ARABIA:  Thank you, Mr. President.  I am pleased to take the floor as part of the general debate on point 36 of the agenda, on the Question of Palestine.  I wish to reiterate my support for the statement made by the Arab Group and the Non-Aligned Movement.  
Mr. President, this debate coincides with the celebration of the International Day of Solidarity with the People of Palestine.  This is an important event where the international community expresses once again its solidarity with the Palestinian people, the defense of their rights and their struggle for their dignity and freedom.  At this same time last year, the General Assembly adopted resolution 67/19 giving the State of Palestine the status of non-member observer state.  This resolution was passed with an overwhelming majority as a demonstration of solidarity with the Palestinian people and support for the cause of Palestine, and the right of their people to an independent state, like any other state in the world.
Mr. President, we have closely followed recent developments in the peace talks between Palestine and Israel.  We hope that these talks will lead to a just, lasting peace which will make it possible for the Palestinian people to recover all of their rights in the framework of an independent state within the pre-June 1967 borders in accordance with the United Nations resolutions, the principles of international law and above all human consciousness when it comes to the solution to one of the most grave problems threatening peace and security, both in the Middle East and the entire world.  
The feeling of frustration is being felt on the international levels because of Israeli practices such as torture and beatings Palestinians, human rights violations and policy of settlements, illegal settlements that spread like a cancer in the region.  
Besides the inflammatory statements of the occupying power, the occupying authorities during these days of solidarity with the Palestinian people have given the green light for new settlement units in the West Bank.  This is a demonstration of the aggressive nature of the occupying authorities who made it possible to build settlements before even saying that they were willing to negotiate with the Palestinian Authority in order to put an end to the occupation.  
What is even worse is that Israel authorities declared this new settlement policy on the very day itself of International Solidarity with the Palestinian People, flouting the will of the international community and the resolutions and statements adopted by the international community.  
Mr. President, my delegation emphatically condemns the continued aggression of the occupying power and Israeli settlers against Palestinians, the seizure of their property and their assets, as well as acts of aggression committed against -- in religious sites.  We call for the lifting of the blockade of the Gaza Strip which began in 2007.  
My delegation wishes to stress from this podium the importance that the international community gives to continuing support to the Palestinian people in all of their peaceful attempts to recover their natural rights.  And we call on the international community to take actions to redress the injustice done to the Palestinian people who are fighting for peace and against discrimination.  
Thank you very much, Mr. President.  

SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST
INDONESIA:  Mr. President, let me begin by thanking the Secretary General for his reports on the Question of Palestine and the Situation in the Middle East.  Just yesterday we celebrated the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.  Yet despite the appearance of support by states and other international … of the Palestinian cause, it is with great sadness that we bear witness to the fact that the Palestinian people are still prevented from fulfilling their right to establish an independent and sovereign state.
For Indonesia the future of the Palestinian people has always been one of tremendous importance. Our constitution speaks against colonization and foreign occupation and with this in mind, I wish to reiterate Indonesia's strong and unwavering support for the establishment of an independent state of Palestinian with East Jerusalem as its capital.  
Indonesia remains convinced that the two-state solution on the basis of the 1967 lines represents the best chance for a peace agreement between Palestinian and Israel.  To that end, we call on Israel to show good faith and make the best use of the negotiation currently underway to achieve that goal.  
Mr. President, it is with great dismay that Indonesia once again underline Israel's unfaithfulness to its commitment to peace.  Time and again Israel has betrayed the trust of the international community committing acts which undermine peace efforts.
The settlement policy in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is not only an affront to international law but also limits the viability of an independent State of Palestine.  Indonesia therefore joins other states in condemning the continuation of illegal settlement in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly in East Jerusalem.  It is also perturbing to note that Israel's recent decision to release the second batch of 26 Palestinian prisoner was followed by another decision to expand settlements.  
It is universally accepted that the settlements violate international humanitarian and human rights law.  In this regard and in the spirit of the latest report of the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human rights in the Palestinian Territories.  An initiative calls on all states to avoid involvement in settlement activities and to prohibit the people, including business groups from participation in such activities.  
Mr. President, we also feel that this may -- by continuing construction of the separation wall contrary to the ruling of the International Court of Justice that the wall violates international law.  We reiterate that continued violation of the human rights of the Palestinian people is unacceptable.  At this opportunity we want to draw particular attention to the detention of a hundred Palestinian children as was reported by UNICEF in February of this year, these children suffer systematic, widespread and institutionalized ill treatment.  
Israel's continued blockades of Gaza has also led to further deterioration of socioeconomic situation.  This Israel practice has carried on for many years despite the strong opposition of the international community.  
Indonesia therefore takes this opportunity to renew its call on the Security Council to take step to compel Israel to stop its illegal action and to treat Palestinian as an equal and respectable partner in the current negotiation.
Finally, Mr. President, in line with our commitment to opposing colonization and foreign occupation, Indonesia joins other states to demand Israel withdraw from the occupied Syrian Golan.  We would also like to use this opportunity to further support of all Security Council resolutions which declare that all Israeli activities in the occupied Syrian Golan are illegal and have no validity whatsoever.  I thank you.
CHINA:  Mr. President, the Situation in the Middle East remains highly turbulent.  China is highly concerned about this.  The international community should act in a prudent and responsible manner and play a proactive and constructive role so as to promote together peace in the region and promote peace and stability in development in the region which is in the common interest of the countries in the region and that of the international community as a whole.
China has always advocated that countries and peoples in the region … their exploration for their political system and road to development that is in accordance with their national situations.  We encourage the differences be settled through an inclusive political dialogue as well as upholding the purpose and principles of the UN charter and the basic principles regarding international relations.  We oppose foreign intervention and imposing of regime change.
Comprehensive integrated measures should be adopted to overcome the challenges and we highly regard the peace process in the Middle East and though we also support the strengthening of economic cooperation and assistance was to provide a favorable situation for promoting peace and development.  
Mr. President, Palestinian issue is at the core of the Middle East issue.  At the present situation the Palestinian issue has become more important, urgent.  International community and the UN which holds the responsibility towards international peace and security should play a bigger role in solving the issue.  China supports the UN playing such a role.  And yesterday, President Xi Jin-Ping of China has sent the congratulated message to the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People which says, On the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, I would like to -- on behalf of the Chinese government and people -- extend warm congratulations to the opening of the special commemorative meeting.  The Palestinian question concerns the long-term stability, prosperity and development of Middle East countries, including Palestine.  To bring about a comprehensive and just settlement of the Palestinian question at an early date serves the interests of the Palestinian people and people of other countries in this region.  It is conducive to war, peace and stability.  
It is important to stay committed to peace talks in resolving the Palestinian question.  China welcomes the fact that Palestinian and Israel have recently resumed peace talks and maintained the momentum of dialogue.  China hopes that the two sides will adopt concrete measures to remove obstacles and achieve substantive progress in the peace talks at an early date.  
China has provided sincere and selfless support to the just cause of the Palestinian people.  We will continue to support the Palestinian people in establishing an independent state of Palestine that enjoys full sovereignty on the basis of the 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital and we support Palestine in joining the United Nations and other international organizations.  
China has been active and steadfast in pushing forward the Middle East peace process.  Since the beginning of this year, China has received visiting Palestinian and Israel leaders, put forward the four-point proposal for settling the Palestinian question and held the UN international meeting in support of Palestine-Israeli peace, making contributions promoting peace between Palestinian and Israel.  At the same time China has continued its vigorous support for capacity building of Palestine and improvement of its humanitarian situation.  
Looking back at the Palestinian -- Middle East peace process to achieve peace is people's aspiration and it represents a prevailing and irreversible trend.  It is our sincere hope that the international community work in unison and make joint efforts to put forward the peace process.  China as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and the responsible country in the world is ready to work with the rest of the international community to make unlimiting efforts for achieving lasting peace in the Middle East at an early date.  
Mr. President, China is gravely concerned over the situation in Syria and is profoundly sympathetic with the suffering of the Syrian people.  We have always maintained the political settlement is the only solution to the question of Syria.  
The Syrian government and the opposition parties should seek political settlements through direct talks and start a political process led by the Syrian people.  At present with the joint efforts of all the parties concerned, the Geneva II conference on Syria has been decided to be held on the 22 of January next year.  China believes this is an important progress in implementing the Security Council 2118 in pushing forward a political settlement of the Syrian issue.  It is also in the right direction we have always worked for.  China welcomes this and supports this.
We appreciate all the efforts made by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the joint Special Representative Brahimi and all the other countries concerned.  We hope that the parties concerned will lose no time in preparing for the conference and call on all the parties in Syria to set store by the interest of the country and the people of all Syria so as to participate proactively in the political process and to commit attending the conference without any preconditions so as to push forward progress by the conference.
China will continue to maintain close communication, coordination with all the parties concerned so as to play a positive and constructive role for the comprehensive and long-term and proper solution of the Syrian issue.  
China has always adhered to the peace efforts that proceed from the interests of the region and that is conducive to the stability and long-term security of the region.  China will continue to join international community to continue to make unlimiting efforts for peace in the Middle East and for its stability and development.  
Thank you, Mr. President.  
OMAN:  Thank you, Mr. President.  Mr. President, I have the pleasure on behalf of the delegation of the Sultanate of Oman to express to your Excellency our appreciation on the convening of this meeting to discuss the issue of the Palestine and the Situation in the Middle East.
The delegation of my country would like to convey through you its appreciation to His Excellency Abdou Salam Diallo, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Senegal, for his efforts of as Chair of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and for the report prepared by the Committee which is contained in document A/68/35.  
I also wish to take this opportunity to commend the efforts of the members of the Committee in support of the cause of the Palestinian people as well as the comprehensive statement of the Chairman of the Committee on the Situation in Palestinian Occupied Territories.  
Allow me, Mr. President, to speak about two items entitled to the Question of Palestine and the Situation in the Middle East.  
Mr. President, there is no doubt that this meeting is of special importance as it will consider an issue the Question of Palestine that continues to be a longtime challenge to the international community.  Where the Palestinian land remains under occupation and its situation worsens by the day as a result of the oppressive, systematic practices by the occupying power.  
The international community must not remain silent and allow this situation to continue.  We are now in the sixth decade of the occupation and displacement and destruction of human beings and infrastructure is still going on.  Yet the proud people of Palestine remain undiscouraged and continue to claim their legitimate rights, represented through the establishment of their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.  
My country, Mr. President, while affirming its congratulations to the Palestinian people for its great achievement to become a non-member state of the United Nations and becoming a full member of UNESCO, call on the international community to support the right of this state to become a full member of the United Nations.  
Mr. President, the government of my country expresses its deep concerns about the tragic situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories resulting from the continuous Israeli blockade and the imposition of a humanitarian crisis on civilians in Gaza Strip, as well as the intensive campaign and inhuman and illegal acts through fierce attacks to change the demographic composition of the population and force the displacement of the indigenous people and through practices by the occupying power in noble Quds and around religious sites.
In addition to the intensification of Israel settlement activities including the construction of settlement units in the occupied East Jerusalem as punitive measures due to the acceptance of Palestine as a full member of the UNESCO and as non-member state of the United Nations.
Mr. President, this year marks the 36th anniversary of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People which personified since 1977 a wonderful international support to the struggle of these people in their quest to attain their inalienable legitimate rights and marks as well the 66th anniversary of the adoption of resolution 181 by the United Nations on the division of the land of Palestine into two states in 1947.  
The Palestinians are still deprived from exercising their legitimate rights and their national sovereignty, their right of self-determination and the establishment of an independent state on their own land and its individual state in its territory.  This situation has led to the existence of more than 4 million Palestinian refugees suffering from alienation, deprivation and the diaspora.  
The aspiration of the Palestinian people depends on the international community to protect them from the inhuman, illegal and arbitrary acts undertaken by the successive Israel governments against them.  Hence, the international community should stand in opposition to those practices particularly the embargo on Gaza Strip in flagrant violation of human rights that prove Israel is not interested in achieving peace.  
It is necessary for the international community to send a clear message to Israel to cease these practices and to call for general negotiations that will lead to the establishment of security and stability on the basis and principles of land for peace, the resolution of the Security Council and the Arab Initiative for Peace.  
My delegation confirms what was stated in the statement of Oman during the 68th session of the General Assembly.  They demand the important international issues that weren't successful in finding solutions despite exerted efforts and agreements concluded through direct negotiations between successive Israeli governments and the Palestinians is the Palestinian question which is considered the cornerstone of any peace process in the Middle East.  
In this regard, my country supports the efforts of President Barack Obama and his Secretary of State Mr. John Kerry, because those efforts represent an opportunity for all the people of the region to establish peace leading to economic and social development that revives the hopes of a peaceful coexistence among the people of the region in order to build a Middle East that is able to contribute positively in global civilization.
Mr. President, the Sultanate of Oman was one of the first countries that welcomed the peace process and considered it as a natural and civilized approach to settle the differences through dialogue and negotiations.  Oman invites the concerned parties to the peace process to play an active role for the settlement of conflict in the Middle East because of the seriousness of the situation in the region and the crisis witnessed by this region.  This will require the Security Council and the Quartet to work more vigorously and urgently towards a just and comprehensive solution to the Israeli-Arab conflict.  
According to the relevant international resolutions the principle of land for peace and the Arab Peace Initiative which should lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinians state in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967 that would live side by side with Israel within internationally recognized borders.  
Thank you, Mr. President.  
IRAN:  Thank you, Mr. President.  Let me at the outset express my appreciation to those colleagues and distinguished representatives that they have conveyed their condolences as well as about the terrorist attacks against the Islamic Republic of Iran's embassy in Beirut and they have condemned those terrorist attacks in Lebanon.  
Mr. President, as the realities on the ground well indicate and as reported recently to the General Assembly by different organs of the United Nations, Israel's policies and practices continue to violate international human rights and dignity of the Palestinian people and other Arabs living under its occupation.  
The appalling crimes of extrajudicial killings and targeted assassinations have unabatedly been committed by this early regime while other Israeli crimes such as the destruction of homes and infrastructure, as well as agricultural land, illegal expansion of settlements, the detention and imprisonment of thousands of Palestinians, the construction of the expansionist wall and the imposition of collective punishment on Gaza population have also continued persistently. 
The sea, air and land block of Gaza Strip imposed by Israeli regime entered its seventh year in June 2013.  As a result of the blockade, the humanitarian and economic situation there has deteriorated to a dangerous extent due to the illegal and devastating blockade of Gaza.  In this connection, my delegation reiterates its condemnation of the Israeli regime inhuman and unlawful closure and blockade of Gaza Strip and considerate as collective punishment of the Palestinian civilian population there.  
Particularly by the continued obstruction of the freedom of movement of persons and goods and obstruction of the reconstruction and recovery of the Gaza Strip.  
In addition to violating countless provisions of human rights law by the Zionist regime, the underlying that such collective punishment measured by Israel regime constitute a crime against humanity and poses a serious threat to international peace and security as well as to regional stability.  
Mr. President, in the same vein, provocative announcements by the Israeli regime in accelerating the construction or revocation of Palestinian residency rights is a political extortion of the Palestinian people and confirms that this regime chooses settlement and residency issues as an instrument to prevent the legitimate Palestinian demands.  It should be noted that the Israeli … of Palestinian homes and properties accompanied by escalating violence by settlers and enforced evictions are seriously exacerbating the situation on the ground.  
The Zionist criminal acts against the Palestinians and other peoples in the region is the gravest threat currently posed to regional as well as international peace and security.  It is evident that durable peace in Palestine and the Middle East will only be possible through justice and to discrimination and to occupation of Palestine, Syrian -- and to occupation of Palestinian, Syrian and Lebanese territories.  The return of all Palestinian refugees and a democratic mechanism through which all inhabitants of Palestine, as well as Palestinian driven out of their homeland would have the possibility to determine their future in a democratic and peaceful fashion.
Distinguished colleagues, today's meeting is taking place just a week after terrorist attacks against the embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Beirut.  These attacks resulted in killing of one Iranian diplomat and his wife and 22 others as well as wounding more than 140 people.  The Islamic Republic of Iran strongly condemns these terrorist attacks and underlines the necessity of bringing the perpetrator of these terrorist attacks to justice.  We express alarm over the rise in extremism and violence which constitute one of the most serious threats to international and regional peace and security.
In this regard, we believe that the United Nations should embark on new efforts and leave no stone unturned to address violent extremism and divide … problems that it presents.  Regarding to the situation in Syria, the Islamic Republic of Iran believes that the way out of present crisis lies in the strengthening and comprehensive peace political process with the aim of establishing first and foremost a cessation of violence between the parties on holding national dialogue between the opposition and the Syrian government for a peaceful political process.  
The regional countries should cooperate with one another to make this dialogue and national reconciliation possible.  To this end, the Islamic Republic of Iran has been actively participating in the talks with concerned regional countries.  It seems that there is no other alternative if we want to bring back peace and stability to Syria and to the region.  
In conclusion, Mr. President, I would like to reiterate my government's unwavering and continuing support for the Palestinian people in their rightful and legitimate struggle against occupation and for their just request for exercise of their right to self-determination.  Thank you, Mr. President.  
MALAYSIA:  Thank you, Mr. President.  I am delivering the shorter statement; the full statement will be distributed in the room.  Mr. President, the conflict between Israel and Palestine has remained unresolved for the past four decades.  Throughout the years, numerous initiatives and efforts have been made to resolve the conflict.  However, all these efforts have progressed slowly and some even seem too far to be reached.  
Israel's violations of international law have continued unabated in other occupied Arab territories as well.  Again, we see the pattern of the occupying power's refusal to honor its commitment to international agreements, compounded by the inflexible attitude of the Israeli leadership.  
These are the conditions with the direct bearing on the situation in the Middle East and hence the reasons why we are here today.  Mr. President, it is against this backdrop that Malaysia reiterates our support for the Palestinian leadership in their commitment towards their ongoing track of direct negotiations despite repeated Israeli provocations which threaten the viability of a two-state solution.  
The international community should not expect the Palestinian people who have been under occupation for over forty years to offer more concessions when to begin there was none to give.  My delegation is further of the view that it is not just enough to say that settlements are unlawful and illegitimate since this has already been declared as such by the General Assembly, the Human Rights Council, the Economic and Social Council, the International Court of Justice as well as the Security Council itself.  
Thus, we hope the responsible member states will join the mounting realization that there is an … to implement policies which … [?] [01:49:46] the Israeli occupation including through the framework of regional organizations and groupings.  
Mr. President, in East Jerusalem, the true nature of Israel's illegal acts has become even more evident in particular judeaization measures effectively evicting Palestinians from the City.  Palestinian homes are routinely demolished and Israeli houses soon erected in their place, which are structural, if not ethnic, cleansing.  
While these measures undermine the foundations of the peace process on the ground, underground excavation are being carried to undermine the foundation of the Haram Al Sharif mosque.  Malaysia is also gravely concerned on the systematic aggression by extremist Jewish groups in Al Quds, particularly their attempts to enter and control the Al Aqsa mosque.
My delegation calls for an end to this and other illegal acts committed by the Israeli government and its people in East Jerusalem, as we believe such acts will only result in changing the realities on the ground according to Israeli interests.
We wish to further reiterate that all illegitimate demonstrative [?] measures and procedures taken by Israel to impose its laws on East Jerusalem are null and void.  
Mr. President, with regards to the occupied Syrian Golan, Malaysia reiterates our strong rejections of Israel's changing of the physical character, demographic composition, institutional structure and legal status of the territory.  We particularly object to Israel's pillaging and profiteering from the illegal exploitation of occupied territories, including ongoing activities exploiting all deficits in the southern half of the occupied Syrian Golan.
All measures and actions undertaken by Israel including the construction and expansion of illegal settlements in the occupied Syrian Golan since 1967 constitute a flagrant violation of international law and the UN charter.
In this regard, Malaysia calls for an immediate and full withdrawal of Israel from the occupied Syrian Golan in line with Security Council resolutions 242, 338 and 497.  Syrian sovereignty over the occupied Syrian Golan must be restored.  
Mr. President, Malaysia is also deeply concerned on the effects of the conflict in Syria spilling into the borders of Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan.  On that note, my delegation expresses our condolences on the Lebanese and Iranian governments and people following last week's bombing of the Iranian embassy in Beirut.  
My delegation, however, reiterates that Israel must immediately cease its continued and almost daily violation of Lebanese sovereignty whether through air space, water or land.  We call for a full cessation of hostilities and for the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon with full respect for the blue line in line with Security Council resolution 1701.  
Having laid out my delegation's concerns and positions on developments in the Middle East, we are pleased to cosponsor the two resolutions under this agenda item as introduced earlier by the representative of Egypt.  The root costs of the turmoil in the Middle East must be addressed, first and foremost, the illegal occupation of Israel in Arab territories before a comprehensive, just and lasting peace can be achieved in the region.  Thus, it is our hope that the resolutions on the Jerusalem and the Syrian Golan will be adopted as in previous years as a demonstration of the international community's resolve towards this end.  
I thank you, Mr. President.  

EXPLANATION OF THE VOTE/BEFORE (L.12-L.15)
ISRAEL:  Mr. President, in my remarks yesterday I spoke about the truth.  In the barren desserts of truth, myths find fertile ground to grow wild.  Nowhere is this truer than here at the United Nations.  In a few minutes, this assembly will vote on a series of resolutions that serve no purpose other than to demonize Israel.  As it does every year, Israel will vote against these resolutions because they are as outdated as they are outrageous.  These resolutions serve only to create more burdensome institutions, more cumbersome procedures and more wasteful processes.  
Many countries face dire economic conditions at home and the global economy is under severe strain.  Yet the Palestinians managed to pressure countries in this hall around us to allocate precious resources to UN bodies that denigrate and defame Israel.  Every year, the UN spends over six million and I'll tell you on what.  
On the Division of Palestinian Rights, on the UN Committee on Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and the DPI special information program on Palestine.  Every year, I ask what are these institutions up to?  What constructive purpose do they serve?  Are the promoting peace?  
I ask and I ask but I am still waiting for an answer.  If you are having trouble finding me, I remind you that we sit in alphabetical order between -- Israel can be found between Ireland and Italy and not far away from Iran.  You know the Islamic Republic of -- 
Some people and I cannot guess who have a reason to conceal what these UN bodies are doing.  Allow me to enlighten you and tell you how your money is being spent.  In April 2013, the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People held a conference in Addis Ababa.  This UN backed conference chose a speaker, coincidentally, of course, who called on participants to boycott Israel.  Such actions along with the resolutions being voted on today are fueling the conflict and undermining the peace process.  Yet country after country in a repetition mode that is an insult to intelligence sees no problem parroting those resolutions and voting like sheep.  
Mr. President, the resolution to create a Year of Solidarity for the Palestinian people is entirely devoid of substance.  It is the pet project of a certain delegation that attempts to endorse a Palestinian narrative and rewrite history.  This initiative also blatantly violates the Palestinians' commitment to avoid provocative, unilateral steps at the United Nations.  I want to remind the Palestinians that there is only one -- one route to Palestinian statehood and this route does not run through this chamber in New York.  It runs through direct negotiations between Jerusalem and Ramallah.  There are no shortcuts, no quick fixes, and no instant solutions.  All those who claim to stand for peace should ask what are they voting for?  Solidarity with perpetuating the conflict?  Solidarity with a culture of hate and incitement?  Solidarity with unilateral actions instead of direct negotiations.  
I will conclude by saying the following.  There is no more clarity in this vote of solidarity.  Consider the text before you and then ask yourselves the following:  will you continue the tradition of rubber-stamping resolutions or will you for the first time take a stand and seek lasting solutions.  
To my colleagues in this room, I say the following:  Surprise yourself.  Surprise yourself by acting reasonably and responsibly.  Thank you, Mr. President.
EXPLANATION OF THE VOTE/AFTER (L.12-L.15)
UNITED STATES:  Mr. President, as President Obama declared in this hall earlier this fall during the opening of the General Assembly let's emerge from the familiar corners of blame and prejudice.  Let's support Israeli and Palestinian leaders who are prepared to walk the difficult road to peace.  With this goal in mind we remain deeply troubled by the repetitive and disproportionate number, some 16 in total of one-sided General Assembly resolutions condemning Israel.  
By contrast the General Assembly has adopted only four other resolutions critical of specific member states, all focused on severe human rights abuses.  
All parties to this tragic conflict have direct responsibilities for ending it.  And we are disappointed that UN members continually single out Israel without acknowledging the obligations and difficult steps required by all sides.  
In light of ongoing negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians we strongly urge a halt to any one sided actions in the UN system that might disrupt or distract from that process which we all know to be the only hope for a lasting peace settlement.  
Continued support for these biased resolutions only complicates the efforts to reach a just, lasting and comprehensive peace.  These resolutions presuppose the outcome of permanent status issues that are at the core of ongoing negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians.  Furthermore, the systematic bias and distortion of the conflict conveyed by these resolutions damage the institutional credibility of the United Nations.  
I would like to highlight three particularly troubling resolutions:  the Divisions for Palestinian Rights, the Division for Palestinian Rights of the Secretariat, the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and other Arabs of the Occupied Territories.  These three resolutions renew mandates for ineffective UN bodies established a generation ago.  In the process wasting valuable resolutions, expending limited time and reinforcing the perception of systematic and inherent UN bias against Israel.  All member states should evaluate the effectiveness of supporting and funding these bodies.
There is no contradiction between support for the Palestinian people and support for Israel.  Supporters of a Palestinian state should do all they can to support the parties' efforts to bring about a just and lasting peace and avoid actions like these resolutions that hinder progress toward that goal.  We therefore do not support these counterproductive resolutions.  Instead we are focused on continuing to work with the parties:  the Quartet and our international partners to create a context conducive to negotiating progress.  
We must all redouble our efforts to build the trust and confidence necessary for a lasting agreement.  Thank you, Mr. President.  
SINGAPORE:  Thank you, Mr. President.  I have the honor to speak in explanation of vote after the adoption of draft resolutions L.12 to L.15 under agenda item 36, Question of Palestine.  Singapore voted in favor of A/68/L.12 on the understanding that the reference in OP.2 to the achievement of the two-state solution on the basis of the pre-1967 borders should be interpreted in the same manner as set out in OP.1 of resolution A/68/L.15.  Namely, the two-state solution of Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security within recognized borders based on the pre-1967 borders.  Thank you, Mr. President.
LITHUANIA:  Mr. President, I have the honor to speak on behalf of the European Union.  The EU wishes to thank the Palestinian delegation for the successful outcome of our negotiations on a number of resolutions on which action is taken in the General Assembly.  As an outcome of these negotiations the EU confirms its consolidated voting … on these resolutions.  At this point in time, we would like to put on record with regards to all resolutions that are adopted during the 68th session of the General Assembly.  The EU and its member states consider that whenever Palestinian government is mentioned this refers to the Palestinian Authority.
Furthermore, the European Union as a whole has not expressed a legal qualification with regard to the term first displacement used in a number of resolutions submitted under the item 36 and item 52.  
I thank you, Mr. President.
CYPRUS:  Thank you, Mr. Chairman.  This explanation of the vote concerns resolution A/68/L.12.  Cyprus would like to reaffirm its commitment supporting the efforts of Israelis and Palestinians to reach a comprehensive settlement.  We believe that the peace talks are the only way to reach a viable solution.  We therefore urge both parties to focus all their efforts on them.  In this regard we would like to express our concern over unilateral initiatives that could negatively affect directly or indirectly the negotiating process and the prospects for overall settlement.  The agreed moratorium on such actions for a period of nine months should be respected by all concerns.  Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
EXPLANATION OF THE VOTE/AFTER (L.16-L.17)
ARGENTINA (BRAZIL):  Thank you very much, Mr. President.  I have the honor to speak on behalf of the delegations of Brazil and Argentina on the situation in the Middle East, particularly to explain the vote of the delegations of Argentina and Brazil with regard to draft resolution A/68/L.17, entitled the Syrian Golan, just approved by the General Assembly.
Brazil and Argentina voted for this draft resolution since we understood that the essential aspect of this resolution is linked to the legality of the acquisition of territory by force.  
Paragraph 4 of Article II of the Charter of the United Nations prohibits the use or the threat of the use of force against the territorial integrity of a state.  This is an imperative standard of international law.  
At the same time, I wish to clarify the position of our delegations with regard to the provisional paragraph of this particular resolution.  We do not prejudge on the content of the aforementioned PP, especially with regard to the reference of the pre-June 1967 line.  Brazil and Argentina believe it is important that progress be made in the search for a situation between Syria and Israel in the Middle Eastern conflict in order to put an end to the occupation of the Golan Heights.  For that reason, at this time, once again on behalf of the governments of Brazil and Argentina we should highlight the importance of renewing the negotiations -- or resuming them -- in order to find permanent solution to the situation of the Syrian Golan in accordance with resolutions 242 of 1967 and 338 of 1973 of the Security Council and the principle of land for peace.  Thank you very much, Mr. President.  

RIGHT OF REPLY
ISRAEL:  Thank you, Mr. President.  You know it's -- discussion regarding the situation in the Middle East and unfortunately so many countries decided to abstain.  They decided to abstain of talking regarding a 120,000 casualties in Syria, to abstain from speaking about the usage of chemical weapons by Syria, to abstain from showing concern regarding the terrible situation with regard to the lack of medical assistance and using it as an all those war crimes.  It was really heartwarming to see the Syrian delegates that has really time to study and -- Israeli's prime ministers and what they spoke about -- to take a break from killing their own people.  The Syrian is getting a Master in revising history and unfortunately seems to think that members in this hall support him.  We have heard him speak regarding a series of baseless accusations against Israel.  I'm glad he's launching words.  I really hope his leader will choose to do the same and speak instead of doing the horrible things that he is doing.
I would also like -- there is so much to speak about that I really like to center also regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran which sometimes seems to have a problem with pronouncing the name of my country.  The Iranian representative spoke regarding the greatest obstacle towards safety is the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is a conflict which we must and we should and we hope to resolve and it is, as we said before, the road for peace goes between Ramallah and Jerusalem, and not in these halls.  
But the biggest obstacle to world security is Iran and is not Israel, nor the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  It is time to speak about that and I will put aside the issues of nuclear weapons and their nuclear program.  Iran is the chief sponsor of terror in the world and it is the hypocrisy when sit here and see the Iranian delegates speaking in alarm regarding what he calls violence and extremism.  This is really the odyssey of speaking about that while basically you are the architect of world international terror.  You have not backed down for it.  You are continuing as we speak to support Hezbollah, killing people in Syria.  You are having branches around the world of terrorists and this should stop.  Iran is the world's center, banker, chief trainer and primary sponsor of terror.  It provides sophisticated weapons to Hamas, Hezbollah and other terrorist groups in this region and around the world.  It is always an interesting experience when the delegate of the greatest sponsor of terror speaks out against terror.  And I think we should not allow this to happen in this hall. 
The issues discussed here are serious enough without a baseless propaganda and countries which should better their own people and look upon what they are doing instead of lecturing other countries.  
As mentioned before, to all the countries who really spoke about their sincerely hoping that to have a peace in the Middle East.  The way to do it is not to support baseless resolutions such as these ones.  The way to do it is to encourage the Palestinian to move forward in the peace negotiations going on today.  Thank you.  
SYRIA:  Thank you, Mr. President.  I did not want to take the floor again.  I did not want to have to address the General Assembly once again.  Nevertheless, the senseless statements we have just heard from the representative of Israel have driven us to take the floor once again in order to respond.  
Not to explain or clarify because clarifications were unnecessary.  It was quite clear what the sound of the member states was in the vote for the resolution.  The point on the agenda -- the two points on the agenda that we voted for -- the two draft resolutions on the status of Jerusalem and the Situation in the Middle East -- this is not something that is being watched by the delegate of Israel.  What he says is that what is happening in the General Assembly is aside from history.  
As a matter of fact, his position -- the position of his delegation and the position of his government and their impertinent stand both within the United Nations and outside it are actions which really should be excluded from history.  In any case, the representative of Israel does not understand history because he cannot understand the depths of history.  We're talking about thousands of years, a region in which we have lived for thousands of years is our land.  Their history, on the other hand, is just -- is not even 70 years -- it does not even go back 70 years.  It is full of aggression, occupation and acts of hostility. 
The representative of Israel by defying the United Nations resolutions despises the opinions and the votes of member states on this resolution and this does not do any service to Israel whatsoever.  
There is an Arab proverb that says, That when you have done something evil, you should take shelter. It seems -- and you should hide.  It seems that the representative of Israel has not yet understood that his situation and his country's situation is so embarrassing and the rejection of member states of his country's policies has been rejected by an overwhelming majority.  Yet he does not seem to understand that.  
The representative of Israel took the floor to say there are a hundred thousand victims in Syria.  But he did not mention how many of these victims were killed by terrorists, by armed terrorist groups supported by Israel.  He did not say exactly how many of these people are being treated in Israeli hospitals.  He did not say that it was his country's mad policies that exposed the peacekeepers of the United Nations in the Golan Heights to extreme danger.  This is in spite of the military presence of Israel and media focus on these armed terrorist groups that skirt through the supposed division lines in the Golan and expose the UN peacekeepers to all kinds of dangers.  
This is just one of the many, many acts that the government of Israel has committed over the past decades.  Massacres and crimes against the Egyptians, the Jordans, the Palestinians, the Syrians, the Lebanese and so many others.  Their long arm has reached as far as the Sudan.  As well as the political killings and attacks carried out by the Mossad in Western capitals and other world capitals for tens of years.  The absurd attempt of Israel's representative to make these points -- to bring these points of divergence of member states so that they will not notice that settlements have been built in occupied territories and that they are avoiding the peace process and trying to avoid putting an end to the occupation.  They won't even recognize the persecution that they have visited on the Palestinian people.  
Are these absurdities a normal diplomatic practice?  The Israelis who come to the United Nations and work for years within the United Nations and do not understand these points on the agenda which are part of the work program of this organization for a decade.  
But how can they possibly understand this when they have absolute support from a powerful state?  A powerful member state of this organization.  It is this support that is responsible that has led to this impertinence of the Israelis and led to the building of settlements as well as the successive flare ups of violence.  
If the government of Israel was really convinced of the need for peace and the need to work for peace, then they would have been following their leaders towards the peace process and this would have put an end to terrorism.  
Israel lives in a fictional world.  The fiction of force is what drives them.  But they are tied together hand and foot to the country that sponsors them.  [CUT OFF BY CHAIRMAN]
IRAN:  Thank you very much, Mr. President.  I would like to react to the reference made to my country in the course of today's meeting by the representative of the Israeli regime.  
This is another action by this regime to distract the attention from the facts about its criminal policies and abhorrent atrocities in the region.  In particular the heinous crimes committed against the people of Palestine.  
Mr. President, the illegal Israeli policies and practices against the Palestinian people, inter alia, intensification of illegal Israel settlement activities, widespread violence against the Palestinian, the devastating blockade on Gaza Strip, illegal construction of apartheid wall, and its destructive impacts on socioeconomic condition of Palestinians in Jerusalem, the incidence of mass imprisonment of the Palestinians and administrative detention, routine demolishing of homes and resultant displacement of the Palestinians, all of these are just a tip of the iceberg.  The administrating that this regime continues and even intensifies its heinous crime against the oppressed and defenseless Palestinian people in defiance of human rights principle, international law, UN resolution and even the basic norm of decency.  
What is perplexing is that the Israel regime as a source of terrorism and danger and stability and instability in the region continues to perpetrate its crime and violation with a sense of impunity.  We call on the international community in particular, the United Nations to acknowledge the … [?] [02:44:19] effects of the dangerous policies and activities of this regime and take … measures to prevent further criminal acts by this regime in occupied territories.  
Mr. President, in this regard, the adoption of the resolution today by this august body is a strong message of the solidarity with the Palestinian people, a message that rejects all illegal policies and practices of the Israeli regime and also ignoring and denying the occupation, denying the occupation, aggression and discrimination committed by the Israeli regime.
I also would like to refer to one of the main aspirations of all nations our region, including the Palestinians.  This is the establishment of a nuclear weapon free zone in the Middle East proposed in 1974 by Iran, a country that is a party to all international treaties, banning WMD.  
As you are well aware, aggressive and expansionist policies of the Israeli regime, its large arsenal of the nuclear and other sophisticated weapons, clandestine nuclear weapons program and unsafe guarded nuclear facilities as well as its non-adherence to the international law, norms and principle is the only source of threat to the peace and security in the Middle East and beyond and the only obstacle for the establishment of such a zone.
Indeed, peace and stability cannot be achieved in the Middle East inasmuch as such an irresponsible regime has a massive nuclear arsenal, continues to threaten region and beyond, remains outside treaties banning WMD, in particular MPT and defies the repeated calls by the international community to comply with international conducts, norms, and principles.  
Against this backdrop and in order to establish a nuclear weapon free zone in the Middle East, the international community has no choice but to exert maximum pressure on the Israeli regime in order to compel it to illuminate all its nuclear weapons, to acceded to the MPT as a non-nuclear weapon party without any further delay and precondition and place all its nuclear facilities under IEA comprehensive safeguard.  Thank you very much, Mr. President.  
ISRAEL:  Thank you, Mr. President.  Something unique has happened today.  I've learned something from the Syrian delegate and I am sorry that the wonderful Arab proverb was translated so it might not be a real translation, but when you have done something evil, you should hide.  When you have done something evil, you should hide and this Israeli is lectured by the Syrian delegates.  The same Syrian delegate who is besides being a professor today of teaching proverbs, he is trying to teach Israeli diplomacy, the 101 of diplomacy and I say to him, Thank you, sir.  I will stay as we are and I prefer being as we are.
It is his words and the Iranian delegate's words are upside down the same way the Syrian sign was upside down while he was speaking.  The world has changed.  When you do have done something evil, you should hide.  Please take that example.  There is no shame of the Syrian delegates while speaking to us.  There is no sympathy for his own people.  He is a revisionist of history claiming the Jewish history in our area is 70 years old while this taking away history this does not surprise me.  He has done that just two weeks ago standing up in this General Assembly comparing Israel to Nazi which under European and any moral value is considered to be a Holocaust denial comparing Israeli to Nazi -- the same representative of a country which kills its own people as we speak today.  This assembly was quiet except for three countries.  Nobody stood and said anything.  
It is unfortunate that this goes on and that the Syrian delegate seems to feel that he can say whatever he wants, lecture whomever he wants.
Regarding Iran I appreciate the lecture on human rights and on Israel and what Israel should do, coming from a country where basically all it has to teach basically the ABCs of terrorism.  The manual of terrorism was written by Iran.  The manual of trying under the guise of such discussions was a year today to require a nuclear weapon.  But let's speak about some of the accusations regarding Israel and where it is coming from from Iran.  
Today in Iran women are denied basic rights, free expression is repressed, minorities are persecuted and elections are a sham.  Eight people out of 800 people trying to run for president were elected in the democracy, elected to a position which actually doesn't have the real power in Iran.  
In Iran free expression is repressed.  Minorities are persecuted.  Gays are murdered and women are denied basic rights.  Subject to arrestment and arrest by notoriously brutal morality police.
At the same time, Israel remains a thriving multi-culture democracy, a place where the rights of all minorities are respected and all religions are tolerated.  This is what Israel is.  We're not perfect.  We might make mistakes.  We're trying to fix them.  We might move hopefully toward peace with Palestinians which is the discussion but we will not be lectured by the worst regime.  Never used that word before.  But it seems the Iranian representative is -- difficult in pronouncing the name of my country.  So what should I call them?  The Aytollah's regime.  No, it's Iran.  Some kind of respect.  
One last word about Syria and its accusation of Israel meddling inside Syria.  This is just completely like other issues that he spoke about, completely nonsense.  The one -- and this hall might be interested in this -- the Syria is directly involved in military activities which harm UNDOFs in the area, using planes to bomb in the areas where UNDOF is there.  Then comes to these halls and in the Security Council and say the situation in the Middle East, let's not talk about Syria.  So I suggest we do.
SYRIA:  Thank you, Mr. President, for giving us the floor for the second time.  Mr. President, the representative of the Israeli occupation forces should understand that what is said inside this hall whether it be by our delegation, the Syrian delegation, or any other delegation is not a lecture.  We don't lecture here.  I believe that the other delegations, too, do not lecture when they talk about the Israeli violations of human rights of international humanitarian law and continued occupation of Arab territories for decades.  These are facts, Mr. President.  The representative of the Israeli occupation forces must understand that these are facts documented in reports of the United Nations itself.  
These are not information that the Syrian delegation or any other delegation is providing.  Secondly, we have all listened to how levity with which the Israeli delegates deals with the resolutions of this organization and the voting of member states on these resolutions.  
The representative of the Israeli occupation authority wants to draw a UN on the measures he likes, UN supports occupation, supports the building of settlements that support the violations of human rights by Israeli occupying power.  This is what the representative of the Israeli occupying power wants.  Here I would like to remind him that he forgot while he was criticizing the United Nations that it is the United Nations itself that was behind the establishment of Israeli, write a resolution from the United Nations it seems that the memory of the Israeli delegate is too short.  
Mr. President, the representative of the Israeli occupation power has talked about democracy and tolerance but all those who are inside this hall -- including those who support Israel, they really know the limits of the tolerance of Israel towards other religions.  They know the magnitude of the violations and desecration by Israel of the Muslim and Christian holy places.  We don't need to mention names here though.  He did talk -- the Permanent Representative of the Israeli occupation power said that the UN adopts several resolution on the Israeli occupation and wastes the resources of the United Nations on that.  Here we would like to tell him -- to tell the representative of the Israeli occupation power if he is keen on the resources of the United Nations, then put an end to the occupation of the Arab Territories.  Put an end to the violation of human rights, stop violating the charter of the United Nations.  Hence there will be no reason to be present in this hall to adopt resolutions that condemn the Israeli practices and call on Israel to withdraw from the occupied territories. 
Sir, with this I suffice.  I thank you, sir, for the floor.  
IRAN:  Thank you very much, Mr. President.  Sorry for taking the floor for the second time and taking the valuable time of this august body.  As a matter of fact, being criticized by the representative of the Israeli regime is not necessarily a bad thing.  A regime that its inception, creation and continuity is based on the blotched [?] [02:56:40] terrorism, occupation, … atrocity and a wide range of cruel acts in violation of the UN charter and international law.  
The bloody hands of this regime are presently active in bringing destruction and instability all over the world in particular in the Middle East.  It is ridiculous that the representative of such a regime which is main sponsor of the state terrorism could criticize other who give moral support to the freedom fighters and those who fight for a homeland against foreign occupation.  
It is obvious that raising baseless allegation against my country cannot accommodate and ask this regime to cast shadow on its long list of crimes and atrocities committed such as occupation, aggression, militarism, state terrorism, including masterminding the assassination of Iranian innocents, nuclear scientists and crimes against humanity.  
Finally, I should refer to his statements regarding the democracy in Israel.  I think democracy in an occupied territory is nothing but a joke.  You cannot have a democracy in an occupied land -- the land which belongs to the Palestinian people.  So I should remind him to no longer talk about democracy in this august body.  Thank you very much.

AFTER THE ADOPTION OF RESOLUTIONS
PALESTINE:  Mr. President, let me congratulate you for your patience and for your wonderful way of presiding over our deliberation.  You and your team have demonstrated a great degree of patience, wisdom and appropriate way of handling our deliberations.
Let me also thank all the countries that have sponsored, cosponsored the draft resolutions before us and all the countries that have voted in favor.  We are very grateful for the positive votes on all these resolutions and we are also very grateful that this year, in comparison to last year, the number of positive votes in almost all of these resolutions has increased by several number of votes.  
We trust the judgment of the international community.  We trust the wisdom of the international community in voting in a positive way for all these resolutions.  For us, the international community, its position, its wisdom, its defense of international law is a source of encouragement for the Palestinian people to continue the struggle for the attainment of our inalienable national rights.  So we are grateful for your support and we will continue this march along with the peaceful struggle of our people in the occupied territory, against occupation to put an end to that occupation that started in 1967 and to allow for the independence of the State of Palestine so that we can create, the in fact reality, of a two-state solution.
Mr. Chairman, before I conclude, I believe that those who raised the question that these resolutions serve no purpose -- I believe that this is a wrong articulation.  Because if these resolutions do not serve any purpose, then what is the business of the General Assembly and for that matter of the UN.  We are in the business of upholding international law and this objective is a very noble objective of the service of these resolutions.  
So for those who think that they have no purpose, they have to explain to us what business are we in in the United Nations if our business is not respected the charter and upholding international law.  They cannot come also on other occasions and fight very hard for adoption of resolutions when they do not respect the resolutions adopted by the General Assembly.  
And also I think that it is very arrogant and insulting to all of us when one to use articulation like we are voting like sheep, that such articulation it has the complete disrespect to all us, to our intelligence, to our integrity in listening to all arguments and to make our decisions through voting.  This is the position of a sore loser when they try very hard to convince us of their argument and when they lose -- and they lose overwhelmingly they insult all of us and they say you vote like sheep.  I think I am not in a position to advise those who use this language to do something different, but I would leave it to the judgment of all of you to deal with them in an appropriate way.  
One indicated that these resolutions are one-sided and they single out Israel.  Mr. President, I think that Israel itself is singling out itself by its action and refusal to honor and respect its obligation through the implementation of these resolutions.  
And let me conclude by responding to another one who said that these resolutions are eroding the credibility of the United Nations.  I believe what is eroding the credibility of the United Nations including resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council itself is the lack of will to implement UN resolutions.  Once we have the will to implement UN resolutions against anyone and no one to have preferential treatment then we will be the defenders of the Charter, the defenders of the United Nations, the defenders of the General Assembly and the defenders of the Security Council.  For us, in Palestine we will never lose hope of what the UN represents and what it stands for.  In spite of the fact that there is lack of this will among -- you know -- this august body when it comes to the implementations of its resolutions.
Let me finish and on a high note, I know that in a few days all of us will be celebrating a beautiful holiday.  I want to wish all of you happy holidays and I thank you, Mr. President.
SYRIA:  Thank you, Mr. President.  Mr. President, I will not be long, but I would like to express my deep appreciation and recognitions for the General Assembly for once more and since 1981 adopting by majority the vote of the right by the resolution on the Syrian Golan.  Mr. President, I would like to … my thanks and gratitude of my country Syria to all those countries that have sponsored the draft resolution and those that voted in favor of the resolution.  I reiterate the call of my country to realize comprehensive peace by implementing the relevant resolutions of the United Nations and other international terms.  Syria remains bent on total liberation of the Golan Heights until the lines of 1976 -- June 1976 [sic] -- from Israeli occupations and by creating it from settlements in all the means allowed by international law under which banner we meet here today.  Sir, we thank you for the floor.  
[END]









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