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Mr. President,
I wish to thank the Secretary General for his reports on agenda items 37 and
38.
2. As in the past, the reports indicate systematic pattern of unchecked
violation of international humanitarian law and constant deterioration of
political and security situation in the Middle East. Earlier this year, the
adoption of the Road Map had rekindled hope for a meaningful dialogue amongst
the concerned parties, leading to establishment of two independent states in the
Middle East, thus putting an end to a longstanding dispute in the most volatile
region of the world. However, violence has since resurged against unarmed
civilians in the occupied territories putting the process initiated after the
adoption of the Road Map in doldrums.
Mr. President,
3. As mentioned in the Secretary General’s reports, the actions and practices of
the Occupation forces are against all legal instruments pertaining to the
situation of the people living in the Occupied territories, particularly the
Fourth Geneva Convention. The Fourth Geneva Convention prescribes specific
obligations for an occupying power in relation to the people living in the
Occupied Territories, described as “protected persons”. The Convention prohibits
the occupying power from willfully killing, ill treating, or deporting protected
people. The report mentions frequent resort to all these practices which
resulted in over 2800 killings among Palestinians and of three civilian UN staff
members.
Mr. President,
4. A fundamental principle of international law, flowing from the United Nations
Charter, is the illegality of the acquisition of territory by use of force. The
Security Council resolutions 242, 338 and all subsequent international
agreements on the Middle East have been based on this principle. The Quartet’s
peace plan is also based on the principle of Israeli withdrawal from the
occupied Palestinian territories in exchange for durable peace.
5. However, the continued settlement activity in the occupied territories
including building of a separation wall negates all agreed principles. Besides
being illegal, all these activities entail enormous humanitarian suffering for
the affected Palestinian people and seriously undermine the prospects for a just
and lasting solution to the Arab-Israeli dispute. The Secretary General had
earlier described the separation wall and the settlements as “serious obstacles
to the achievement of a two-state solution”. If remained unchecked, these
activities would present the world irreversible “fait accompli” even before the
final settlement under the Road Map.
Mr. President,
6. The occupation forces often argue that their actions are necessary to fight
terrorism and enhance security. It is difficult to agree with this contention.
Security cannot be enhanced by intensifying repression and coercion. Instead,
genuine security would only flow from accepting the right of the occupied people
to uphold their separate identity and exercise their inalienable rights
including their right to self-determination.
Mr. President,
7. Each member of the General Assembly has a stake in peace in the Holy Land on
the basis of the General Assembly and the Security Council resolutions and Crown
Prince Abdullah’s peace plan. One viable way to achieve peace is the full and
faithful implementation of the Road Map which promotes the vision of two states-
Palestine and Israel- living side by side in peace and security within the
recognized borders. It is our hope that the international community will remain
engaged with the concerned parties for expeditious realization of this vision.
I thank you, Mr. President.