Question of Palestine

Statement by Ambassador Munir Akram, Permanent Representative of Pakistan, on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in the General Assembly on the "Question of Palestine" and "The situation in the Middle East" 29 November, 2007

Mr. President,

  1. I have the honour to speak in this important debate on behalf of the states members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference.
  2. At the outset, I wish to express our appreciation to Ambassador Paul Badji, Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian people, for his outstanding leadership of the Committee.
  3. The Organization of the Islamic Conference, in its various declarations, communiqués and resolutions adopted at the Summit and Ministerial Meetings, has spelt out and reaffirmed its position on the Arab Israeli conflict, including the basis and principles for achieving a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East. Most recently, the 34th ICFM held in Islamabad in May and the Annual Coordination Meting of the OIC Foreign Ministers held in New York in September, reiterated these positions in support of a comprehensive peace on all aspects of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
  4. The OIC calls for the achievement of a just, comprehensive and lasting peace based on international law and relevant United Nations resolutions, including Security Council resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973), 1397 (2002) and 1515 (2003) as well as agreed principles. These require Israel's complete withdrawal from the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and all other occupied Arab territories, including the Syrian Golan; the achievement of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to exercise self-determination and sovereignty in their independent and viable State of Palestine, on the basis of the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital; and a just resolution to the plight of Palestinian refugees, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 194(III) of 11 December 1948.

Mr. President,

  1. The unresolved Arab-Israeli conflict, in particular the core issue of Palestine constitutes a grave and persistent threat to international peace and security, especially after 40 years of occupation. This cauldron of conflict has over the decades, resulted in widespread death and destruction, caused misery, aroused anger and frustration and bred mistrust and antagonism between Israel and the Arab and Islamic world.
  2. The Islamic world has a natural and strong emotional attachment to the issue of Palestine, as well as a deep commitment to its just and peaceful settlement. The centrality of the cause of Al-Quds Al-Sharif for the whole Islamic Ummah should be clear to all. Hopes for peace have been dashed repeatedly by Israel's prolongation of the illegal occupation of the Arab territories and the propensity to resort to the threat and use of force. The Muslim world has been disappointed by the inability, at times partiality and unwillingness on part of the great powers to promote just and durable solutions to the several crises in the Middle East. International law has been allowed to be violated with impunity. The resolutions of the Security Council and other UN bodies, including this Assembly, remain unimplemented. Apathy, discrimination and double standards have themselves become a major underlying cause for mistrust and misunderstanding between the Islamic and Western worlds.
  3. This is an unfortunate and unnecessary situation. It is clear that the tragedy and oppression of the Palestinian people, their suffering, humiliation and human rights violations, have touched the conscience of common people all over the world. The just and legitimate struggle of the Palestinian people for self-determination and freedom from foreign occupation enjoys the strong support and solidarity of the entire international community. It goes beyond religious, group on regional affiliations. This debate of the General Assembly, which coincides with the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People and 60 years after the adoption of resolution 181 (II) and the Palestinian "Nakba" - the "great catastrophe" - is demonstrative of such support.
  4. The central conclusions emanating from the discussions in the Assembly and its Committees are clear. The root cause of the Arab-Israeli conflict is the Israeli occupation of the Arab territories. An end to the occupation of all Arab territories is, therefore, a necessary pre-requisite for peace. The world can no longer afford to allow the multiple conflicts in the Middle East to fester. There is a unanimous desire for an early, comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East. A just and final settlement of the core dispute of Palestine is imperative to achieve Middle East peace. There is wide consensus that this has to be a pacific settlement reached through dialogue and negotiations. While the craving for peace is intensifying, the futility of use of force to achieve durable solutions has become evident. It is now incumbent on the international community to translate this desire for a negotiated settlement into reality.

Mr. President,

  1. We welcome all recent regional and international efforts, including the revival of the Arab Peace Initiative earlier this year and the Conference on Middle East hosted by the United States in Annapolis on 27 November.
  2. We hope the Annapolis meeting will be the beginning of the end of the tragedy of Palestine and the dawn of peace in the Holy land. The Islamic countries participated in the Annapolis Conference in response to the invitation from the United States to signal their commitment to just, comprehensive and lasting peace between Israel and Palestine and in the Middle East.
  3. We welcome the commitment to the establishment of the Palestinian State, and the agreement to start final status negotiations to resolve all core issues including borders, refugees, settlements and Jerusalem. To be fair, these issues must be resolved on the basis of the previous agreements, especially the relevant UN and Security Council resolutions, the principle of land for peace, the Madrid Peace Conference terms of reference, the Quartet's road map, and the Arab Peace Initiative. This will entail Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem. We hope a Peace Treaty will be finalized before the end of 2008 and then be implemented quickly and earnestly. Delay and obstruction could exacerbate rather than enhance the prospects for peace.

Mr. President,

  1. Last week marked the 40th anniversary of adoption of Security Council resolution 242 (1967). The provisions and principles for a just and lasting settlement set out in that resolution remain fundamental today: the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war; withdrawal of Israel armed forces from territories occupied in the 1967 conflict; a just settlement of the refugee problem. We also believe that a peace agreement concluded through the negotiations launched in Annapolis will need to be supplemented by appropriate mechanisms and guarantees for fair and full implementation by all sides. The Security Council and the General Assembly must play their rightful roles in this regard.
  2. In the meanwhile, it is important to build an environment of trust and confidence to support the peace process. We remain deeply concerned over the continuing plight of the Palestinian people, their continuing humiliation and collective punishment under Israeli occupation. The Palestinian people continue to be the victims of violence and military aggression, grave human rights violations, socio-economic deprivation and strangulation, affecting all aspects of their lives. The dire situation in the occupied territories is depicted in detail in various UN and other reports. The international community must ensure full compliance by Israel of its obligations under the 4th Geneva Convention applicable to all the occupied territories. Israel must also end policies and actions that seek to change the realities on ground that could prejudice final settlement, including the integrity and viability of the future Palestinian state.
  3. There are some immediate requirements to create the conditions for success of negotiations for peace in the Middle East.

    One Bringing about a rapid and tangible improvement of the situation on ground in the occupied territories; ending the oppression and suffering of the Palestinian people, a cessation of military campaigns by Israel, release of prisoners, a halt to the construction of the illegal separation wall, a freeze of settlement activities, dismantling unauthorized settler outposts, the removal of all kinds of blockades and restrictions, the end to the siege of Gaza and its illegal declaration by Israel as an "enemy entity", and the ending of all violence;

    Two Providing enhanced humanitarian, economic and social support from the international community to the Palestinians; including immediate restoration and unimpeded provision of all essential goods and services to the Palestinian people in all the occupied territories.

    Three Providing support to the Palestinian Authority to build state institutions, including the security apparatus.

  1. We look forward to a successful donors conference in Paris to respond to the requirements of the Palestinian people.
  2. Obviously, together with the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, efforts must continue to revive Palestinian unity. Durable peace is impossible with a divided people. An essential step to reach reconciliation is for the situation that exists on the ground in Gaza to be restituted to that which existed prior to the events of June 2007.
  3. The discussions in Annapolis also recognized the crucial importance of addressing all aspects of the Arab-Israeli conflict, including the Syria-Israel and Lebanon-Israel tracks, in order to achieve comprehensive peace. We hope to see progress on these parallel tracks to reach just and durable settlements. Israel must withdraw completely from Lebanese land, and the occupied Syrian Golan and comply fully with Security Council resolution 497 (1981).

Mr. President,

  1. Today, we are at yet another crucial juncture in the search for a lasting peace in the Middle East. As the leaders have declared in Annapolis, time is ripe for concluding peace. But, time is not unlimited. The consequences of failure would be grave - the rise of extremism and violence that could engulf the entire Middle East.
  2. An early comprehensive settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict, including the core issue of Palestine must be our collective strategic objective. All Member States must pledge complete commitment to this objective, and throw their full moral, diplomatic, political and economic support for its early realization. Indeed this would have a positive impact on regional and international peace and security and help stabilize the other simmering situations in the region. While remaining fully committed to the just cause of the Palestinian people, the Organization of the Islamic Conference will play its rightful role in this collective endeavour to establish lasting, just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East.

Thank you.