{"id":110981,"date":"2017-08-30T12:38:23","date_gmt":"2017-08-30T12:38:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/?post_type=document&p=110981"},"modified":"2017-09-14T16:10:32","modified_gmt":"2017-09-14T16:10:32","slug":"un-secretary-generals-speech-at-the-museum-of-the-jewish-people-tel-aviv","status":"publish","type":"document","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/un-secretary-generals-speech-at-the-museum-of-the-jewish-people-tel-aviv\/","title":{"rendered":"True Peacemakers Must not Be Drowned Out by Those Advocating Hate, Division, Secretary-General Stresses in Speech at Museum of the Jewish People"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
SG\/SM\/18658<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
30 AUGUST 2017<\/span><\/div>\n
\n

Following is UN Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres\u2019 speech at the Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv today:<\/p>\n

I am honoured to speak to you today after visiting the Museum of the Jewish People, which tells a story stretching over millennia and to all corners of the world. \u00a0This remarkably rich mosaic is a Jewish legacy. \u00a0But it is also an important part of the collective heritage of humanity, a showcase of its highest summits and its lowest depths. \u00a0One cannot escape the fact that so many communities, where Jews lived and thrived for centuries, no longer exist because of countless waves of persecution and genocide.<\/p>\n

For one of my first speeches as Secretary-General, I took part in the International Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony in the Â鶹APP General Assembly Hall.\u00a0 The Holocaust was an incomparable tragedy and an incomparable crime in human history.\u00a0 The world has a duty to remember that the Holocaust was a systematic attempt to eliminate the Jewish people, together with some others.\u00a0 Let us also recognize that the Holocaust was the culmination of thousands of years of hatred and discrimination targeting the Jews \u2014 what we now call anti-Semitism.<\/p>\n

I am ashamed that my own country, Portugal, is marred by this history, and I was deeply moved by the eloquent testimony in the Museum about the history of Portuguese Jews, their predicament and their success around the world.\u00a0 The persecution reached its height with the order by King Manuel I, in the sixteenth century, expelling all Jews who refused to convert.\u00a0 This was a hideous crime that caused tremendous suffering.\u00a0 But it was also a colossally stupid act that deprived Portugal of much of the country\u2019s dynamism and led to prolonged periods of cultural and economic stagnation.\u00a0 Many Portuguese Jews went to the Netherlands \u2014 and we have seen a model of that wonderful building, the Portuguese Synagogue of Amsterdam \u2014 and they helped that country become one of the seventeenth century\u2019s leading economies and innovators.<\/p>\n

When I became Prime Minister in\u00a01995, I felt it was my duty to demonstrate my country\u2019s remorse for the Portuguese Inquisition and centuries of merciless attacks against the Jews.\u00a0 In\u00a01996, the Parliament revoked the letter of expulsion.\u00a0 This was an admittedly symbolic act, but the spirit of repentance was genuine.\u00a0 Several descendants of expelled families have now exercised their right to regain Portuguese nationality.\u00a0 And I then was able to visit the Portuguese Synagogue in Amsterdam to formally present a copy of that decree and apologize on behalf of my country.<\/p>\n

I was impressed, as everybody can be, looking at the model right here, by the beauty of that synagogue and moved by what I learned about the vibrancy of Jewish life in the years before the Second World War.\u00a0 But sadly, in the Netherlands too, the Jewish community was almost completely destroyed by the Holocaust. \u00a0As we have seen again and again, anti-Semitism tends to come back.\u00a0 After the Holocaust, the founding of the Â鶹APP generated hope that the world could avoid such hatred and violence and would work together to advance equality and human rights for all.<\/p>\n

Yet, anti-Semitism and intolerance remain disturbingly widespread.\u00a0 There are still people who, despite the facts, deny the Holocaust or diminish its scope. There is even a tendency in some countries to rewrite the history around the Second World War and to rehabilitate some of the figures that were themselves involved in the crimes and the tragedy of the Holocaust.\u00a0 The Internet and social media are filled with hate speech and anti-Semitic imagery.\u00a0 We hear on the streets of democratic societies the repeating of some of the most vile Nazi chants and charges, just a few weeks ago, \u201cblood and soil\u201d or \u201cthe Jews will not replace us\u201d.<\/p>\n

Today, anti-Semitism, along with racism, xenophobia, anti-Muslim hatred and other forms of intolerance, are being triggered by populism and by political figures who exploit fear to win votes.\u00a0 Immigrants, refugees and minorities across the world are also among the most frequent targets of this animus.\u00a0 Let me stress that when I talk about anti-Semitism, I include calls for the destruction of Israel. \u00a0Israel is a Member State of the Â鶹APP. \u00a0It bears all the responsibilities and enjoys all the rights of every other Member State and, therefore, it must be treated as such. \u00a0As Secretary-General of the Â鶹APP, I am determined to do everything I can to stand against anti-Semitism and to all other forms of bigotry and discrimination.<\/p>\n

Three months from now, we will mark the seventieth anniversary of the vote at the General Assembly on the \u201cPartition Plan\u201d that led to the creation of the State of Israel. \u00a0Seventy years later, however, the promise of peace has not yet been delivered. \u00a0Decades of conflict have cost thousands of lives and left deep scars in virtually every Palestinian and Israeli family. \u00a0The Â鶹APP remains committed to providing Israelis and Palestinians with all possible assistance and support to reach the goal of a comprehensive two-State solution.<\/p>\n

I have observed this process over the years with great concern, as someone who cares deeply about this land and its people.\u00a0 As Prime Minister of Portugal and in other political capacities, I worked with Israeli and Palestinian leaders and was impressed by the genuine desire they have shown to provide a secure and dignified future for their peoples, hoping to see a negotiated solution of two States based on relevant Â鶹APP resolutions.\u00a0 Like many here and around the world, I have gone from great hopes about the peace process to frustration over its stagnation.<\/p>\n

It is my deep belief that a two-State solution is the only way forward \u2013 the only path towards the historic compromise that can settle this conflict and lead to a better future for all.\u00a0 That is why I have been, and will continue to be, expressing my disagreement, when it\u2019s the case, with unilateral measures and facts on the ground that can or could undermine that solution \u2014 including settlement activities, but also continuing violence, terror and incitement. \u00a0I am well aware of the suspicious polarization and despair that have kept each side from seeing the other as a partner.\u00a0 I am equally cognizant of the political difficulties faced by each side\u2019s political leaders.<\/p>\n

Yet, I believe there is no alternative to a negotiated solution between the two parties. \u00a0It is equally clear that we in the international community cannot simply turn away and allow the situation to deteriorate. \u00a0We have a role and a responsibility to support the parties in resolving this conflict.\u00a0 The basic premise has not changed \u2014 this land is the ancestral homeland of two peoples. \u00a0Both have an undeniable historic and religious bond with it; both have a right to live on it independently and as a free people, as masters of their own fate.<\/p>\n

Anyone visiting Israel is left with no doubt that it has fulfilled the rights and national aspirations of Jews throughout generations. \u00a0Your country has become renowned worldwide for its great cultural, scientific, technological and scholarly achievements. \u00a0We had the opportunity just two days ago to see some remarkable examples of innovation that can be of extreme utility for humankind all over the world in fighting climate change or in accomplishing the Sustainable Development Goals.\u00a0 You have succeeded in protecting your security against many threats, signing peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan, and building successful international alliances. \u00a0Most importantly, you have created, for the first time in 2,000\u00a0years, a home for your people.<\/p>\n

It is now overdue that the Palestinians also fulfil their legitimate rights and national aspirations. \u00a0I am deeply convinced that, when they do, when they are citizens of their own State, living side by side in peace and security with Israel, Jews will enjoy greater security \u2014 as it needs to be guaranteed \u2014 prosperity and recognition, and it will be an even greater source of pride for Israelis and for Jews around the world.\u00a0 I know that many in Israel share this conviction.<\/p>\n

Young men and women, including many of you here today, have the power to challenge physical and psychological barriers and seek to build a common future.\u00a0 Allow me to pay tribute to Palestinians and Israelis who are taking positive actions in their daily lives, often very quietly, to promote tolerance, cooperation and understanding between the two peoples.<\/p>\n

I was deeply moved this morning. \u00a0We visited Nahal Oz, a kibbutz close to the Gaza Strip that has been bombarded several times and in which one child has been killed by a rocket. \u00a0I had the enormous pleasure, when talking to the families of the kibbutzim, to note that instead of what would be natural \u2014 a feeling of anger in relation to what is an attack on civilians and a violation of international humanitarian law \u2014 I have seen from them an extraordinary message of peace and reconciliation, asking us to help the Palestinians in Gaza to overcome their tragic humanitarian problems and being themselves ready to help and to provide support to the Palestinian community in Gaza.<\/p>\n

It was [such] a fantastic example of solidarity, of humanity, of tolerance, that I want to pay tribute here publicly today. \u00a0The voices of these true peacemakers must not be drowned out by the strident voices and violent actions of the far fewer agents of hate and division. \u00a0Let us not forget that those individual peacebuilders represent the best faces of their communities and serve as the human foundation so essential for a lasting peace, here and everywhere.<\/p>\n

Thank you very much.<\/p>\n

For information media. Not an official record.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SG\/SM\/18658 30 AUGUST 2017 Following is UN Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres\u2019 speech at the Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv today: I am honoured to speak to you today after visiting the Museum of the Jewish People, which tells a story stretching over millennia and to all corners of the world. \u00a0This remarkably rich […]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":169,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"country":[],"document-category":[2621,2637,2773],"document-source":[5352,1897],"committee-meeting":[],"document-subject":[1797,2741],"entity":[],"document-language":[6542],"class_list":["post-110981","document","type-document","status-publish","hentry","document-category-message","document-category-remarks","document-category-speech","document-source-secretary-general","document-source-united-nations-department-of-public-information-dpi","document-subject-peace-process","document-subject-statehood-related","document-language-english"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/110981","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/document"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/169"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/110981\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=110981"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=110981"},{"taxonomy":"document-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-category?post=110981"},{"taxonomy":"document-source","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-source?post=110981"},{"taxonomy":"committee-meeting","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/committee-meeting?post=110981"},{"taxonomy":"document-subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-subject?post=110981"},{"taxonomy":"entity","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/entity?post=110981"},{"taxonomy":"document-language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-language?post=110981"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}