{"id":124389,"date":"2017-11-29T14:25:59","date_gmt":"2017-11-29T14:25:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/?post_type=document&p=124389"},"modified":"2020-07-22T00:56:24","modified_gmt":"2020-07-22T04:56:24","slug":"speakers-in-general-assembly-urge-greater-efforts-to-realize-two-state-solution-70-years-after-adoption-of-resolution-partitioning-palestine-ga-press-release-ga11981","status":"publish","type":"document","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/speakers-in-general-assembly-urge-greater-efforts-to-realize-two-state-solution-70-years-after-adoption-of-resolution-partitioning-palestine-ga-press-release-ga11981\/","title":{"rendered":"Speakers in General Assembly Urge Greater Efforts to Realize Two-State Solution 70 Years after Adoption of Resolution Partitioning Palestine – GA Press Release (GA\/11981)"},"content":{"rendered":"

SEVENTY-SECOND SESSION,\u00a059TH MEETING (PM)<\/strong>
\nGA\/11981<\/strong>
\n29 NOVEMBER 2017<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

fran\u00e7ais<\/a><\/p>\n

Noting that today marked 70\u00a0years since the adoption of a Â鶹APP resolution to partition Palestine, speakers stressed the need to capture momentum, redouble efforts and through dialogue and diplomacy achieve a two\u2011State solution, as the General Assembly began its annual debate on the Palestinian question.<\/p>\n

The Assembly heard the introduction of four\u00a0draft resolutions addressing the various Â鶹APP bodies and departments charged with defending the rights of the Palestinian people.\u00a0 It also heard urgent appeals from many delegates for concrete action to end Israel\u2019s occupation and to continue to support the Palestinian people.\u00a0 Many speakers demanded that Israel cease its settlement activities and that all parties return to the negotiating table.\u00a0 Speakers also urged the international community to continue to support the peace process, as well as humanitarian efforts in the Gaza Strip and elsewhere in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.<\/p>\n

General Assembly President Miroslav Laj\u010d\u00e1k (Slovakia) stressed that there was no alternative to direct talks, underscoring the need for political support from international, regional and national actors.\u00a0 It was essential to maintain and increase the positive momentum, he said, stressing: \u201cAll this momentum has been driven by diplomacy and dialogue.\u201d\u00a0 Recalling that the General Assembly had placed the question of Palestine on its agenda in 1947, he noted that many discussions had taken place since then.\u00a0 \u201cWe have heard positions from all parties.\u00a0 We have called for action, and we have expressed hopes for the future,\u201d he added.\u00a0 Yet, the question of Palestine remained.\u00a0 \u201cAt any moment, dialogue can take a new course and uncover new scope for compromise,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Fod\u00e9 Seck (Senegal), Chair of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, introduced the four\u00a0draft resolutions, pledging the Committee\u2019s commitment to continue to work with both Israelis and Palestinians.\u00a0 He expressed hope that the new dynamic among Palestinian factions would help both parties move forward towards a peaceful solution.\u00a0 He also called for renewed diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving the ultimate objective of a two\u2011State solution based on the pre\u20111967 borders.<\/p>\n

Neville Melvin Gertze (Namibia), the Committee\u2019s Vice-Chair, then introduced its most recent report (document\u00a0A\/72\/35<\/a>), covering its work between 4\u00a0October\u00a02016 and 5\u00a0September\u00a02017.\u00a0 The Committee urged the international community to redouble its efforts towards the achievement of the two\u2011State solution in accordance with Â鶹APP resolutions; reiterated its request to the Secretary-General to present his subsequent reports to the Security Council on the implementation of its resolution\u00a02334\u00a0(2016) in writing; strongly advocated for the Palestinian refugees\u2019 right to return to their homeland; and demanded an end to the 10\u2011year\u2011old Israeli air, land and sea blockade of Gaza.<\/p>\n

The Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine said that the Palestinian people wanted peace but peace could not coexist with injustice, occupation, colonization and apartheid.\u00a0 \u201cThe people of Palestine will not disappear, nor will they surrender to a dismal fate,\u201d he stressed.\u00a0 Israel, the occupying Power, had purposely obstructed efforts, blatantly ignoring the demands to cease its illegal policies and practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.\u00a0 It continued to proceed with its settlement activities and systematic destruction of the two\u2011State solution, and ignored calls to reverse the negative trends on the ground and act to bring an end to its occupation, as called for by the Security Council in resolution\u00a02334\u00a0(2016).<\/p>\n

In 2017, the international community again witnessed Israel quadrupling its settlement activities throughout the West Bank, especially in and around East Jerusalem and the Jordan Valley, he said.\u00a0 Israel had also continued to impose severe restrictions on movement, the most hideous of which was its blockade of the Gaza Strip, where two\u00a0million Palestinians were being collectively punished and inhumanely isolated.\u00a0 Israeli provocations, incitement and inflammatory rhetoric against the Palestinians and their leadership were on the rise, one reinforcing the other.\u00a0 Rather, efforts must be aimed at achieving a just and comprehensive peace, whereby the State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital, could live side by side with Israel, based on the pre\u20111967 borders.<\/p>\n

Israel\u2019s representative, recalling that, on 29\u00a0November\u00a01947, the Â鶹APP had taken a vote to determine the fates of two\u00a0peoples living in the same land, he declared: \u201cFor one of those peoples, it was a moment that turned an age-old dream of self-determination into a real-life miracle.\u201d\u00a0 He noted that Jews and Arabs had at that time been presented with the chance to build successful and prosperous communities, living side by side.\u00a0 \u201cThe Jews said yes, but the Arabs said no,\u201d he stated, emphasizing Israel\u2019s decision over past decades to choose the path of prosperity and peace.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Palestinians are not anti\u2011Israel because of borders or governments,\u201d he said, but \u201cbecause of who we are\u201d.\u00a0 They had never accepted the existence of a Jewish State in the Holy Land.\u00a0 Palestinian leaders had never tried to improve the lives of their people and always blamed their situation on Israel.\u00a0 The Palestinians made those choices every day, regrettably choosing devastation and despair over progress, peace and prosperity.\u00a0 As long as Hamas used innocent Palestinians as human shields and deprived them of basic human rights, Gaza would remain imprisoned by its own brutal leaders.\u00a0 While that group \u2014 an internationally recognized terrorist organization \u2014 worked to kidnap and kill Israelis, the Palestinian Authority had agreed to work with them.\u00a0 Still, Israel had not lost hope, and stood ready to negotiate.<\/p>\n

Kuwait\u2019s representative said the Palestinian people were dreaming of breaking their shackles and yet Israel\u2019s \u201csavage\u201d policies continued as the occupying Power confiscated land, expanded illegal settlements and deprived Muslims of the right to practice their rituals.\u00a0 The question of Palestine was a question of all civil people under occupation. \u201cWe have to work hand in hand\u201d to support the \u201cfair cause\u201d of the Palestinian people, he underscored.<\/p>\n

The representative of Libya asked what the Â鶹APP had done for the Palestinian people other than adopting the many resolutions that Israel had ignored.\u00a0 Recalling how the international community had pressured the Arab world to abandon its historic right to establish a Palestinian State, he asked: \u201cWill the international community stand by to allow Israel to continue its occupation for another 50\u00a0years?\u201d\u00a0 To those that said Libya must not make such statements as its own country was going through a tough time, he said the Israeli occupation was the cause of the spread of terrorism in the region.<\/p>\n

The representative of Japan, condemning all acts, incitements and glorification of violence, called on both sides to take concrete steps to reverse those negative trends.\u00a0 He noted his country\u2019s support to the region, namely several initiatives which involved cooperation with Israel, Jordan and Palestine.\u00a0 \u201cThis is not to say that economic development is an alternative to a future Palestinian State,\u201d he said.\u00a0 Instead, the goal was to generate mutual trust leading to meaningful dialogue between the parties.<\/p>\n

Settlement of the dispute was not impossible, Egypt\u2019s representative underscored, noting that his country had recently managed to bring the Palestinian leadership together in signing a reconciliation agreement on 12\u00a0October in Cairo.\u00a0 He called on the international community to take advantage of the historic opportunity and help bring about a two\u2011State solution.\u00a0 Both the Israelis and Palestinians would continue to have a claim to the Holy Land, he added, emphasizing the importance of finding a rational solution.<\/p>\n

The Assembly also had before it two reports of the Secretary-General titled \u201cThe situation in the Middle East\u201d (document\u00a0A\/72\/333<\/a>) and \u201cPeaceful settlement of the question of Palestine\u201d (document\u00a0A\/72\/368<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Also speaking were representatives of Maldives, Qatar, Nigeria, Argentina, Brazil, Lao People\u2019s Democratic Republic, Bangladesh, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Jordan, Venezuela, India and Turkey.<\/p>\n

The General Assembly will reconvene at 10\u00a0a.m. on Thursday, 30\u00a0November, to conclude its debate on the question of Palestine and the situation in the Middle East.<\/p>\n

Opening Remarks<\/u><\/p>\n

MIROSLAV LAJ\u010c\u00c1K (Slovakia), President of the General Assembly, said that there was no alternative to direct talks.\u00a0 Stressing the need for political support from international, regional and national actors, he underscored: \u201cThis support can bring us closer to a peaceful resolution.\u201d\u00a0 International and regional tools for mediation and facilitation had led to some promising developments.\u00a0 The international community had also rallied in response to the humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people, particularly those in the Gaza Strip.\u00a0 He called for even stronger efforts to strengthen respect for international humanitarian law, and to secure access to people in need.\u00a0 It was essential to maintain and increase the positive momentum, he said, underscoring Egypt\u2019s contributions as well as commitments made by the Palestinian Authority.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll this momentum has been driven by diplomacy and dialogue,\u201d he said, adding that only through both could the momentum be maintained and boosted.\u00a0 Recalling that the General Assembly had placed the question of Palestine on its agenda in 1947, he noted that many discussions had taken place since then.\u00a0 \u201cWe have heard positions from all parties.\u00a0 We have called for action, and we have expressed hopes for the future,\u201d he added.\u00a0 Yet, the question of Palestine remained.\u00a0 In that context, he warned against failing the people on the ground and urged Member States to see today as a new opportunity for dialogue.\u00a0 \u201cAt any moment, dialogue can take a new course and uncover new scope for compromise,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Introduction of Drafts and Reports<\/u><\/p>\n

FOD\u00c9 SECK (Senegal), Chair of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, introduced four\u00a0draft resolutions (documents A\/72\/L.13, A\/72\/L.14, A\/72\/L.15 and A\/72\/L.16).\u00a0 Pledging the Committee\u2019s commitment to continue to work with both Israelis and Palestinians, he expressed hope that the new dynamic among Palestinian factions would help both parties move forward towards a peaceful solution.\u00a0 Calling for renewed diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving the ultimate objective of a two\u2011State solution based on the pre\u20111967 borders, he said the draft resolutions focused on the Committee\u2019s work and that of the Secretariat\u2019s Division for Palestinian Rights and the Special Information Programme on the Question of Palestine of the Department of Public Information.\u00a0 Draft resolution\u00a0\u201cL.15\u201d, on the renewal of the Committee\u2019s mandate, took into account the body\u2019s decades of work, while \u201cL.14\u201d\u00a0requested the Department of Public Information to continue its work for the period 2018\u20112019, aiming to enable the media to create conditions that were propitious for the conflict\u2019s peaceful settlement.\u00a0 Draft\u00a0\u201cL.16\u201d, meanwhile, took note of the relevance of the 2030\u00a0Agenda for Sustainable Development \u2014 especially Sustainable Development Goal\u00a016 on peace, justice and strong institutions \u2014 to the question of Palestine.<\/p>\n

NEVILLE MELVIN GERTZE (Namibia), Vice-Chair of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, then introduced its most recent report (document\u00a0A\/72\/35<\/a>), covering its work between 4\u00a0October\u00a02016 and 5\u00a0September\u00a02017.\u00a0 Following its introductory chapter, chapter\u00a0II of the report provided a review of the situation relating to the question of Palestine as monitored by the Committee, including the impasse in the peace process, the tenth\u00a0year of the Gaza Strip blockade and the dire living conditions there, ongoing Israeli illegal settlement activities and the adoption of Security Council resolution\u00a02334\u00a0(2016), as well as heightened tensions at the Al\u2011Haram al\u2011Sharif\/Temple Mount in East Jerusalem, among others.\u00a0 Chapters III and IV, meanwhile, outlined the mandate entrusted to the Committee by the General Assembly and contained information on the organization of the Committee\u2019s work during the year.<\/p>\n

Chapter V of the report detailed actions taken by the Committee, he continued, including its participation in Security Council debates and its continued dialogue with members of intergovernmental, interparliamentary, regional and civil society organizations to mobilize support for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.\u00a0 Chapter VI provided an overview of the Special Information Programme on the Question of Palestine carried out by the Department of Public Information, while the last chapter contained the Committee\u2019s conclusions and recommendations to the Assembly.\u00a0 Listing some of those, he said the Committee urged the international community to redouble its efforts towards the achievement of the two\u2011State solution in accordance with Â鶹APP resolutions; reiterated its request to the Secretary-General to present his subsequent reports to the Security Council on the implementation of its resolution\u00a02334\u00a0(2016) in writing; strongly advocated for the Palestinian refugees\u2019 right to return to their homeland; demanded an end to the 10\u2011year\u2011old Israeli air, land and sea blockade of Gaza and the lifting of all related closures; and urged States and private entities not to contribute to grave Israeli violations of Palestinian human rights, particularly with respect to its illegal settlements.<\/p>\n

RIYAD H. MANSOUR, Permanent Observer of the\u00a0State of Palestine<\/u>, said today was the seventieth\u00a0anniversary of the adoption of the Â鶹APP resolution to partition Palestine.\u00a0 That decision had infinite consequences as the Palestinian people were still being denied their rights.\u00a0 He also noted that while Palestine\u2019s respect for Â鶹APP resolution was proven, Israel continued to undermine all efforts to achieve the just solution that Â鶹APP had sought.\u00a0 Israel, the occupying Power, had purposely obstructed efforts, blatantly ignoring the demands to cease its illegal policies and practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.\u00a0 It continued to proceed with its settlement activities and systematic destruction of the two\u2011State solution based on the pre\u20111967 borders.\u00a0 Israel further ignored calls to reverse the negative trends on the ground and act to bring an end to its occupation, as called for by the Security Council in resolution\u00a02334<\/a>\u00a0(2016).<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Israeli Government is not only in violation of that resolution, but actually brags about doing so,\u201d he said. \u00a0In 2017, the international community again witnessed Israel quadrupling its settlement activities throughout the West Bank, especially in and around East Jerusalem and the Jordan Valley.\u00a0 Israel also continued to impose severe restrictions on movement, the most hideous of which was its blockade of the Gaza Strip, where two\u00a0million Palestinians were being collectively punished and inhumanely isolated.\u00a0 The people in Gaza were forced to endure a humanitarian crisis so dire that Gaza was predicted to be uninhabitable by 2020.\u00a0 Israeli provocations, incitement and inflammatory rhetoric against the Palestinian people and their leadership were on the rise, one reinforcing the other.\u00a0 Provocations also continued against holy sites, especially in Occupied East Jerusalem, most notably at Al-Haram al-Sharif.<\/p>\n

Moreover, the Israeli Government, led by the most extreme members of the Prime Minister\u2019s coalition and aided and abetted by the Israeli justice system, had feverishly advanced discriminatory laws and racist policies, he said.\u00a0 \u201cThe reality is that Israel is in grave breach of all \u2014 not just some \u2014 of its obligations under international humanitarian law,\u201d he added.\u00a0 The human toll of that unrelenting dispossession, military occupation and colonization was incalculable.\u00a0 The occupation had also caused enormous damage to the rule of law and perceptions about justice.\u00a0 He noted the Human Rights Council\u2019s report on the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian territories, adding that the report reflected the illegality of the occupation.<\/p>\n

He called on Member States to uphold international law and affirm support for the Palestinian people, and ensure that they did not in any way comply with Israel\u2019s illegal actions.\u00a0 Such efforts should finally lead to a day when the international community stops commemorating the tragedy and instead begins building a just peace for a better and secure future.\u00a0 It was a simple equation, he said, adding that Israel could not continue to be treated as a law-abiding member of the international community, as it trampled the Â鶹APP Charter and resolutions.\u00a0 The Â鶹APP had a responsibility to redress the injustice and ensure accountability, which \u201ccontinued to be delayed at best, denied at worst\u201d.<\/p>\n

He welcomed international efforts to achieve a just and comprehensive peace, whereby the State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital, could live side by side with Israel, based on the pre\u20111967 borders.\u00a0 He expressed gratitude to the Â鶹APP and its agencies for the humanitarian, socioeconomic, developmental and moral support that had helped sustain the Palestinian people through decades of conflict.\u00a0 \u201cThe people of Palestine will not disappear, nor will they surrender to a dismal fate,\u201d he said.\u00a0 They wanted peace but peace could not coexist with injustice, occupation, colonization and apartheid.<\/p>\n

DANNY DANON (Israel<\/u>) said that, with each resolution they adopted and vote they cast, Member States \u201cchoose between peace and war, progress and decay, hope and despair\u201d.\u00a0 Today, the Organization had once again made the choice to debate the so\u2011called question of Palestine, taking turns targeting Israel including through their empty votes in favour of the annual text.\u00a0 Recalling that, on 29\u00a0November\u00a01947, the Â鶹APP had taken a vote to determine the fates of two\u00a0peoples living in the same land, he declared: \u201cFor one of those peoples, it was a moment that turned an age-old dream of self-determination into a real-life miracle.\u201d\u00a0 However, \u201cfor the other, the result of the vote triggered an aggressive and lasting hatred\u201d.<\/p>\n

Stressing that the Â鶹APP had made the right choice on that day in 1947 \u2014 thereby correcting a historic wrong \u2014 he noted that Jews and Arabs had at that time been presented with the chance to build successful and prosperous communities, living side by side.\u00a0 \u201cThe Jews said yes, but the Arabs said no,\u201d he stated, emphasizing Israel\u2019s decision over past decades to choose the path of prosperity and peace.\u00a0 Israelis had worked to help others, always seeking to repair the world.\u00a0 But their Palestinian neighbours had sought the exact opposite, and had done nothing but try to harm Israel.\u00a0 \u201cThe Palestinians are not anti\u2011Israel because of borders or governments,\u201d he said, but \u201cbecause of who we are\u201d.\u00a0 They had never accepted the existence of a Jewish State in the Holy Land.\u00a0 Palestinian leaders had never tried to improve the lives of their people and always blamed their situation on Israel.<\/p>\n

Offering the Palestinians a new set of propositions, he said that every $1,000 they chose to spend supporting terrorists and their families could instead be used to fund a high-tech startup, sponsor a Palestinian student, build cultural centres or encourage development, rather than destruction.\u00a0 The Palestinians made those choices every day, regrettably choosing devastation and despair over progress, peace and prosperity.\u00a0 Citing the Palestinians\u2019 2005 opportunity to develop the Gaza Strip following Israel\u2019s unilateral withdrawal from the area, he said what could have become the next beach resort destination had instead been neglected and even become a haven for terror.\u00a0 The current state of Gaza could not be blamed on the Europeans, the Americans, the Arabs or the Israelis, as it was a \u201cself-inflicted wound\u201d.\u00a0 As long as Hamas used innocent Palestinians as human shields and deprived them of basic human rights, Gaza would remain imprisoned by its own brutal leaders.<\/p>\n

Hamas terrorists also continued to attempt to destroy cities, he continued.\u00a0 While that group \u2014 an internationally recognized terrorist organization \u2014 worked to kidnap and kill Israelis, the Palestinian Authority had agreed to work with them.\u00a0 Still, Israel had not lost hope, and stood ready to negotiate.\u00a0 Having built a vibrant and multicultural society, where all people enjoyed equal rights and protections under the law, the country\u2019s people were free and their hearts and minds were open.\u00a0 \u201cWe seek peace and we dream big,\u201d he said, stressing that the Palestinians would not be able to better themselves simply by worsening Israel.<\/p>\n

MISHAAL K. ALBANNAI (Kuwait<\/u>) said the Palestinian people were dreaming of breaking their shackles and yet Israel\u2019s \u201csavage\u201d policies continued as the occupying Power confiscated land, expanded illegal settlements and deprived Muslims of the right to practice their rituals.\u00a0 Israel\u2019s policies, its siege on Gaza and the various restrictions it imposed on the movement of persons aimed to undermine any and all opportunity for a two\u2011State solution and perpetuate the occupation.\u00a0 The question of Palestine was a question of all civil people under occupation.\u00a0 The inhumane and illegal siege on Gaza was a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention.\u00a0 He urged the international community, through the Security Council, to provide the Palestinian people with international protection and to immediately put an end to the occupation.\u00a0 He further urged the Security Council to shoulder its responsibility to support the \u201cfair cause\u201d of the Palestinian people.\u00a0 \u201cWe have to work hand in hand,\u201d he underscored.<\/p>\n

EZZIDIN Y. BELKHEIR (Libya<\/u>) said the crisis had become part and parcel of the history of the Â鶹APP, which had a responsibility to act in favour of all oppressed people.\u00a0 He asked: \u201cIn reality, what has the Â鶹APP done for the Palestinian people?\u201d\u00a0 The Â鶹APP had adopted many resolutions calling on the State it established to end its occupation.\u00a0 Yet, the Israeli occupation had ignored each and every one of them.\u00a0 The international community had pressured the Arab world and tried to convince it to abandon its historic right to establish a Palestinian land.\u00a0 Given the fact that Israel would never reconsider its policies, it continued its occupation by adopting many \u201cJudea\u2011izing\u201d policies that could lead to chaos in the region and beyond.\u00a0 Israeli armed settlers were an attempt to portray the situation on the ground as a conflict between two\u00a0civilian groups.\u00a0 He asked: \u201cWill the international community stand by to allow Israel to continue its occupation for another 50\u00a0years?\u201d\u00a0 Until the Palestinian people have a free and secure state, the international community must continue to pressure Israel to accept the Arab Peace Initiative and implement various Security Council resolutions, most notably resolution\u00a02334\u00a0(2016).\u00a0 To those that say Libya must not make such statements as its own country was going through a difficult time, he said that the Israeli occupation was the cause of the spread of terrorism in the region.<\/p>\n

SHIUNEEN RASHEED (Maldives<\/u>) said that the question of Palestine would be answered with the establishment of an independent, sovereign State as called for in numerous Â鶹APP resolutions.\u00a0 She called on Israel to implement those resolutions and to respect its legal obligations.\u00a0 There was a total disregard for said resolutions in Israel today, as it continued to designate the West Bank separately from Gaza and in fact considered it part of Israel.\u00a0 She wondered why Israel was held to a double standard when it came to the rule of law and respect for human rights, saying that international law was not selectively applicable.\u00a0 To achieve peace in the Middle East, Israel must join the international community in affirming the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people, she concluded.<\/p>\n

ALYA AHMED SAIF AL-THANI (Qatar<\/u>), recalling that 50\u00a0years had elapsed since the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian land began, outlined several positive recent developments that heightened the hope of achieving peace in the region.\u00a0 Those included the signing of a reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas, she said, underscoring solidarity with the Palestinian people and its strong support for the two\u2011State solution.\u00a0 Calling on the international community to help grant the right to self-determination and the right of return to the Palestinian people, she also warned against all escalations of tension and condemned any attempts aimed at changing the character or legal status of the Al\u2011Aqsa Mosque.\u00a0 The Assembly\u2019s annual resolutions on the Middle East and the question of Palestine reflected the seriousness of the issue and called on Israel to end its illegal actions, she said, adding that the texts also underlined the invalidity of its occupation of the Syrian Golan.\u00a0 In the context of the current conflicts and crises across the Middle East \u2014 including the spread of terrorism \u2014 it was critical to address the root causes of conflict.<\/p>\n

OLUKUNLE BAMGBOSE (Nigeria<\/u>) aligned himself with the African Union and called on the international community to find peaceful solutions in the Middle East by paving the way for Israel and Palestine to return to negotiations.\u00a0 He supported efforts to have the Palestinian Authority assume responsibilities in Gaza.\u00a0 The international community must persevere in finding a resolution to the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which threatened international peace and security.\u00a0 The Israelis and Palestinians should make a genuine effort to return to the negotiating table, he stressed.\u00a0 He encouraged Israel to freeze settlement activities and the Palestinians to signal their readiness with internal unity and by addressing their own security challenges.<\/p>\n

MART\u00cdN GARC\u00cdA MORIT\u00c1N (Argentina<\/u>) reaffirmed his strongest support for a peaceful two\u2011State solution to the Palestinian question based on relevant Â鶹APP resolutions.\u00a0 Reasserting the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, he expressed concern about the persistent and continuous growth of illegal Israeli settlements that only served to perpetuate an unstable status\u00a0quo.\u00a0 At the same time, attacks against Israeli citizens were unacceptable, he stressed, also condemning all terrorist actions.\u00a0 Even though progress on the issue was made in Cairo earlier this year, he noted with concern the excessive use of force by Israeli forces.\u00a0 Turning to East Jerusalem, he said any effort to deny the historical meaning of the city to Jews, Muslims and Christians was completely unacceptable.<\/p>\n

MAURO VIEIRA (Brazil<\/u>) underscored that the General Assembly could and should contribute to the implementation of the two\u2011State solution in all its aspects.\u00a0 In accordance with international law and the Â鶹APP Charter, Brazil rejected the acquisition of territory through the use of force.\u00a0 The existence and expansion of Israeli settlements in Palestine, including East Jerusalem, as well as the retroactive legalization of some of those settlements, were an obstacle to the viability of the two\u2011State solution and to peace in the region.\u00a0 Brazil hoped that the intra\u2011Palestinian agreement, signed in Cairo on 12 October, would help immediately alleviate the grave humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip by facilitating the lifting of the blockade and allowing unimpeded access to humanitarian aid and reconstruction efforts.<\/p>\n

YASUHISA KAWAMURA (Japan<\/u>), listing some of the major challenges facing the Middle East and North Africa, said his country had worked to deal with those issues as a member of the Security Council for the past two\u00a0years.\u00a0 Regarding the question of Palestine, he stressed that Israel\u2019s continued settlement activities violated international law and called on it to immediately freeze such activities, which eroded the two\u2011State solution.\u00a0 Escalating tensions at holy sites in recent months were another stark reminder of how violence could snowball into a larger crisis.\u00a0 Condemning all acts, incitements and glorification of violence, he called on both sides to take concrete steps to reverse those negative trends.\u00a0 For its part, Japan was providing long-term support in the region, including through the Jericho Agro\u2011Industrial Park and its flagship \u201cCorridor for Peace and Prosperity\u201d initiative, which involved cooperation with Israel, Jordan and Palestine.\u00a0 \u201cThis is not to say that economic development is an alternative to a future Palestinian State,\u201d he said.\u00a0 Instead, the goal was to generate mutual trust leading to meaningful dialogue between the parties.<\/p>\n

KHIANE PHANSOURIVONG (Lao People\u2019s Democratic Republic<\/u>) expressed deep concern about continued Israeli settlement expansion, which destroyed Palestinian property, homes and economic development.\u00a0 It also violated international humanitarian and human rights law, impeded the peace process and opportunities for negotiations and peaceful resolution.\u00a0 He also expressed worries about the plight of Palestinians suffering under the blockade of the Gaza Strip, which could lead to a humanitarian crisis if it continued unabated.\u00a0 He called upon the occupying Power to lift the blockade and facilitate unimpeded humanitarian relief.\u00a0 His delegation strongly supported relevant Â鶹APP resolutions and the Quartet Roadmap, which envisaged a sovereign, independent and viable State of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital.<\/p>\n

TAREQ MD ARIFUL ISLAM (Bangladesh<\/u>) said that his Government remained profoundly concerned about the illegal occupation and humanitarian plight of the Palestinian people.\u00a0 The Â鶹APP should pursue lasting, just solutions to all protracted crises, which posed serious threats to international and regional peace and security.\u00a0 The continued breaches of international humanitarian law and systemic human rights violations had led to a rise of a culture of impunity in the Occupied Palestinian territories, he highlighted, stressing that the occupying Power continued to inflict violence on the Palestinian people.\u00a0 The illegal settlements and the construction of the wall around Jerusalem were being deliberately pursued to fundamentally change the demographic of the territories, he said, adding that international protection was needed for those Palestinians who continued to face collective punishment.<\/p>\n

NABEEL MUNIR (Pakistan<\/u>) said the dark shadows of Israeli occupation of Palestine had only lengthened in time, and Israel continued to defy logic, morality, international law and global public opinion with impunity.\u00a0 He echoed the call by the Committee that the path to a negotiated peaceful settlement of the Palestinian issue was predicated on an end to illegal Israeli occupation, the realization of the rights of the Palestinian people and the achievement of the two\u2011State solution.\u00a0 The role of the Security Council remained crucial, he said, adding that only through a full implementation of its resolutions on Palestine, can the Council strengthen its own credibility and further the ideal of global peace and security.\u00a0 The political reconciliation forged between Fatah and Hamas in Cairo last month offered fresh reason for hope and optimism.\u00a0 It not only restored political unity within the Palestinian ranks, but also provided renewed strength and vigour to the legitimate cause of the Palestinian people.<\/p>\n

AMEIRAH OBAID MOHAMED OBAID ALHEFEITI (United Arab Emirates<\/u>) said that her country had and would always fully support the Palestinian people and would continue to promote their right to establish a Palestinian State on their land based on the borders of 4\u00a0June\u00a01967, with Jerusalem as the capital.\u00a0 She denounced the continued and unjust Israeli occupation of Palestinian and Arab territories and condemned Israel\u2019s violations of international law as well as relevant Security Council resolutions.\u00a0 Such illegal practices posed a major obstacle to all international efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace and they undermined the two\u2011State solution.\u00a0 To address the suffering of the Palestinian people, the international community should provide assistance in education, health, food and infrastructure.\u00a0 She reaffirmed the United Arab Emirates\u2019 support for the recent reconciliation agreement in Cairo and asked for reinforced regional and international efforts to ensure that Israel complied with its legal and international obligations.<\/p>\n

JAMAL FARES ALROWAIEI (Bahrain<\/u>), underscoring his country\u2019s support for the Palestinian people and for all efforts to achieve the two\u2011State solution leading to peace and prosperity in the Middle East, said Israel\u2019s continued settlement activities and human rights violations constituted flagrant violations of that country\u2019s international commitments.\u00a0 Such actions would only lead to more tension and violence, threatening international peace and security, he warned.\u00a0 Expressing support for the two\u2011State solution, as pursued through the Arab Peace Initiative and similar plans, he went on to condemn the more than 10\u2011year\u2011old blockade of Gaza as well as Israel\u2019s settlement expansion, its desecration of the holy Al\u2011Aqsa Mosque and other racist, discriminatory schemes aimed at obliterating Jerusalem\u2019s Islamic character.\u00a0 \u201cThis is the day\u2011to\u2011day reality of the Palestinian people for decades,\u201d he stressed, voicing support for the Â鶹APP Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)\u2019s recent decision to place the city of Hebron on its list of heritage sites and calling on the international community to shoulder its responsibility to help the Palestinian people return to their homeland.<\/p>\n

SIMA SAMI BAHOUS (Jordan<\/u>), emphasizing that the two\u2011State solution as pursued through the Arab Peace Initiative was the only solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, recalled that Arab countries had reiterated their commitment to that plan at a high-level summit in October.\u00a0 Indeed, Arab States had always stressed the need for Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian land, cease its settlement activities and reverse its discriminatory policies against Palestinians.\u00a0 However, the most important need was for Israel to respect international law.\u00a0 The question of Palestine, therefore, was not just critical for the Palestinian people, \u201cbut to us all\u201d.\u00a0 Outlining Jordan\u2019s consistent efforts to meet the legitimate needs and aspirations of the Palestinians \u2014 and its support for the resumption of serious peace negotiations \u2014 she warned that failure to reach a just solution would have regional and international consequences, leading to further extremism.\u00a0 Welcoming efforts aimed at fostering dialogue, including those proposed by the United States and Egypt, she called on all Member States to provide funding to the Â鶹APP Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) before the end of 2017, as supporting such critical humanitarian activities was a responsibility for all people.<\/p>\n

RAFAEL DAR\u00cdO RAM\u00cdREZ CARRE\u00d1O (Venezuela<\/u>) said that Israel continued to receive support and protection from hegemonic powers aimed at preventing the creation of a State of Palestine by any means, while carrying on one of the longest military occupations of all time.\u00a0 Some 50\u00a0years since the occupation of Palestinian territory began and 10\u00a0years since the start of the brutal blockade against Gaza, the human rights situation of the people in Palestine continued to worsen due to the actions of the occupying Power, which had inflicted pain, misery and tragedy on generations of people.\u00a0 Without doubt, the occupying Power intended to continue its practices with impunity.\u00a0 Illegal settlement activity continued, despite a Security Council resolution that had called for an end to such activities.\u00a0 Resolution\u00a02334\u00a0(2016) was a milestone decision, he said, but until it was accompanied by concrete actions leading to the occupying Power complying with its provisions, its impact would be lessened and it would simply be one more document that was being ignored.\u00a0 The Security Council must live up to its responsibility to find a solution to the Palestinian question.\u00a0 Flagrant human rights violations and crimes against Palestinian men and women continued, even though they had done nothing more than affirm their right to their lands.\u00a0 The international community could not continue to be a passive witness to the situation in Palestine, he emphasized.<\/p>\n

TANMAYA LAL (India<\/u>) said his country was working with Palestine on several development projects, including the Palestine\u2011India Techno Park, Palestine Institute of Diplomacy in Ramallah and India\u2011Palestine Centre of Excellence in Information and Communications Technology in Gaza.\u00a0 Those multimillion dollar projects would contribute to long-term development capacity-building.\u00a0 India was also collaborating with fellow developing countries Brazil and South Africa to support projects in Palestine through the India, Brazil and South Africa Fund.\u00a0 The Fund, implemented in association with the Â鶹APP Office for South\u2011South Cooperation in New York, was a unique form of solidarity and cooperation.\u00a0 Of five\u00a0projects now completed, three were slated for inauguration next month.\u00a0 Two of them \u2014 Al Quds Hospital and Atta Habib Medical Centre \u2014 were located in Gaza.<\/p>\n

FERIDUN H. SINIRLIO\u011eLU (Turkey<\/u>), voicing support for a negotiated settlement that would lead to the establishment of an independent State of Palestine within the 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital, emphasized that only such a solution would provide a just, comprehensive and lasting peace while also achieving the Palestinians\u2019 inalienable rights and ensuring security for both sides.\u00a0 Israel\u2019s practices in contravention of international law, particularly its systematic expansion of settlements, eroded the viability of the two\u2011State solution; that country\u2019s provocative actions targeting the status and sanctity of Al-Haram al-Sharif were not helpful for the possibility of a peaceful coexistence.\u00a0 \u201cAll of these combined breed desperation, alienate and radicalize people, and fuel extremism in the region,\u201d he stressed.\u00a0 Welcoming developments towards reconciliation and unity among the Palestinians, he said Palestine was \u201cdoing its part\u201d and Israel must now do the same.\u00a0 The international community should ensure the recognition of the State of Palestine by more countries and provide political and financial assistance to UNRWA.<\/p>\n

AMR ABDELLATIF ABOULATTA (Egypt<\/u>) highlighted that his country had recently managed to bring the Palestinian leadership together in signing the reconciliation agreement, which sought to end existing political divisions.\u00a0 He called on the international community to take advantage of the historic opportunity that had been presented through the signing of that agreement and help bring about a two\u2011State solution.\u00a0 Both the Israelis and Palestinians would continue to have a claim to the Holy Lands, he said, emphasizing the importance of finding a rational solution.\u00a0 Settlement of the dispute was not impossible, he said, and in that connection, the Â鶹APP had a crucial role to play.\u00a0 The existing Â鶹APP resolutions created an important context and framework which could finally allow for a just settlement of the dispute, through direct negotiations by both parties.<\/p>\n

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

SEVENTY-SECOND SESSION,\u00a059TH MEETING (PM) GA\/11981 29 NOVEMBER 2017 fran\u00e7ais Noting that today marked 70\u00a0years since the adoption of a Â鶹APP resolution to partition Palestine, speakers stressed the need to capture momentum, redouble efforts and through dialogue and diplomacy achieve a two\u2011State solution, as the General Assembly began its annual debate on the Palestinian question. […]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":172,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"country":[],"document-category":[2433,1329],"document-source":[1753,1365],"committee-meeting":[],"document-subject":[1797,2473,2741],"entity":[1729],"document-language":[6542,6541],"class_list":["post-124389","document","type-document","status-publish","hentry","document-category-french-text","document-category-press-release","document-source-ceirpp","document-source-general-assembly","document-subject-peace-process","document-subject-solidarity-day","document-subject-statehood-related","entity-united-nations-system","document-language-english","document-language-french"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/124389","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\/172"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/124389\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=124389"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=124389"},{"taxonomy":"document-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-category?post=124389"},{"taxonomy":"document-source","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-source?post=124389"},{"taxonomy":"committee-meeting","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/committee-meeting?post=124389"},{"taxonomy":"document-subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-subject?post=124389"},{"taxonomy":"entity","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/entity?post=124389"},{"taxonomy":"document-language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-language?post=124389"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}