YouSaid · the spoken record

David Levy

lines on the record: 67
first: 1996-09-24
most recent: 1999-09-24
sittings or episodes: 3
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“It is so upsetting then that even today, 51 years since the independence of the State of Israel, there are still those who would deny our natural right to decide the location of our capital, a natural right given to every nation in the world. From Jerusalem, the city of David, I will quote from the original song of David on Jerusalem, 16 in words which transcends the limits of time and retains their meaning in every generation: “Our feet shall stand within thy gates, oh Jerusalem. Jerusalem is built as a city that is bound firmly together.” (The Holy Bible, Psalm 122:2-3) Today, as before, from this podium we declare to the entire world, to our friends and people and those who are distant from us: Jerusalem, unified under Israeli sovereignty, is and will remain forever the capital of Israel.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“In our wanderings, in the East and in the West, in the African deserts and on the outskirts of Siberia, from the golden age of Spain through the dark Inquisition, during the prosperous Europe of the romantic era to the charred ashes of the Holocaust, throughout all the above the eyes of the Jews and their prayers have been directed toward Jerusalem. Year after year, from father to son, the anthem of the Jewish nation has constantly been “Next Year in Jerusalem”. With the passing of those previous generations and exiles, we have had the privilege of being deemed worthy to return to Jerusalem, to rebuild the ruins, to rededicate the city as a centre radiating with beauty, open to all followers of all religions, as the poet has said, where freedom of all religions is a fact of life.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The case at hand is the threat to declare a boycott against the American company Disney, because the company dared to allow Jerusalem to be portrayed in an exhibition celebrating the millennium. We condemn these threats and the use by certain Arab States of this anachronistic device. It has no place here or anywhere else in the world. Over thousands of years, since the time of biblical King David, the builder of Jerusalem, until the present day, Jerusalem has not served as the capital of any other nation in the world besides the nation of Israel, the Jewish people. Even after our forced exile from the land of Israel, we continued, generation after generation, to stay faithful to Jerusalem. The flame of Jerusalem was carried in our hearts as a hidden source of faith and hope.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Because of the reputation it has acquired, the Division for International Cooperation is also one of the central addresses in Israel to which people can turn in times of disaster around the world. We have recently witnessed just how essential such assistance can be in times of natural disasters. Israel has always responded favourably to requests for aid and relief, regardless of the political context or the state of diplomatic relations. We wish to support and commend the United States of America, our friend and ally, an inspiration to us all in its efforts to promote the values of cooperation among nations. This is also the time to express our appreciation to the United States for its intensive efforts to bring true peace to the Middle East. Even today in the United States we have witnessed again a new resort to the threat of boycott.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“In 1998 alone, some 155 courses were held in Israel on a variety of topics, with the participation of more than 4,000 trainees. Gladly, I can report that many of the trainees were from Middle Eastern countries. Fully 820 Palestinians participated in these courses over the past year, thereby helping to strengthen the bridges of peace which have been built between Israelis and Palestinians. In the same year, Israel ran more than 150 courses in over 60 different countries, with the participation of over 7,000 trainees. I am proud to point out that in many of the countries to which we sent Israeli experts, the local personnel managed to translate our goodwill into positive results on the ground, to the benefit of their people and their land.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We have demonstration units and we are conducting research. For example, a special medical centre was recently established in Mauritania and serves the many citizens of that State who suffer from chronic eye problems. Similarly, Israel invests great efforts and resources in training professionals to acquire the skills and abilities necessary for meeting the various challenges that engage many parts of the world. In the more than 40 years since its inception, the Division for International Cooperation has trained more than 70,000 trainees from more than 120 countries, who have come to Israel and attended its training courses in the areas of agriculture, water resources, health and medicine, science, education and others.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“It was also here that we laid the groundwork for establishing ties with the former Soviet Union, as well as with India, Nigeria and other States. These are only a few examples 15 demonstrating the possibility in this arena for building a bridge between nations and States. As a nation that experienced great difficulties, overcome only by accelerated development efforts, the State of Israel takes part in the international effort to aid others and share knowledge, experience and technology, experience which it has accumulated in various fields. The nation of Israel is proud of its ancient tradition of sharing and identifying with the world at large. Through the Division for International Cooperation within the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Israel maintains ongoing projects and a broad range of training courses in Israel.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“A synthesized, coordinated and unrelenting approach must be adopted against it. Here, in this building of stone and glass, reflecting the current image of our world today with its points of light and shadows of darkness, counterparts and enemies meet as friends and allies in the creation of a forum for discussion and coexistence. Discussion is the way to resolve conflict. It is also the way of tomorrow. Dialogue and common language are the tools of diplomacy, the raw material for the creation of a new reality and the foundation for a stable and safer society. It was here in the General Assembly, at the beginning of the decade, that I first met with my Chinese counterpart. After 40 years of total dissociation between our two countries, we endeavoured to re-establish diplomatic relations between Israel and China.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“That is the obligation of the international community so long as the Iraqi regime seeks non-conventional weapons and threatens the region. The United Nations is the largest, most authoritative and most recognized international body. It should therefore be the one to take the initiative and the responsibility in curbing this danger. Terrorism is an additional strategic enemy and we cannot come to terms with its existence. It is a threat not only to Israel, but to many other nations across the world as well. Terror knows no borders or civilized rules. There can be no coexistence with terror, either in the context of the negotiations conducted by Israel with its neighbours, or in the broader regional context. Anyone who believes that terror is a nuisance which can be tolerated is mistaken. Terror is in essence a strategic threat.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The mix of extreme fundamentalism, on the one hand, and of the potential use of weapons of mass destruction, on the other, threatens the peace, stability and future of the entire region. This threat is not just an element of academic debates in the study of international relations, but a harsh reality which we must all face. From this international platform, I call for a halt to all technological, scientific and other kinds of assistance to countries looking to obtain unconventional weapons, while threatening the existence of the State of Israel and the region as a whole. The Persian Gulf War demonstrated that leadership lacking reason and stability poses a threat to all the countries in the region and to the world at large. The monitoring groups and machinery in Iraq must be immediately resumed.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We intend to strengthen and broaden the relations between the two nations in the economic, social and political realms. As we march further along the difficult path of making peace, we look back with sorrow and sadness as we remember the pioneers who broke new ground and are no longer with us today: the late Menachem Begin, Anwar Saddat, Yitzhak Rabin, King Hussein and King Hassan II of Morocco. Their vision and their work inspire us to continue to work towards completing their enterprise of peacemaking. We cannot afford to be disillusioned. Our region is neither North America nor Benelux. Even as we negotiate the peace process, we remain aware of the threats and dangers directed against us, threatening the stability of the entire region.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Throughout this important process, on the bilateral and the multilateral tracks alike, we are accompanied by the international community. First and foremost was the United States of America, along with the Russian Federation, the European Union, Canada, Norway, Japan, China and other countries and organizations that have assisted and continue to do so. Their key contributions earn them special commendation from this rostrum. Egypt and Jordan were our first partners in breaking down the walls of enmity and in thawing relations in our region. Improving our relations with Egypt, as well as renewing the multilateral tracks, are essential to furthering the common objectives of the nations in our region. T h e relations between Israel and Jordan are an example of appropriate and favourable relations between neighbouring countries.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“This cooperation would clearly be to the benefit of all of us in the region. The scarcity of water in our region, which will only get worse, may impose a new way of life on the inhabitants of the Middle East in the coming years. Israel is anticipating this problem and preparing for it, but in this case, as in others, cooperation in the region is essential and will benefit all sides. The working groups of the multilateral tracks undertook various assignments of primary importance. Unfortunately, their activities have been frozen for irrelevant reasons. This is the time to resurrect them. Any delay or imposed condition is liable to undermine the peace process and delay the aid packages so essential to the peoples of the region.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We will make our own independent decisions, as we see fit, in order to ensure our protection and our vital interests, taking all options under consideration. A reconciliation between Israel and its neighbours must extend the promise that all the peoples of the region may reap the benefits of peace. Normalization must not be viewed as a one-sided gesture. As a natural outcome of peaceful coexistence, normalization is not in the service of one particular party. It is in the interests of all the nations of the region. We hope to renew the multilateral tracks as early as this year. There is a need for close cooperation in regional multilateral projects. Our region has tremendous potential. In order to fully realize this potential, we must establish a mechanism of true cooperation among the 14 States of the region.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The anomaly which has developed in its territory must come to an end. We have never had nor do we have now any territorial claims or disputes with Lebanon. Our one and only interest is to guarantee the safety and security of our citizens. I must say that, regrettably, the Government of Lebanon has for many years failed to enforce its sovereignty in the southern part of Lebanon and to disarm Hezbollah. I hope that this situation will improve and that Israel, within the framework of an agreement, will be able to leave the southern part of Lebanon. Nevertheless, with that as our ambition, I wish to emphasize that we will not be held hostage much longer on this track to a stubborn and defiant attitude.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“H o w e v e r , along with these common interests, the following point must be made clear: A democratic country like Israel cannot accept a precondition to beginning the talks that requires a prior acceptance of the final outcome as dictated by the extreme and dogged formulas of the opposing side. We must maintain the momentum of good will so that we can face our children, Syrian and Israeli alike, with a clear conscience and say to them in all honesty: We tried everything and did our utmost. I call upon the leaders of Syria, in view of what we have gone through together, to cease hesitating. It is time to talk. Meetings and discussion are not political sacrifices — they are basic necessities. On the road to a comprehensive peace, we wish to see Lebanon join the camp of peacemakers.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Regarding the final status, I wish to affirm from this podium that when we refer to political separation as one of the prime concepts of the permanent settlement, we are also saying that, for the benefit of both sides, we should not necessarily sever ties that are vital to coexistence in the various spheres of living. From Israel’s perspective, there is no competition and never has been any between the different negotiating tracks. Israel also aspires to reach peace with Syria, our neighbour to the north. This is, after all, in the higher common interests of both Israel and Syria.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Three weeks ago, on 4 September, Israel and the Palestinian Authority signed the Sharm el-Sheikh Memorandum, which for the first time creates a direct, chronological, political and conceptual link between the Interim Agreements and the final status agreement. On 13 September, the final status talks were renewed between Israelis and Palestinians. We are determined to reach a framework agreement that will form the basis of the final status agreement by February 2000, as stated and agreed upon in the Sharm el-Sheikh Memorandum. In this framework we will select the issues and set an agenda for the final status agreement. The topics at hand are known, as are the differing vantage points and positions of each side. The differences can be resolved only by direct negotiations.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Engaging in a peace process, on the one hand, and maintaining anti-Israel declarations and resolutions, on the other, raises some serious concerns about our negotiating partners and their concept of peace. Is it a peace of normalization with open borders, or is it only one of temporary initial recognition? Will our relations with the Gulf and Maghreb countries, such as Morocco, Tunisia, Mauritania, Qatar and Oman, be allowed to expand and develop? Or will these relations remain hostage to mood swings after each and every difficulty in the negotiations or whenever there is disagreement? Continued doubts about these cardinal questions cannot be tolerated in the light of the heavy price and grave risks that Israel is taking upon itself in this process.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Parallel to the political process, our negotiating partners are conducting a constant political war against Israel in various international forums, including from the podium of this Assembly. This dualism is inconsistent 13 with the peace process and is intolerable, as are the extreme decisions taken by the Arab League against Israel. These decisions are not in keeping with the spirit of peace, as expressed in the Sharm el-Sheikh Memorandum. We hoped for and expected a different atmosphere, one that would complement the impetus initiated by the new Government in Israel. We have been saddened to witness events that undermine the essence of peace. These events can be defined only as anti-peace resolutions.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“May I be allowed to emphasize once again that peace means a culture of peace; peace means no more threats of violence, whether implied or categorical; peace entails the end of boycotts, the end of contempt and defamation, the end of incitement and confrontation... peace is also a language of peace: it is the way leaders address their nations, teachers teach their students and religious leaders inspire their followers. At a time when various kinds of religious extremism are rearing their heads and eroding human wisdom and human freedom, it is essential that inter-faith dialogue be strengthened and that the religions be manifested in their enlightened forms, which sanctify tolerance and coexistence. On the way to achieving peace in our region, we often find ourselves confronted with contradictory realities.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The political and ideological blocs of the past have disintegrated, and the walls of animosity have fallen along with the tyrants and dictators who built them. They are being replaced by new blocs, some of which are in the process of being created where development and prosperity reign. I hope and believe that these beneficial transformations will also occur in the Middle East. In our region, too, the light of hope has been rekindled. We are now in the midst of a political process, the objective of which is to reach peace between States and reconciliation between peoples. Israel aspires to reach a comprehensive peace with its neighbours, a peace of harmony. Israel will not be satisfied with a merely political or strategic peace. In our eyes, the absence of war is not the peace we aspire to achieve.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Mankind is adopting a new path, the path of the prophet Isaiah, who as far back as 2,600 years ago prophesied that the day would come when “they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” (The Holy Bible, Isaiah 2:4) This prophecy — which has been adopted by the United Nations as a source of hope, as the symbol of the victory of the good in human beings over evil — should serve today more than ever as a beacon and a path for all who cherish peace around the world and for their representatives gathered here today. The world has become more open. Satellites, the Internet and telecommunications networks shorten geographical and cultural distances.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“These distinctions, important as they may be to the policy makers and shapers of international relations, have no meaning to the individual United Nations soldier, posted far from his country, who brings hope and tranquillity to places fraught with tragedy, suffering and violence. After many centuries of violence and war, of enslavement and destructiveness in the name of murderous ideologies, after decades of cold war and polarized world alliances of the East and the West, the human race is now making great strides down the paths of peace and reconciliation. Before our very eyes, a process is enveloping the world, signalling hope for the future.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The various agencies of the United Nations work to enhance world health and tend the sick; to supply the needy with food and nourishment; to build bridges between cultures; to promote education and overcome ignorance; to instil hope into the lives of refugees and displaced persons; and to assist the victims of disasters, whether natural or man-made. The soldiers of the United Nations forces are the true peacekeepers of our age. In its corps are soldiers from all the nations of the world. At times they risk their lives in areas riddled with conflict and violence around the world, whether their United Nations mandate is to make peace or to be observers that safeguard the peace.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The stand taken by the Allied forces against the Nazi monster, and the creation of the United Nations in April 1945, on the verge of the defeat of the forces of destruction, was an act that marked the return of humanity to its senses, to salvage the future of mankind. In this month when we mark 60 years since the outbreak of the most horrible of wars, we are strengthened more than ever in our sense of hope and confidence in the necessity of the United Nations and of its activities throughout the world.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The fifty-fourth session of the General Assembly of the United Nations takes place at a time marking humanity's crossing into the next millennium. It emerges as a link in the long chain of tumultuous events that have reshaped the map of the family of nations. 12 The United Nations was born against the backdrop of the destruction and desolation of the Second World War, the most bitter, deadly and inhumane war known to mankind. The descent of the Nazi regime to the depths of evil was like an eclipse in the history of civilization and will be recalled in history as a nightmare in which man created the devil, who wreaked devastation, destruction, terror and annihilation upon the world.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Fifty years on, the State of Israel is an irremovable reality. This week, we mark the beginning of the Jewish new year. At this holy time, every Jew turns his eye towards the heavens with a prayer in his heart for the peace of the world, the end of misery and a new dawn of hope for all. On this day of remembrance, the blow of the shofar is accompanied by the prayer: “may the year and its troubles pass and a new year and its blessings begin”.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“This year, the Jewish people in Israel and around the world marks the jubilee of its national revival. Fifty years ago, the Jewish people restored its national sovereignty in its ancient homeland. Throughout the dark days of our 2,000-year dispersion, we dreamt of the day that we would renew our national life in the land of our forefathers, the land of Israel. It is the privilege of our generation to fulfil this aspiration. The Jewish people has returned and built up its land. The Jewish people is once again gathering in its ancient home and has succeeded in building a vibrant and democratic society, a flourishing economy, science, research and industry. For the past 50 years, we have laboured to ensure Israel's security and independence, while always seeking peace and good-neighbourly relations in our region.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Israel attaches great importance to its international cooperation programme and to assisting various peoples to address the challenges of development and the hazards of nature, hunger and disease. Over more than three decades, tens of thousands of trainees have participated in courses in Israel and in their own countries within the framework of Israel's cooperation and assistance programme in the fields of education, health, agriculture, industry, social affairs and leadership. We are especially proud of the participation in recent years of trainees from Arab countries, amongst them Palestinians. These trainees are emissaries of goodwill, ambassadors of peace, who bear with them the message and the great hope of human well-being. As in the words of the prophet: “Each shall help his neighbour and make him strong”.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Much to our chagrin, in the last year we have seen an intensification of the political campaign waged against Israel at the United Nations. This campaign only impedes the peace process and further undermines confidence between the parties. We call upon the Member States to refrain from lending their support to such resolutions. The time has come for this Assembly to reduce the number of resolutions on the Middle East that it adopts each year and to contribute positively to creating an atmosphere conducive to direct negotiations between the parties. As part of Israel's international and regional commitment and of its credo as a State, we are engaged in cooperative programmes with many countries, with which we share the experience and knowledge we have acquired in various fields.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Israel is an active and responsible member of the family of nations represented in this body. However, 50 years after the United Nations adopted, on 29 November 1947, the resolution calling for the establishment of the State of Israel, we are still denied our equal rights in this Organization. We attach great importance to the fundamental reform of the United Nations work. We also share the opinion of other United Nations Member countries that believe that the Organization urgently requires greater efficiency and a redirecting of its valuable but limited resources towards its truly important tasks. At the same time, we are convinced that no reform can be completed so long as the question of Israel's membership of a regional group remains unresolved. We call upon this Organization to correct this anomaly.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Israel reiterates its call to the members of the international family of nations — and at their head the United States, Russia and the members of the European Union and of the Commonwealth of Independent States — to exercise the full weight of their influence and to take concrete steps to prevent this development, which represents a threat to the existence of the State of Israel. After the establishment, as we hope, of peace treaties between Israel and every country of the region, it will be possible to create a regional security system that would provide multilateral and shared solutions to the range of security problems in the Middle East, including a mutually and effectively verifiable Middle East free of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. These are our goals and we must act to achieve them.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Today, we face new and even more extreme dangers, but the lessons of recent experience have not been learned and many countries turn a blind eye to the threat. The leadership of Iran continues to speak in terms that threaten the State of Israel and call for its destruction. Yet the international community continues to remain deaf and refuses to speak out against Iran's policies, declarations and actions. Iran's efforts, like those of Iraq, to acquire operational weapons of mass destruction of all kinds represent the greatest threat to security and stability in the Middle East and beyond. The ramifications of Iran's weapons programme extend far beyond the geographical confines of our region. They threaten the security of other 27 members of the international community and their interests.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The question mark hanging over the regional economic conference scheduled to take place later this year in Doha, Qatar, is further evidence of this negative drive. The countries of the Middle East that are party to the peace effort have a common interest in regional stability and the advancement of prosperity and well- being for all the nations of the region. We face together the growing shortage of water and the ever-expanding desert. We are also facing dangers from within our region that threaten to undermine the stability of the regimes of various nations and to plunge the entire region into violence, war and bloodshed. It was only a few years ago that the entire world was forced into forming a coalition to combat an aggressive dictator who sought to conquer a neighbouring country and to terrorize our entire region.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The attempts to prevent normalization with Israel, to freeze the level of existing relations with it, to close liaison and interests offices between Israel and Arab neighbours and to reactivate the Arab boycott add up, in practice, to a boycott of peace itself. This is a destructive policy which is reversing the process. The ongoing and intentional freeze of the multilateral talks also has a deleterious effect on the entrenchment of peace. The multilateral talks were meant and should serve as a platform and incentive for building peace. We must promote the bilateral and multilateral channels alike and not make one conditional upon the other, nor create further obstacles and barriers on the road to peace.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We wish to see a sovereign, free and independent Lebanon acting determinedly against the terrorist organizations that operate from its territory. If we are to reach peace, we cannot make do only with agreements and contracts. The reality of peace means normalization, open borders, freedom of movement, commerce and cooperation for the benefit of the entire region. These are the soul and essence of peace. Normalization is not a prize or a gift for Israel alone. The decisions of the Foreign Ministers of the Arab League at their recent meeting in Cairo, just over one week ago, stand in direct contradiction to the aspirations for peace and undermine its foundations.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“It is imperative to reach understandings and agreement that will enable us to renew negotiations and to resolve all the matters at issue between us. We expect to find in Syria and its leadership a partner in the search for a just peace. If Syria has indeed made a strategic choice in favour of peace — the “peace of the brave”, as claimed by its leadership — then we must explore together every possible avenue, at any place and at any time, for renewing the talks between us. Israel cannot accept the continued violence and terror on its northern border. The terrorist activities of organizations such as Hezbollah and the fear of Katyusha rockets and attacks upon our cities and towns bear the threat of ongoing regional tension and continued bloodshed. There is no territorial dispute between Israel and Lebanon.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The international community can play an important role in facilitating the dialogue between the sides, which will make it possible for us to resolve our differences through direct negotiations. It is only through direct negotiations that we can bring this process to a successful conclusion. One-sided international declarations, dictates or pressures will not help. Attempts to internationalize the dispute and to transfer the arena of negotiations to the United Nations and other international forums only serve to create unnecessary obstacles and to make already entrenched positions more rigid. The comprehensive peace we yearn for will not be achieved until we reach peace agreements with Syria and Lebanon.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Israel values and appreciates the action of the United States Secretary of State and her commitment and efforts to extricate the peace process from its current impasse, to bring the parties closer together and to ensure the success of the negotiations. We are fully committed to these efforts. 26 Israel reaffirms its proposal to conduct accelerated negotiations, according to an agreed timetable, on permanent status. We propose conducting negotiations in which the sides will agree upon the desired outcomes and the way towards achieving them. This proposal is intended to hasten the attainment of a peaceful settlement, not to delay it. This is also our call and our proposal to the Palestinian Authority.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We believe that the adoption of the above principles will allow us to overcome the present crisis and help in preventing future ones as the negotiations proceed. These rules of the game will also contribute to renewed trust between the leaders and greater confidence between the peoples. In the wake of the visit to the Middle East of the United States Secretary of State, renewed agreement has been reached to continue the efforts at restoring the peace process to its proper track. We have been conducting intensive talks in recent days, with the assistance of the United States, both in Washington and here, with a view to resuming the negotiations and advancing our efforts to reach a permanent settlement with the Palestinians.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“This code should include, first, the rejection of violence as a means for achieving political goals; secondly, preservation of the framework of direct negotiations and agreement to refrain from attempts to transfer disputes and negotiations onto the international stage; thirdly, the institutionalization of permanent channels of communication, including in times of crisis; fourthly, a cessation of incitement and the call to violence and jihad, and their replacement with the language of reconciliation and mutual respect; and, fifthly, the advancement and encouragement of normalization and support for regional activities. The purpose of this code of conduct is to facilitate uninterrupted negotiations and crisis management, and to create an atmosphere of dialogue. This code must respond to the sensitivities and needs of both sides.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Israel stands firmly upon its call to the Palestinian Authority to fulfil its promise to fight relentlessly against terror. The Authority must act jointly and in full cooperation with us against terrorism and violence. We seek neither to dictate nor to coerce. We seek merely the implementation of signed agreements. The fight against terror, in our humble opinion, is also in the Palestinian interest. In response to the repeated crises in the process caused by the failure of the Palestinian Authority to live up to its commitments, Israel proposes a binding code of conduct for relations between us.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“I quote President Clinton when he spoke from this very rostrum: “terrorism is always a crime and never a justifiable political act.” [See Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-second Session, Plenary Meetings, 5th meeting] Thus, the international community bears the responsibility for ensuring that terrorism enjoys no political support, recognition or legitimacy, not even implicitly. In the 1993 Oslo accords, the Palestinian Authority and Arafat, its leader, undertook in the name of the Palestinian people to fight terrorism. They reaffirmed this commitment again in the 1995 Interim Agreement, again one year ago at the Washington summit and again in the Hebron agreement. Much to our consternation, it has been proved that this commitment has not been upheld as required, thus causing the present crisis of confidence.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Those who resort to terror are seeking not only to kill Israelis but also to hurt their own brethren. Terror cannot be accepted as a legitimate tool for resolving differences. It must be rejected, absolutely and unequivocally, and it must be fought unrelentingly. We will not agree to live under its constant threat. The words of the President of the United States and of the Foreign Minister of Russia at this Assembly just a few days ago are important and should guide us all in this matter.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“These principles apply throughout the world and must apply also in the Middle East. The existence of two parallel tracks, one on which negotiations are pursued while a second track of violence, terror and bloodshed continues unimpeded, is totally unacceptable. This is a direct challenge and affront to the very concept of peace. Terror does not suddenly erupt from nowhere. It is not a spontaneous phenomenon. Too often we have seen terrorist leaders and their organizations adopt the facade of innocent and peaceful organizations, charitable and welfare organizations, while under this cover they contribute to the preparation and perpetration of vicious terrorist attacks. Terror can be likened to a volcano ready to erupt at any moment, whose boiling lava threatens to destroy all who lie in its path.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“As I stated in my remarks at the fifty-first session of this Assembly, all Israel is united in its deep desire for peace and for a life of calm and security. In Israel, both right and left are united in this quest. If trust can be restored, if the principle of reciprocity is honoured, it will be possible for us to proceed. We have already proved our willingness to do so, through our decisions and actions since taking office and in the signing and implementation of the Hebron agreement in all its aspects. Peace cannot live side by side with continued incitement, hostility, violence and terror. Peace means, in essence, the unequivocal and irreversible abandonment of 25 violence. Dialogue, negotiation, compromise and the honouring of agreements — those are the path to peace.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Our deep-rooted aspiration for peace, security and tranquillity has been stained by the shedding of innocent blood, by the murder of men, women and children cut down by barbaric terrorist attacks. Yet despite our deep sorrow and mourning over the loss of those innocent lives, the hope for peace has not been extinguished in the hearts of the citizens of Israel. The citizens of Israel have taken upon themselves great risks for peace, but there is none among them who is willing to continue to pay the bloody price that is being demanded in the name of peace. We must break this tragic and violent cycle. It is only through joint action in confronting the terror that trust will be re-established and the doubts regarding intentions be removed.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Nevertheless, the road to full peace is still long, and negotiations with the Palestinians and with Syria and Lebanon still lie ahead of us. Immediately after the last elections, the Government of Israel accepted the need to continue to advance the Oslo accords and has acted to implement them. In the past year we have spared no effort to implement those accords, but, unfortunately, the trust that is the lifeblood of the entire process has been undermined as a result of the failure of the Palestinians to carry out their commitments according to the agreements they have signed. In the past year, while pursuing these efforts, we have endured many tests and have suffered ongoing terrorist attacks and bloodshed.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Those leaders, with their historic decision and their courageous leadership, pioneered the way towards the first peace treaty between Israel and an Arab neighbour, Egypt. Throughout their entire history, the people of Israel have aspired to live in peace. Together with our constant call for peace with our neighbours, we have not spared any effort to seek, whether through direct or indirect contacts, a partner in this effort. Today, too, we continue to seek channels for dialogue and to build bridges to peace. In recent years, since 1991, after the principles for negotiating peace in the Middle East were laid down at Madrid, we have achieved a number of important advances with the establishment of full peace between Israel and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the signing of interim accords with the Palestinians.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)