YouSaid · the spoken record

Shamir

THE RECORD WRITES THIS SPEAKER AS SHAMIR

lines on the record: 166
first: 1980-09-24
most recent: 1986-09-24
sittings or episodes: 6
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

“There developed a threat to Israel, as well as to the welfare and independence of Lebanon, a base for international terror and a large heavily armed force which was being put into action in constantly escalating attacks on the villages and towns of northern Israel. 80. Benefiting from the respectability and prestige bestowed by United Nations resolutions, the PLO entrenched itself in Lebanon and set up a pirate State within a State, forcing a regime of terror on the Palestinians and Lebanese. The PLO's terrorist bases, designed for attacks on Israel and to serve international terror, operated and grew unhindered within camps marked by UNRWA signs and enjoying welfare payments contributed for humanitarian purposes.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“That Agency was charged with the rehabilitation of refugees but became a tool to preserve the refugee camps, in which idle people were subjected to incitement and coercion in the service of terrorist organizations. 78. The specialized agencies, such as WHO, ILO and so on have also been exploited for the purpose of propaganda warfare against Israel, overstepping their areas of responsibility and competence. Last week at the General Conference of IAEA great damage was done to the integrity of that Agency and the whole United Nations system when the credentials of the delegation of Israel were rejected in a blatant exercise of political abuse and discrimination. 79. The accumulated effect of these distortions and shortcomings could be clearly seen in Lebanon.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“The consensus attained on this issue in the Assembly in 1980 was wrecked last year. We hope that it can be restored, and we stand by our statements made here in the past. None of the many differences between the States of the Middle East should be permitted to stand in the way of a nuclear-weapon-free zone. This we owe to our children and their common future. The Government of Israel stands ready to begin negotiations to this end with all Middle Eastern States at once, anywhere and without pre-conditions. 77. Double standards and distortion have spread from General Assembly and committee discussions to other United Nations bodies, including the Security Council, and from there to the directives given to the United Nations forces and instrumentalities in the Middle East. A notable case is the misuse of UNRWA.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“During these 30 years, have Arabs never practiced military attacks, terrorist actions, hijacking airplanes, taking hostages, not to speak of the placing of embargoes and blockades and any similar hostile act which international law would even define as a casus belli the Arab States and their terror organizations always appear to be innocent and injured; offended but never offending. 76. United Nations documentation is replete with anti-Israel resolutions, which have increased yearly in both number and length, overflowing with distorted suppositions, arbitrary statements and one-sided and destructive recommendations and decisions. Even the discussion of the establishment of a nuclear- weapon-free zone in the Middle East did not escape the bane of politicization and partisanship.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“The Assembly has even chosen to reject the Camp David accords and the Israel-Egyptian peace treaty and has ignored the completion earlier this year of Israel's withdrawal from Sinai. It has devoted much time to other, apparently more congenial, aspects of the Arab-Israeli conflict. 75. Among the thousands of resolutions adopted by the General Assembly and the Security Council or any other United Nations body during the past 30 years, one will find hardly a single decision or resolution that explicitly condemns by name any Arab State or organization for attacks on Israel or Israelis.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“At the same time, we shall warn against and oppose steps designed to exploit and abuse the Secretary-General thoughtful proposals as one more tool of political warfare. 73. The principles, upon which the United Nations was founded, as well as the Charter, should have moved the Organization and its Membersóas far back as 30 years agoóto take a stand against the denial on the part of the Arab world of the right of a Member State, Israel, to exist in security. When the United Nations ignored this inalienable obligation, it did so at its peril, undermining its own credibility and moral power. Since then, the United Nations has lacked the courage to rise and condemn any act of aggression, threat, violence, blackmail and terror, both direct and indirect, towards Israel by the Arab States and their accomplices. 74.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Can it be doubted that this is one of the causes for the failure of the United Nations system to contribute effectively towards halting the crises and deterioration in the world economy? 72. I feel that it is appropriate for me at this juncture to pay a tribute to the Secretary-General, who has provided us with much food for thought in his provocative and imaginative report on the work of the Organization. I represent a country which most certainly can be said to be reluctant to resort to the Security Council or to use the machinery of the United Nations . The Secretary-General has cogently set out the reasons. I can assure him that the Government of Israel will support constructive and effective measures advancing the prospect of a world in whichóto use his languageóthe small and weak have reliable defense and shelter.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“This is of course true, but it is equally true that a system which encourages contention rather than compromise, boycott rather than co-operation, confrontation rather than negotiation, hardly meets the needs of a world as diverse as ours in race, religion, culture and social and political practice. 71. Particularly and unnecessarily disruptive is the undue politicization of the United Nations specialized agencies. Instead of devoting themselves to the social, humanitarian, scientific and technical tasks which they were set up to perform and which most of them perform well when allowed to do so, these agencies are only too frequently subverted and misused for partisan interests.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Some Arab Governments could not resist the temptation to utilize the services of terrorist organizations to settle their scores with other Governments. A small defenseless State, Lebanon, with a weak Government, became an ideal battleground for this purpose. This was compounded by Syria's designs on Lebanon's independence and integrity. The resultant explosion had little or no connection with the Arab-Israeli conflict. The same applies to the Iraq-Iran conflict, the tension between Jordan and Syria and the endless disputes between Libya and the rest of the Arab world. 70. It is frequently claimed that the fault lies, not in the United Nations system, but in its Members, that the Organization merely reflects their failings.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Lebanon is beginning to emerge from a seven- year-old conflict in which the Lebanese were occupied and ravaged by their Syrian neighbors and their unwelcome guests, the terrorists of the PLO. 68. I do not mention these conflicts and the chronic instability which produces them in a spirit of criticism or denigration. They are part of the reality with which everyone concerned with durable peace and security in the Middle East has to contend. No magic formula can change this situation or solve the problems that created it. 69. Nevertheless, there are those who suggest, whether out of naivety, ignorance or ill intent, that a solution to the Arab-Israeli dispute would bring peace and stability throughout the Middle East region. The recent events in Lebanon alone demonstrate the fallacy of this suggestion.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“In most countries great poverty exists alongside the immense wealth of some of the oil- producing States. Some Governments are alarmed at the rise of fanatical fundamentalist movements. Most countries are governed by regimes that retain absolute power in their hands, and any expression of criticism or opposition is ruthlessly suppressed. Talk of Arab solidarity and unity often conceals or is refuted by a reality of constant strife, tension and friction between neighbouring States. 66. The Moody and senseless war between Iraq and Iran rages on. It has already exacted many thousands of casualties and consumed several scores of billions of dollars which could well have been utilized for development and social progress. 67.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“In both the Horn of Africa and Western Sahara conflicts persist, and the seeds of future violence and bloodshed are being sown with no success achieved through international efforts to defuse those potential volcanoes. 63. Kampuchea remains occupied by Vietnamese troops who have disregarded calls for a withdrawal by the United Nations, ASEAN and other bodies. 64. Only recently we witnessed the violent eruption of the old conflict over the Falkland Islands (Malvinas). Although the United Nations has been involved for years in the question of the sovereignty over those islands, it was unable to prevent war or to stop it. 65. In our region instability is endemic. It arises from a variety of causes, which must be recognized for what they are.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“With regard to others with which the United Nations did engage itself, its contribution has been far from encouraging. Thus, universal disappointment has been caused this year by the failure of the special session on disarmament and the stalemate in the North-South dialogue. 60. The world scene is constantly threatened by simmering conflicts, some of which remain dormant for the time being while others are on the verge of eruption, their solutions eluding international statesmanship. 61. In Afghanistan, the aggressive invasion, occupation and strife continue unabated. A permanent member of the Security Council continues to ignore numerous United Nations resolutions. 62.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“The annual general debates at the General Assembly provide an occasion for surveying the state of the world, the working of the international system during the preceding year and for a public airing of the hopes and concerns, the expectations and anxieties of our nations. Such a survey will show that the prospects for a better life and for peace for the peoples of the world have hardly been advanced this past year, while new difficulties have been added to the old unresolved problems. 59. Major international problems of an economic, social and military nature have also grown at a rapid rate, and the international system has not been able to cope with them. Many essential problems have not reached the United Nations agenda at all.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“May I join the representatives who have preceded me in this debate in offering to the President their congratulations on his unanimous election to the high office of President and to you, Sir, to that of Vice-President of the thirty-seventh session of the General Assembly. My delegation trusts that the President will guide this session with fairness and wisdom. I have noted with great interest the contents of his thoughtful statement at the opening of this session, and especially his cogent reference to: the inclusion in the agenda of items on so-called crisis situations that produced nothing but sterile debate and diverted attention from the real crises threatening the world with an escalation of the conflict . 58.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“We have now restored our sovereignty over this area after 19 centuries of homelessness, with Jerusalem, which has always been the center and sole focus of the national and spiritual life of the Jewish people, as the undivided and indivisible capital of Israel 177. We have returned to the land of Israel and have come there to stay. Together all the nations of the Middle East can usher in an era of real peace and cooperation in the region. The opportunity is there. Let us not miss it.”
1981-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 36 (1981)
“That aim is still fervently pursued today under the cover of the slogan of a "homeland for the homeless Palestinians", which is given immense publicity by Arab propagandists and their supporters. 175. Israel firmly believes in a vision of peace for our region and will strive towards its realization. The Middle East is rich, not only in history and in spiritual and cultural assets, but also in immense natural resources and manpower. The people of Israel has as much to offer for the development and progress of our region as have the other neighboring peoples, each in its own way. 176. The Jewish people has reestablished its home in the land of its forefathers, where the Kingdoms of Judea and Israel flourished for centuries.”
1981-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 36 (1981)
“The Palestinian Arabs do have a State on a major part of the territory of Palestine. In Jordan, there exists a Palestinian Arab State in everything but name. It is a Palestinian Arab State by virtue of its geography, demography, history, culture, religion and language. It has even been declared as such by an impressive number of Palestinian Arab and Jordanian leaders, There is thus no need to speak further of Palestinian self-determination; their homeland is already in existence. Moreover, in 1964, when the PLO approved the so-called Palestinian National Covenant with a view to "liberating" Palestine, at a time when Judea, Samaria and the Gaza district were still under Jordanian and Egyptian occupation, the real goal of the Arab States was to "liberate" Israel from Israelis, to deprive Israel of its existence.”
1981-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 36 (1981)
“Just last week we resumed the negotiations with Egypt, with the participation of the United States, on the establishment of full autonomy for the Palestinian Arab inhabitants of Judea, Samaria and the Gaza district. We hope to bring these negotiations before long to a successful conclusion. 173. Our people were not handed their State on a silver platter. We fought for liberation against a colonial Power. We then had to fight against a host of Arab armies that sought to prevent the establishment of our State. Subsequently, we have fought four more wars to defend it. We know very well the meaning and the price of combating colonialism, of a struggle for liberation and of fighting for self-determination. 174. These concepts are now being abused and exploited by a number of Arab Governments in the name of the Palestinian Arabs.”
1981-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 36 (1981)
“Since 1978 the major Arab countries, excluding Egypt, have concluded arms deals valued at $27.8 billion, of which $11.6 billion worth has already been delivered. 171. These acquisitions of arms reflect a formidable quantitative and qualitative military buildup in those countries. These arms are unfortunately intended primarily for use against Israel. Needless to say, the stepped-up arming of the Arab States serves to strengthen their conviction that the ArabIsrael conflict can still be solved by military means. Moreover, it jeopardizes the internal stability of several of the Arab regimes, as well as of the region as a whole. 172. The Camp David accords have been and remain the only feasible path to peace; no other viable solution appears on the horizon.”
1981-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 36 (1981)
“Furthermore, while the winds of war have been constantly blowing in other parts of the region, Egypt and Israel, which not long ago were faced with the imminent danger of war, are now learning to coexist in peace and represent an island of stability in the Middle East. Unfortunately, this is not yet the case with regard to the other Arab neighbors of Israel. These Arab States, which have been invited by the signatories of the Camp David framework for peace to join the peace process, have so far refused to do so. 170. One of the clearest manifestations of their categorical opposition to the peace process is their continuing and unprecedented military buildup through arms purchases from the Soviet Union and the Soviet bloc nations, as well as from the United States and Western Europe.”
1981-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 36 (1981)
“The Government of Israel will at all times support the reestablishment of a truly independent Lebanon, within its internationally recognized boundaries, free of Syrian occupation and PLO terror. 169. The main cause of the ArabIsrael conflict has always been the refusal of Arab States to accept the existence of an independent and secure State of Israel and their avowed commitment to its destruction. The events of the last four years have brought about a major breakthrough in that respect: after Egypt abandoned the path of war and announced its readiness to negotiate peace, peace inevitably followed.”
1981-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 36 (1981)
“Arab and Soviet bloc supporters of Syria and the PLO have made any such condemnation impossible. 168. It is our hope that an independent and free Lebanon will soon reemerge and maintain good relations with all its neighbors, including Israel. But this will be very difficult to achieve as long as the PLO is allowed to nest in Lebanon and to hatch schemes aimed at promoting international terrorism and the mounting of brutal and cowardly attacks against the civilian population of Israel, especially in the northern part of our country. There will be no end to the tragedy of Lebanon as long as the Syrian occupation continues and as long as the PLO maintains its terrorist bases in Lebanon, supported by armaments from foreign Powers, mainly the Soviet Union and Libya.”
1981-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 36 (1981)
“That country has been subjected to strife and bloodshed from the mid-1970's onwards, due to the exploitation by Syria and by the PLO of domestic rivalries in Lebanon, followed by outright invasion of the country by the Syrian army. The situation has been worsened by the tightening of the PLO's grip on large parts of the country. Furthermore, in order to promote their regional strategic aims, the Syrians have subjected the Lebanese civilian population to brutal attacks which have brought about the destruction of a large portion of the country. Some 120,000 Lebanese civilians have been the victims of Syrian and PLO atrocities. It is characteristic of the double standard practiced in international relations that these atrocities have never been condemned by the international community, including the United Nations.”
1981-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 36 (1981)
“The only genuine way to remove the nuclear threat to the Middle East can be found in the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone, freely and directly negotiated among the countries of the region and based on mutual assurances, on the pattern of the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America. In the Assembly we shall continue to advocate and support constructive steps genuinely advancing the prospect of a Middle East free of nuclear weapons. At the same time, we shall warn against, and oppose, steps designed to exploit this subject as a tool of antiIsrael political warfare. 167. The situation in Lebanon has been a source of grave concern in our region for a number of years.”
1981-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 36 (1981)
“Israel has had to conclude that a country which acquired a complete fuel cycle and is openly bent on the destruction of Israel will not balk at going ahead with its program, whether or not it is a party to the NonProliferation Treaty. 165. Let me take this opportunity to reiterate Israel's policy that it will not be the first country in the Middle East to introduce nuclear weapons into the region. Faced as it is with the stark realities of the Middle East, Israel must insist on distinguishing between spurious and genuine safety. As the case of Iraq has clearly demonstrated, the NonProliferation Treaty cannot effectively prevent such a country from resorting to nuclear weapons so as to achieve what more conventional means have failed to do. 166.”
1981-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 36 (1981)
“Iraq set out to acquire nuclear facilities and expertise and then proceeded to assemble all the ingredients required for the development of nuclear weapons. This indicated a calculated effort on the part of Iraq to embark on a nuclear weapons program, Our concern about the Iraqi nuclear program was shared also by authoritative foreign governmental and professional assessments. None the less, six years of diplomatic and public efforts to bring about the cessation of the Iraqi military nuclear program yielded little more than reference to IAEA inspections under the Treaty on the NonProliferation of Nuclear Weapons, to which Iraq is a signatory.”
1981-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 36 (1981)
“As has been stated by Israel, the decision to destroy that reactor was taken only when it became absolutely certain that Iraq was on the verge of producing nuclear bombs, the principal target of which would have been Israel. People in all parts of the world, including the Middle East, are sleeping more soundly today, secure in the knowledge that that particular reactor has been removed. Iraq's nuclear reactor had to be destroyed before it became operational in the summer of 1981, for its destruction at a later date would have brought about radioactive fallout, endangering the civilian population of Baghdad. 164. Ever since the establishment of the State of Israel, Iraq has been conspiring against it, both politically and militarily.”
1981-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 36 (1981)
“There are also other countries in which Jews have been subjected to discrimination and oppression. In particular, 1 must again express anxiety over the condition of the tortured Jewish community in Syria, whose human rights are severely curtailed and many of whom have been imprisoned and have had their property impounded. I would thus also appeal to the Government of Syria to respect the basic human rights of its Jewish community, which it holds hostage and which it prevents from leaving. 163. Permit me to turn now to the subject of the nuclear menace posed by Iraq. The item on the agenda of the Assembly dealing with the destruction of the Iraqi nuclear reactor has been formulated in a manner clearly intended to prejudge the outcome of the debate.”
1981-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 36 (1981)
“Over the past six months the number of prisoners of Zion detained under false pretexts and sentenced by Soviet courts to long prison terms has doubled. The sole crime of these people is their desire to live as Jews in their own land. Ida Nudel, Victor Brailovski, Anatoly Shcharansky and others have been gaoled for that desire, while others who have been refused exit permits have been subjected to pressure to refrain from so-called antiSoviet activity. The Assembly should know that the antiSoviet activity in question consists of the study of the Hebrew language and of the reading of books on Jewish history and Judaism. 161. From this rostrum I wish to appeal once again to the Soviet Union to reopen its gates for Jews who wish to return to their homeland and to cease the persecution of the Jews in the Soviet Union. 162..”
1981-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 36 (1981)
“At the thirty-fifth session [15th meeting], we appealed from this rostrum to the Soviet Government to remove all the limitations and obstacles hindering Jews in the Soviet Union from leaving for Israel. Already at that time there were grounds for fearing that the Soviet Union was going to close its gates to those Jews. Unfortunately, those fears have since been substantiated. Over the past year we have been watching with growing anxiety the steady decrease in the number of Jews leaving the Soviet Union to the lowest number for the last 10 years. The Soviet Union is thus forcibly preventing many thousands of them from living in their homeland. 160. In parallel, we have witnessed again a regrettable increase in the violation of fundamental human rights in the Soviet Union.”
1981-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 36 (1981)
“It is a model for empirical dynamic development, well within the means of the countries concerned. I wish to take this opportunity to invite the attention of the General Assembly to document A/36/497, circulated at the request of my delegation, which contains a report entitled "An Outline of Development through Promotion of the Transitional Economy". We do not claim that this plan is a panacea for all the world's economic ills. Rather, it aims at applying a gradual, step-by-step, relatively low-cost program of improvements to the rural sector of society, a sector that so far has not been given sufficient attention. We will be happy to cooperate with any national or international organization for the purpose of putting the concepts contained in this plan into practice. 159.”
1981-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 36 (1981)
“We have absorbed and integrated hundreds of thousands of immigrants many of them victims of persecution in the Arab countries from which they had come and at the same time set about creating a progressive and rapidly developing society. With all the urgent problems that weighed upon us, we have spared no effort in cooperating with other young developing nations in such fields as agriculture, hydrology, rural development, health and youth leadership. This fruitful process of international cooperation with dozens of countries, regardless of political outlook, has been constantly moving forward. 158. In their continuous search for solutions to the evolving challenges of development, Israel's experts have recently formulated some new ideas on development, referred to by them as the Transitional Economy Plan.”
1981-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 36 (1981)
“However, the NorthSouth dialog has remained largely a debate among nations and groups of nations, and, as might be expected, those suffering hunger and deprivation have not had their lot improved by this debate. 156. For the last 20 years Israel has been involved in the effort to develop ways and means of raising the standard of living in the less developed societies. It is our wish and we believe that it is within our capacity to make a further contribution of our own to joint efforts to tackle specific development problems and advance towards a solution. 157. Ever since its establishment Israel has had to cope simultaneously with a wide range of grave social, economic and security problems.”
1981-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 36 (1981)
“By any yardstick, the conclusion of peace between two former enemies is surely not only a legitimate but also a desirable development which should have been welcomed by the United Nations, the primary purpose of which is the promotion and maintenance of international peace. No third party, including the Assembly, has the legal or moral authority to question, let alone to deny, the validity of the accords attained or of any treaties deriving from them, 155. A major issue that has rightly engaged the attention and growing concern of all mankind is that of international cooperation for development and the widening gap between the standard of living of the poor nations and that of the wealthy nations.”
1981-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 36 (1981)
“It must be stressed that international organizations which allow their fundamental rules to be violated cause severe damage to themselves and thereby undermine their very raison d'etre. Decisions arrived at in disregard of the relevant provisions of constitutional instruments are illegal, however often repeated and however overwhelming the majority that supported them. 154. The distortions which pervade the United Nations system have also manifested themselves in the attitude of the Organization towards the Camp David accords and the treaty of peace between Egypt and Israel.”
1981-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 36 (1981)
“The brotherhood of man, social justice, the rule of law both domestic and international the equality of nations, the peaceful settlement of international disputes and the outlawing of war those and other ideals had grown and taken root among the shepherds and peasants of Judea and Israel long before they came to be accepted as principles of current international life. 152. Unfortunately, these ideals have been honored more in the breach than in the observance in the practice of the United Nations. In recent years the Organization has repeatedly permitted itself to be abused by Israel's adversaries who enjoy a built-in majority in the Assembly on any issue related to the ArabIsraeli conflict. In recent years Israel has more than once been the victim of discriminatory treatment in the United Nations. 153.”
1981-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 36 (1981)
“150. At the outset, I should like to take this opportunity to congratulate Vanuatu and Belize on their independence and welcome them on their admission to the United Nations. On behalf of the Government and the people of Israel, I wish them success and prosperity as independent and sovereign States. 151. The Government and the people of Israel have always upheld the ideals and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. It could not have been otherwise, for Israel's intellectual and moral traditions have given birth to some of the most important elements inherent in the shape and meaning of the Organization.”
1981-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 36 (1981)
“Nor does it mean peace with a weak Israel deprived of its capital and with its wings clipped from the security and geostrategic viewpoints. With such an Israel peace will not be attained, because a weak Israel will be an object of unceasing attacks and destructive designs. 89. I wish to call upon the Arab States which are our neighbours, and also upon the Palestinian Arabs living in Judaea, Samaria and the Gaza District, to follow the dictates of reason and to join the peace process. I wish to call upon the other nations of the world to support this course and to prevail upon the Arab States to adopt it. The world at large, and not merely our region alone, will benefit from this.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“I wish to conclude with a call in the spirit of the Prophets of Israel, who were a light and an inspiration for much of mankind. My call is for peace—peace which is at the very basis of the existence of the United Nations. 88. We in Israel yearn for peace. We have done so since the first day of the restoration of our national sovereignty—in our Declaration of Independence, which was issued on the very day that the State of Israel was founded in 1948. In that Declaration, we extend the hand of peace and good neighbourliness to all the States around us and all their peoples. We have taken far-reaching steps and have made huge sacrifices for the sake of peace. But peace with Israel does not mean peace without Israel, or peace at its expense.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“The Jewish people is the only people which has made Jerusalem its capital since it appeared as a nation on the stage of human history. Throughout the many years of exile inflicted on it. The Jewish people prayed three times a day, every day, for its restoration to Jerusalem. 86. For the last 150 years there has been a Jewish majority in Jerusalem. Whoever seeks to sever Jerusalem from Israel seeks to decapitate the Jewish people. We hope that nations that seek peace and know the reality which prevails in Jerusalem today will respect the city as the sovereign capital of Israel; a city which will not be divided again, in the same way as Israel respects the Holy Places of all religions and their freedoms in the city. 87.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“And where, I am bound to ask, was the voice of this Organization during that period".' Not once was it raised in condemnation of those illegal acts. 84. On the other hand, since 1967. all—irrespective of religion and nationality—have been accorded free access to the city of Jerusalem and the possibility of worshipping at the Holy Places and shrines revered by them. Israel has assured the free and unfettered observance of the religious rites of all members of all faiths, who also administer their religious lives and their Holy Places without any outside interference. That is the truth well known to everyone who lives in Jerusalem and to everyone who has visited the city. There is no substance or basis to any claim to the contrary. 85. There is no need for me to dwell at length on the bond between the Jewish people and Jerusalem.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“There has been much hypocrisy and cynicism in those attacks, For, truth to tell, never has the situation of the various religions represented in Jerusalem been better than that prevailing since the unification of the city by Israel in 1967. For 19 years, between 1948 and 1967, the eastern part of the city was under Jordanian occupation and barbed wire divided it in two. Places holy to the Jews were maliciously desecrated. Ancient synagogues and cemeteries were destroyed in a barbaric manner, and Jews were denied access to the Holy Places which are the spiritual life-blood of the Jewish people. It is not out of place to remark that the Moslem Arab citizens of Israel were also denied access to their Holy Places during that ignoble period.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“Hence, since 1975, Israel has consistently advocated the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East on the Tlatelolco model. Israel believes that an international conference of all the Slates in the region and adjacent to our region should be held, leading to the conclusion of a formal, contractual, multilateral convention among all States of the region. 82. We hope that in the course of this General Assembly, we shall find a suitable opportunity to give concrete expression to our views on this matter. In the meantime, I should like to reiterate my Government's position, which is that Israel will not be the first to introduce nuclear weapons into the Arab-Israeli dispute. 83. In the last months, Jerusalem has been the object of attacks on Israel in various international forums.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“But the implications of that vast array of armaments are not confined to my country alone. It also serves to inject war into the area at large. 80. We call upon the United Nations to take due note of the military build-up by the Arab rejectionist States and to urge them to decrease their armament. For our part, we are prepared to lend a hand in any joint effort to bring about the limitation of arms in our region which is poised on top of a volcano. 81. I should like to address myself to another crucial aspect of disarmament. Israel has consistently supported resolutions of the General Assembly aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons. This global problem, we believe, can best be solved by means of negotiated regional arrangements.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“It comes in place of all the empty declarations with which the Palestinian Arabs concerned have deluded themselves and have been deluded by other States and organizations over the years. 79. One of the most vivid expressions of the rejection of all peace proposals by the Arab rejectionist States is to be seen in their unprecedented military build-up and in the armaments which they have received in recent years from the Soviet bloc or purchased from the United States and Western Europe. In the course of the last three years, orders for arms purchases by the larger Arab States have reached astronomic sums. The quantities of arms that were actually supplied have been equally staggering. There is no precedent for the amassing of arms on this scale in our region. Those arms are designated first and foremost for use against Israel.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“The establishment of a second Palestinian Arab Slate by distorting the principle of self-determination means the creation of an extremist and hostile base opposed to the very-existence of Israel. Hence we will not agree to a distorted form of self-determination, which in reality implies self-destruction for our ancient nation deeply rooted in its own land. 78. The programme of autonomy which we have proposed for the Palestinian Arab inhabitants of Judaea, Samaria and the Gaza District, as accepted in principle in the Camp David frameworks, is the first practical proposal to be advanced to provide a dignified solution for the needs of the Arab population of those areas.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“But there is no connection between that principle and the perverted attempt to turn self-determination into the basis for the destruction of the Stale of Israel, as certain States are endeavouring to do. Anyone who is familiar with the ideology and the terminology of the murder organization that calls itself the PLO, as well as with the declarations of the various Arab rejectionist States, can see beyond all doubt that the term "self-determination", as they use it, is nothing more than a euphemism for the destruction of Israel. 77. It should not be forgotten that the Palestinian Arabs have achieved their self-determination in Jordan, a State which is the Arab State in Palestine, by virtue of its history, territory, population, culture and all aspects of its national life.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“Let us hope that the change which has come about in the Middle East with the signing of peace will be the opening for a positive and long-lasting transformation in the history of our conflict-ridden area. The strict adherence to the agreements by Israel, in accordance with their letter and spirit alike, is a guarantee of the continuation of the peace process. However, by itself it is not enough. We hope that all the others involved will act in the same way. 76. Much has been alleged against Israel in the name of the principle of self-determination for nations. We favour that concept, and we have proved that in the support that we extended to many States which have achieved their independence in our generation, in Africa, Asia and elsewhere. The Governments of those States and their peoples know that full well.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“Let them also bear in mind and give due regard to the fact that, by proposing the idea of autonomy in Judaea, Samaria and the Gaza District, Israel has taken on itself great risks for the sake of peace. 74. We hope that the autonomy talks will be resumed in the near future. We also hope that the process of normalization of relations between Israel and Egypt will be intensified and will serve as the best possible proof and a living symbol of the fact that peace can and must take the place of war. The full significance of these peaceful relations should be grasped for what they are—and for what they may lead to—as the very corner-stone for peace in the region. 75. The leaders of Israel and Egypt have reiterated time and again their mutual commitment to the proposition that there will be no more war.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)