YouSaid · the spoken record

Mahmoud ABBAS

lines on the record: 429
first: 2006-09-24
most recent: 2023-09-24
sittings or episodes: 18
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

“The responsibility for defending peace and international law is incumbent upon the members of the Assembly. Israel has not implemented any of the agreements. We hope that the Assembly compels Israel to respect international legitimacy. The occupying Power is waging a reckless racist war in Jerusalem against everything that is Palestinian: from the confiscation and demolition of homes to assaults on clergymen; to the eviction of our citizens from their homes; to attempts to violate the sanctity of the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre; to the adoption of racist laws, such as the Jewish nation-State law. We all thought that those laws ended with apartheid in the former South Africa. Apartheid and racial discrimination are gone. Today we can see that similar laws still exist.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“It continues to competently assume its responsibilities at the regional and international levels as a resilient and constructive member of the international family. It deserves to be a full-fledged Member of the United Nations and all of its agencies. I believe that after all this we deserve to be a full-fledged Member. I do not know a single reason why we do not deserve it. We have accepted international legitimacy and international law for resolving our question. We have sought and continue to seek, just and comprehensive peace. But the international law we have accepted and adhered to and the peace for which we strive are now in severe jeopardy, as a result of Israel’s policies and practices in our occupied land and the fact that it has reneged on agreements it has signed, since the Oslo Accords in 1993 to date.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We also thank them for their continued support to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), pending a just and comprehensive solution to the plight of our refugees, in line with international law. UNRWA was established in 1949 to help Palestinians address their problems, despite the fact that regrettably some have halted their assistance to UNRWA while its mission has not ended. We are proud that the State of Palestine, despite all obstacles and policies of the Israeli occupation and its supporters, has become a full-fledged member of more than 110 organizations and international treaties. It has received the recognition of 140 States from around the world. The State of Palestine chaired the Group of 77 and China this year.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We thank the United Nations for standing by our just requests to end the Israeli occupation of the land of the State of Palestine and for the State of Palestine to achieve its full independence, based on the 4 June 1967 borders, along with a just and comprehensive solution to the issue of the Palestinian refugees, whose plight has been prolonged. We thank the United Nations for its stance and hope that it is implemented and translated into action on the ground. We also convey our greeting and appreciation to all the countries and the peoples that continue to provide support and assistance to our people and our country, politically and economically, with a view to ending the occupation and building our national institutions.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“But, regrettably, I stand before the Assembly today bearing the same concerns and pain that have been endured for so long by my people, who, despite all the injustice, oppression and occupation they have suffered, continue hoping to achieve their freedom and independence, as all other nations of the world. I ask the Assembly once again: has the time not come to save the Palestinian people and emancipate them from injustice, oppression and occupation? Has the time not come? I hope that Assembly members would ask themselves that question. The General Assembly granted the State of Palestine observer State status in 2012. We are grateful for that legal and moral stance.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“They have reaffirmed that the Palestinian question remains the first central issue for the entire world, despite desperate attempts to divert attention away from the question. I ask members of the Assembly: what would they do if someone attempted to take their countries’ land and erase their presence on it? How would they react? It is time for the international community to shoulder its responsibilities in order to bring an end to the Israeli aggression and arrogance. It is time to implement at least one resolution adopted by the United Nations on this issue. Otherwise, all of those resolutions are useless. I had hoped to come to the Assembly this year to proclaim together the end of the Israeli occupation of my country, Palestine.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We have the right to defend our rights by all possible means, regardless of the consequences, while remaining committed to international law and to combating terrorism. Our hand will remain extended for achieving peace through negotiations. However, anything else will be null and void if Israel or any Israeli Government — that of Mr. Netanyahu or of any other person — implements the plan announced a few days ago. In that regard, I thank all leaders, countries and international organizations that condemned or rejected that announcement and the settlement activities as a whole, which are serious violations of United Nations resolutions and international law. We thank them all.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Four generations of our people have been waiting with hope. Beware, beware and beware of making them lose that hope. I trust that the General Assembly will not make them lose their hope. A week prior to the recent Israeli elections, Israel’s Prime Minister, Mr. Netanyahu, arrogantly announced that, should he prevail in the elections, he would annex and apply Israeli sovereignty to the Jordan Valley, the northern Dead Sea and Israel’s colonial settlements, despite the fact that all of those areas are occupied Palestinian territory. We categorically reject that announcement. If any Israeli Government were to proceed with the announced plan, our response would be that all signed agreements with the Government of the occupation and any obligations therein will be terminated, in line with previous decisions we have taken in that regard.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Lastly, I call on our people to remain patient and steadfast and to continue to make sacrifices until we achieve independence and self-determination, with the establishment of an independent State with Jerusalem as its capital, not merely “in Jerusalem”. Let them not fool us. I pay tribute to our righteous martyrs and our courageous prisoners. Israel considers them criminals. Why? Israel has thousands of people who have attacked all kinds of people and are considered heroes. Why is it that the person who killed Yitzhak Rabin is considered a hero, while our people are criminals? I send greetings to our heroic martyrs and prisoners. I would like to say to everyone that soon the dawn of freedom and independence will shine and the dark occupation will come to an end, God willing.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“The United States Administration stated that the number of Palestinian refugees is only 40,000. How was that number calculated? It need only consult UNRWA to see that the number it has calculated is wrong. It does not want to consult UNRWA; rather, it wants to obliterate it, so as to end the refugee issue forever. UNRWA was established in 1949 in order to help the Palestinian refugees until their issue is resolved. To this day, that issue has not been resolved. Of 13 million Palestinians, there are still 6 million refugees — not 40,000, as claimed by the United States Administration. That number has been arrived at haphazardly by the Administration, just the way it decided to abolish UNRWA and expected the world to agree with it. No, that will never happen.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We have also concluded an agreement with Hamas, and our brothers in Egypt recognize that we have upheld our side of the agreement. However, Hamas has failed to fulfil its obligations, which is why we will not bear any responsibility from now on for the failure of that agreement, if Hamas insists on rejecting it. I would like to be perfectly clear that we will not bear any responsibility while Hamas continues to refuse to abide by the agreement. Despite all the injustice we experience from the world, we will never resort to violence or terrorism. We will continue to combat violence and terrorism all over the world. We will never accept aggression against any country, whether that country recognizes us or not and whether it likes us or not. I would like to make a very important point.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“I respect those agreements fully, but if the other side does not respect them, I will not respect them or be committed to them either. The United States wishes to act as a mediator, and yet we see now that the United States cannot single-handedly act as a mediator. We have the Middle East Quartet, which any country can join, whether from Europe, the Americas, Africa or even the Arab region. Any country may join the Quartet to act as a mediator between Palestine and Israel, but the United States cannot act as the sole mediator, because it is too biased towards Israel. Thirdly, there are also agreements with Israel, such as the Oslo Accords and the Paris Agreement. Those agreements have all been abrogated by Israel, and we call on it to re-engage with them. If it does not, we will certainly not uphold our commitments.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“First, the Palestinian population numbers about 13 million human beings, even if not everyone views them as human beings. We are not superfluous people. A population is never superfluous, regardless of its size. Why are we treated as a superfluous people that the world should get rid of? That is totally unacceptable. Yet we are patient and steadfast, and we believe in peace and in peaceful means. We want to be viewed as humans. We are not superfluous. Secondly, we have entered into agreements with the United States Administration, which has, however, reneged on all those agreements. We are committed to and will abide by our part of the agreements, but if the United States Administration fails to honour them, then we will not abide by them either. So an agreement should be respected by all parties to it.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We express our appreciation to our Arab brethren, particularly our brother Arab Republic of Egypt, for their efforts to end the division, hoping that those efforts will be successful. We entered into an agreement, with Egypt as a sponsor, on 12 October 2017. The agreement is very simple. The Palestinian Government will carry out its responsibilities, both in Gaza and in the West Bank, and then we will establish our State on a basis of unified law, authority, regime and legitimate arms. We reject the notion of militias. However, that agreement has not been accepted by the other party. Perhaps, over the coming days, we will witness a final round of talks before taking the next steps. I would like to sum up by saying the following.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We want the right to the self-determination of our people, no more, no less. Any people, large or small, should enjoy the right to self-determination. There are 13 million Palestinians around the world. Why are we being denied the right to self-determination? It would harm no one. We want to establish an independent State that will live alongside the State of Israel. What is wrong with that? What crime we would be committing? We are facing another problem. We continue to make genuine and serious efforts to put an end to the current division in our governance and achieve reconciliation despite the many obstacles preventing us from attaining those aims. To this day, we still uphold our responsibilities towards our people in the Gaza Strip.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“In all honesty, it is not sufficient for the General Assembly to adopt a resolution without implementing it just like other resolutions. The General Assembly must respect its own resolutions. We applauded that resolution, but it is not being implemented. Please, tell us how we can implement that resolution. That is the Assembly’s responsibility. While we welcome the economic and humanitarian support being provided through legitimate international institutions to our people in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, we reject the notion that such support can be considered a substitute for a political settlement. Our cause has many humanitarian aspects, but with a political settlement, that humanitarian aid would not be needed. Do not try to fool us by saying that the Assembly is helping us.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Does the Assembly remember the previous attacks on Al-Aqsa, which were stopped by peaceful popular resistance? We are now being told that the Israeli Supreme Court will approve a decision to divide Al-Aqsa by time and space. We will definitely not accept that, and I am sure that people with courage, dignity and a desire for peace will not accept it either. Israel should bear the brunt. Its senseless thuggery must come to an end. Every day there is a new decision taken as though we do not exist. A United Nations resolution (resolution ES- 10/20) was successfully adopted for our international protection, because every day we are being attacked, and we are not capable of protecting ourselves. That resolution was adopted, but who will implement it?”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“They destroy cities, towns and villages with their weapons. I am not talking about the army and the police. I am talking about the Israeli settlers. We reject and will continue to reject violence and the use of force. We will reject every type of weapon and will not accept the use of arms anywhere. We call on the world to pursue efforts to achieve disarmament, including of both nuclear and traditional weapons. We currently face a problem in Khan Al-Ahmar, where Israel is insistent on destroying a village that has been populated by Palestinians for more than 50 years. If Israel destroys that village, it will be destroying the unity of the West Bank, which will consequently be divided into north and south. That is what Israel wants to do. Does the Assembly agree with that? There is also the continued aggression against the Al-Aqsa Mosque.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“The General Assembly has adopted 705 resolutions on the problem since 1947. And the Security Council has adopted 86 resolutions since 1948. Not a single resolution has been implemented by Israel. Unfortunately, I have to say frankly that Israel is supported in that by the United States. The General Assembly gave us 139 votes in favour, while 42 States abstained. Only eight countries voted against. For how long will Israel be an outlaw, do whatever it wishes and act as a rebel backed by whomever it wants? We are resisting the Israeli occupation by legitimate means that have been recognized by the United Nations and include primarily peaceful popular resistance. We will use no other means, only peaceful popular resistance. Is that illegal? By contrast, Israeli settlers are using weapons against the Palestinian people.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Nevertheless, there are certain countries that say, “We recognize both countries”. If so, why do they not recognize Palestine? That is entirely unacceptable. We tell those countries that if they recognize us, it does not mean that we will not pursue negotiations. On the contrary, that will bolster our international standing, and, together with their support, we will be able to participate in negotiations assisted by their recognition of the State of Palestine. That recognition should not be unilateral in the sense of recognizing one State only, while refusing to recognize the other. They have to recognize both States. I would like to remind the Assembly once again that Israel has not implemented a single one of the hundreds of General Assembly resolutions on this topic.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Only then can we coexist with the Israelis. There are 138 States in the Assembly that have recognized the State of Palestine, recently joined by Colombia. That makes 139. I therefore call on the countries of the world that have yet to recognize the State of Palestine to make that long-overdue recognition happen. I can no longer see a convincing reason justifying the continued delay in the recognition of the State of Palestine by certain countries. In that regard, I want to draw the Assembly’s attention to the fact that in 2019 the State of Palestine will chair the Group of 77 and China. Ten minutes ago, I met His Excellency President Al Sisi of Egypt in a conference room, and he announced that we have been freely elected by 134 countries to chair the Group of 77 and China.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Some people try to outsmart us by asserting that our capital is in Abu Deis and other places surrounding Jerusalem. That is a manipulation of words. No. Our capital is East Jerusalem, not “in East Jerusalem”. I would ask others not to try to outsmart us by saying “Abu Deis” or “in East Jerusalem” so that they can pick and choose an area here or there. No, it is East Jerusalem, which has been occupied since 1967, that is our capital. Peace is not possible otherwise, because there can be no peace in a State of temporary and unknown borders, like the State of Israel with its unknown borders. They invented the idea of a State with temporary borders and said: “We will give you a State but with unknown borders”. Subsequently, they said, “Let us talk”. No, we unconditionally want a State with very well-defined borders and rights.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We will circulate to Members a document laying out the initiative in its entirety and hope that the Assembly will adopt it. In that regard, I reiterate that we are not at all against negotiations, and we have never once rejected them. We will continue to extend our hand to achieve peace. We believe in peace as the only path to reach our cause, as I said at the beginning of my statement. We do not believe in violence and terrorism. We miss no opportunity to reiterate that fact. What is required of us? Negotiations on the basis of international legitimacy? None of the international legitimacy resolutions since 1947 has been respected up to now, so what solutions are we talking about? Peace in our region cannot be realized without an independent Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital including all the holy sites.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“On the contrary, we have been invited more than once by several countries in this very Hall to sit down with the Israelis and with Mr. Netanyahu. Every single time, I accepted. I challenge anyone to tell me that I ever refused or that he accepted even once. We have never refused those negotiations, because we want to rescue the peace process. I appeared before the Security Council on 20 February of this year (see S/PV.8183) and presented an initiative calling for the convening of an international peace conference based on the relevant United Nations resolutions and internationally endorsed terms of reference. Such a conference should involve broad international participation, including of regional and international stakeholders, led by the permanent members of the Security Council and the Quartet.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Despite all of that, I renew from this rostrum my call to President Trump to rescind his decisions and decrees regarding Jerusalem, refugees and settlements, which contravene international law and the relevant United Nations resolutions, as well as the understandings that we have reached aimed at salvaging the peace process and achieving security and stability for future generations. Incidentally, here is an example of those understandings. There is a letter signed by the United States Administration and ourselves concerning many issues, but the Administration now ignores all of them. Consistent with our commitment to peace and a two-State solution, and the negotiations that we never rejected leading to their achievement, I challenge anyone to cite a single instance in which we refused to come to the negotiation table.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“For years, we have affirmed to the United States Administration our willingness to establish a Palestinian-American committee to examine the political and legal status of the PLO, as a means of demonstrating to the Administration that the PLO is committed to achieving peace and combating terrorism, as well as showing that the decision of the Congress regarding the PLO is arbitrary, unlawful and unjustified, while the Congress deliberately ignores the official agreement between the PLO and the United States Administration on combating terrorism, an agreement that we have also concluded with 83 other countries. We have protocols with 83 countries under the heading of combating terrorism, including the United States. However, the United States Congress calls us terrorists.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We would like to tell that Administration that our position is firm and clear for all to see. We challenge them to find a single mistake that we have made during our long journey. However, the United States Congress says that the PLO is a terrorist organization. Why? I do not know. The Congress has decided and we must listen.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“If it has removed Jerusalem, refugees, security and other issues from the negotiation table, what is left for a political solution in the Middle East? The United States Congress continues to insist on viewing the PLO as a terrorist organization, although it is recognized as the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people by the overwhelming majority of countries of the world, including Israel. However, the United States Congress continues to claim that the PLO is a terrorist organization, even though it is recognized by Israel, while the State of Palestine is cooperating with a majority of countries of the world, including the United States, to combat terrorism. Why is there then such animosity towards the Palestinian people, who are suffering under the yoke of an occupation that is supported by the United States?”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“The United States Administration went even further in its aggression by cutting assistance to the Palestinian National Authority, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and Palestinian hospitals in occupied East Jerusalem. Then they talk about humanitarian aid, and even that they have already stopped. With all of those decisions, the Administration has reneged on previous United States commitments and undermined the possibility of a two-State solution, while revealing the falsity of its claims of concern about the humanitarian conditions of the Palestinian people. It is very ironic that the United States Administration still talks about what it calls the “deal of the century”. What is there left for the Administration to offer the Palestinian people? Humanitarian solutions alone?”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“While we eagerly awaited his peace initiative, we were shocked by the decisions and actions he took that completely contradict the role and commitment of his Administration to the peace process. In November 2017, his Administration made a decision to close the PLO office in Washington, D.C. He then announced his recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moved his country’s Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. He even boasts that he has taken the issues of Jerusalem, refugees, settlements and security off the negotiating table. All such decisions threaten the Palestinian national cause and constitute a violation of international law and the relevant United Nations resolutions.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“I challenge anyone to give me an answer and bring me a map that shows Israel’s borders. That racist law constitutes another stigma for the State of Israel and for anyone who keeps silent about it, as well as about other Israeli laws that legitimize piracy, the confiscation of land and the seizure of the funds of the Palestinian people. We have always engaged positively with the various initiatives of the international community that seek to achieve peace between us and the Israelis, including the Arab Peace Initiative, which was recognized by the Security Council in resolution 1515 (2003). We have also been dealing with the Administration of President Trump from the beginning of his tenure in the same positive spirit, and we welcomed his promise to launch a peace initiative. I have met with him on numerous occasions.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We further call on the international community and the Assembly to take action to reject and condemn it as a racist and illegal law that is null and void, as the United Nations did when it condemned the former apartheid State of South Africa in several resolutions, bearing in mind that thousands of Jews and Israeli citizens have also rejected the new law and demonstrated against it. Fifty-six of the Knesset’s 120 members have rejected it, because they deem it a law of racial discrimination. I therefore call on the United Nations to follow in the footsteps of those Israeli citizens who have rejected it. That racist law talks about the so-called land of Israel. Could Assembly members ask the Israeli Government what exactly the land of Israel is? What are the borders of the State of Israel?”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“In addition, the law discriminates against other non-Jews who have immigrated into Israel, stripping them of their citizenship rights. At least 5 per cent of Israel’s current population are non-Jews, mostly Christian and Muslim immigrants, many of whom emigrated from the former Soviet Union. Those people have also been stripped of their rights to citizenship. The new law constitutes a gross political and legal violation, as well as a real threat that reminds us of the apartheid State that existed in South Africa. We therefore strongly reject and condemn it.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“It denies the connection of the Palestinian people to their historic homeland and dismisses their right to self- determination, their history and the United Nations resolutions relevant to the Palestinian question. It also denies the agreements concluded with Israel, which will inevitably lead to the creation of a single racist, apartheid State, thereby nullifying the possibility of a two-State solution. Israel practices racism but has now crowned its practice with that new law. The new law also discriminates against Arab citizens of Israel, granting the right to self-determination in the State of Israel exclusively to Jews and thereby legalizing discrimination against the Arab citizens, who make up 20 per cent of the population of Israel.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“In addition, the Parliament asked me to suspend the Palestinian recognition of the State of Israel until Israel in turn recognizes the State of Palestine based on the 4 June 1967 borders. Moreover, it requested that I approach international courts, including the International Criminal Court, to have them investigate the Israeli Government’s breaches of the treaties it has signed, and investigate the aggressions of the Israeli army and the terrorist practices of settlers against our people, our land and our holy sites. The Assembly will note that every single day, Israeli settlers, and even the Israeli army, desecrate our holy sites, in particular the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Last July, Israel adopted a racist law that crossed every red line. It is called the Jewish nation-State law.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“I return to the Assembly today, as that colonial occupation continues to suffocate us, undermining our unwavering efforts to build the institutions of our cherished State, which the General Assembly recognized in the year 2011. This year the Palestinian National Council, which is the Parliament of Palestine, convened and renewed the legitimacy of our national institutions through the election of a new leadership for the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. The Parliament took important decisions that committed me to reconsidering the political, economic and security agreements that have been reached with the Israeli Government, and to reviewing the future of the Palestinian National Authority, which has, unfortunately, been rendered powerless.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Jerusalem is not for sale and the rights of the Palestinian people are not for bargaining. Peace be upon the General Assembly. We will keep our faith in peace, we will maintain peace, and we will achieve our independent State with peace, because God is with us, our cause is just, our people have sacrificed a great deal and Assembly members are supporters of peace. God Almighty is against those who are unjust. Allah will suffice me, and He is the best guardian. During last year’s general debate, I came before the Assembly (see A/72/PV.8) appealing for freedom, independence and justice for my oppressed people, who have been suffering under the yoke of Israeli occupation for 51 years.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“When South Africa was liberated from the apartheid regime, Nelson Mandela said that he was grateful to the whole world and the United Nations, which contributed to and supported the end of apartheid in South Africa. Mandela added that their victory would not be complete until the Palestinian people were victorious. We, together with the Assembly, are entrusted to end the apartheid in Palestine — person by person, State by State, including the super-Powers. All of us should stand together. It is a commitment that should be fulfilled. Will the Assembly fulfil its duty? I very much hope so.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“I salute our people in exile and in the diaspora. I salute our people who remain steadfast in the West Bank and the besieged Gaza Strip. I salute our glorious martyrs and our courageous prisoners in Israeli prisons. I tell them all that freedom is coming and is inevitable and that the occupation will come to an end. That will come about either with the independence of the State of Palestine, living side by side in peace and security with the State of Israel on the 1967 borders, or, if Israel chooses, with equal rights for all of the inhabitants of the land of historic Palestine from the river to the sea. Which will they accept?”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“We call on the Assembly to vote in favour of those draft resolutions, with the clear aim of preserving the two-State solution, salvaging and promoting peace and achieving security and stability and prosperity for both Israelis and Palestinians and for the people of the entire region. In conclusion, allow me to salute our great people, who remain steadfast in their homeland despite their suffering and peaceful struggle against foreign occupation. The culture of peace is prevailing among Palestinians. Those joining Da’esh and the Al-Nusra Front are not from Palestine. I salute our people of Jerusalem, who exhibited one of the most shining examples of peaceful popular resistance against the Israeli colonial occupation. When they were prevented from praying, they prayed outside — they prayed and were victorious.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Efforts are also under way to obstruct the issuance of the list of companies operating in Israeli settlements. That is a black list. Why should we hide that list? It is similar to terrorism. Everybody should see the list to know who violates international law and who respects such law. Tenth, we once again affirm our commitment to respecting human rights and international conventions, and to implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and all other treaties and conventions that we have acceded to. We respect everything that we have acceded to or adopted, and we go hand in hand with the international community, of which we are part of. The State of Palestine will reflect those imperatives, where appropriate, in the draft resolutions to be presented to the General Assembly.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Ninth, we urge the international community to continue providing economic and financial support to the Palestinian people to achieve self-reliance. If the occupation ends we will say “thank you”. We will be self-reliant. Unfortunately, because we are under occupation, we can only seek assistance, and we are grateful to the international community because it is providing assistance. Help us to rid ourselves of the occupation, and we will thank Member States for their help. We also urge the international community to continue providing support to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to enable it to continue providing humanitarian assistance. In that connection, we warn against attempts to eliminate item 7 on the agenda of the Human Rights Council, or to change the mandate of UNRWA.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“There could be minor amendments agreed between the two parties, but the basis is 1967, so our borders are well known. Where are the borders of Israel? How can recognizing the State of Palestine harm the chances of peace, especially since we Palestinians have recognized the State of Israel within the 1967 borders? Eighth, we look to the Security Council to approve our application for full membership of the State of Palestine in the United Nations. What do we lack? What is missing? Every day we prove that we are eligible for such status. All those who support the two-State solution should recognize two States, not one State — Palestine and Israel. If a Member State recognizes Israel, it should recognize Palestine.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Sixth, I call on all States to end all forms of direct and indirect involvement with, and support to, the illegal Israeli colonial settlement regime on the land of the occupied State of Palestine, in accordance with United Nations resolutions and the affirmed positions of States in that regard. Such action would be similar to the international community’s approach to the apartheid regime in South Africa. We should not deal with settlements. We should not condone settlements. The black list of countries that are dealing illegally with Israeli settlements should be exposed. Seventh, I urge those States that have not yet recognized the State of Palestine to do so. I do not understand how recognizing the State of Palestine within the 1967 borders harms the chances of peace.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Fifth, I must ask all the Member States of the United Nations that have recognized Israel to state that they have recognized Israel on the basis of the 1967 borders, thereby aligning themselves with international resolutions and reaffirming their commitment to those resolutions — even those who recognized Israel on the basis of resolution 181 (II). Resolution 181 (II) was violated. Hence my question: where are the borders of Israel that Member States are recognizing? How can Member States recognize a State that has no borders? Israel has not even decided on its own borders. Yet international law states that a State is a land with borders. But Israel has no borders. How can one recognize a State that has no clearly demarcated borders?”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Many times we have put forward draft resolutions, but they are in vain. Fourth, they should demand that Israel endorse and commit to the borders of 1967 as the basis for the two-State solution and set such borders in line with international resolutions. Once we delineate the borders, each party can act in its territory as it pleases without affecting or damaging the rights of the other party. Israel builds wherever it wants today, demolishing houses every day; even schools and hospitals are being demolished. Nobody raises an eyebrow.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Second, they should act to bring to a halt to all settlement activities in occupied Palestinian land, as demanded in numerous United Nations resolutions, including the most recent Security Council resolution, 2334 (2016), in addition to the operative paragraphs of the Fourth Geneva Convention. An occupying Power should not expel the people from their land. This is in the text of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Who is responsible for implementing those texts? Israel refuses to do so. What is the international community doing? Third, the Organization and Member States should ensure international protection to the lands and people of the State of Palestine until the occupation ends, as we are unable to provide protection to our people. Given all the forces, the arms that we are facing every day, who will protect us if the Member States do not?”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“It is no longer enough to issue generic statements calling for the end to the occupation and the achievement of peace without a deadline. Efforts must be made to implement the Arab Peace Initiative, including a just solution for the Palestinian refugee question, in accordance with resolution 194 (III). The Arab Peace Initiative addressed the issue of refugees very well in referring to a just and agreed- upon solution, not one imposed upon a certain party, in accordance with resolution 194 (III). Israel disregarded those resolutions, riding roughshod over them. To whom should we complain?”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Resolution 194 (III) provided for the return of refugees at that time. However, the United Nations did not adopt any follow-up resolution. Security Council resolutions have called for withdrawal from the occupied territories. Where are those resolutions? If the United Nations cannot implement its resolutions, who will? Israel does not want to. Is Israel above the law? There are double standards in dealing with different countries. That is the Assembly’s responsibility. To salvage the peace process and the two-State solution, I urge the Organization and its Member States to adopt the following measures. First, they should actively pursue efforts to bring an end to the Israeli occupation of the State of Palestine within a set time frame.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“The silence of the international community with respect to Israel’s aggressive policies has emboldened the country to continue its policies. I would remind the Assembly that, since its establishment, Israel has violated numerous provisions of international law. It has violated the Charter of the United Nations and continues to do so. It has violated General Assembly resolutions 181 (II), 194 (III) and Security Council resolution 242 (1967). We would recall that Article 42 of the Charter of the United Nations provides for the possible use of force to maintain or restore international peace and security. This could apply to those who conduct acts of aggression against the land of others. Israel has taken a large part of our territory and was not deterred from doing so by the United Nations.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)