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

“Moreover, the occupying Power has repeatedly encroached on the area classified as “A”, which is supposed to be under full Palestinian security jurisdiction and in which we have 15-29562 29/54 A/70/PV.19 30/09/2015 established the institutions of the Palestinian State. Let me repeat that, yes, Israel has also violated that area. At the same time, Israel refuses to review the economic agreements that control the ability of the Palestinian economy to develop and become independent. It is determined to impose dominance on the Palestinian economy, similar to its military and security dominance, and it rejects the right of the Palestinian people to development and to the exploitation of their natural resources. In so doing, Israel has undermined the foundations on which the political and security agreements are based.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“It was to be full independence for the State of Palestine and the end of the Israeli occupation. But Israel stopped withdrawing its forces from the areas classified as “B” and “C”, which represent more than 60 per cent of the West Bank territory, including East Jerusalem. Instead, Israel intensified its settlement activities everywhere, in breach of all of the signed accords, some of which were signed by the current Israeli Prime Minister. In 2009, in his speech in Cairo, President Obama called for the cessation of the settlement activities. What was the response on the part of Israel? The Government increased its settlement activities by at least 20 per cent in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, thus violating its obligation not to undertake any illegal or unilateral action that could be considered permanent.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“However, the Israeli Government persists in undermining the two-State solution and in entrenching two regimes on the ground: the current apartheid regime imposed on the State of Palestine and against the Palestinian people, on the one hand, and another regime of extensive privileges and protection for Israeli settlers, on the other hand. Our occupied Palestinian territory reflects two systems: the apartheid system and the other system that extends extensive privileges to the Israeli settlers. How is that possible? In what way is it admissible? That is the question that we pose to the United Nations. The transitional Oslo accords and annexes and the subsequent accords signed with Israel stipulated that the agreements should be implemented within a time frame of five years, which ended in 1999. What was the outcome to be?”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“We are being assailed on all sides. Acts of aggression are being committed against us on all sides. We have no protector. Our last resort is the United Nations. We are therefore appealing to the Assembly, we are begging the Assembly, to provide us with international protection. We have tried to bring pressure to bear on Israel to implement the signed agreements and to negotiate in conformity with the two-State solution through direct contact with the Israeli Government. Yes, we do maintain direct contact with the Israeli Government, as well as indirect contact through the United States of America, the Russian Federation, the European Union and the United Nations, the Quartet members and other parties.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“The Arab States, at their recent summit, confirmed their support for a Security Council resolution to reaffirm the key parameters for a peaceful two-State solution, based on the pre-1967 borders, with a time frame for ending the occupation. As it is pointless to waste time negotiating just for the sake of it, what we require now is to mobilize international efforts and establish a framework to oversee an end to the occupation, in line with the resolutions of international legitimacy. Until that is done, I appeal to the United Nations, and particularly the Secretary-General and the President of the General Assembly, to provide international protection for the Palestinian people in accordance with international humanitarian law. We need protection — we need international protection. We cannot maintain the status quo.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“All those present are well aware that Israel has undermined the efforts of the Administration of President Barack Obama, and mostly recently the efforts undertaken by Secretary of State Kerry, to reach a peace agreement by means of negotiation. The polices and practices of the Israeli Government and the stances adopted by its Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers lead to a clear conclusion, namely, that they are doing their utmost to sabotage the two-State solution that we have been seeking based on resolutions of international legitimacy. There can be no other explanation. We welcome the international and European efforts, including the French initiative calling for the formation of an international support group on achieving peace.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“If one supports the two-State solution, how can one not recognize the other State? Today I call on those countries that have not yet recognized the State of Palestine to do so. We are fully confident that they will do so out of conviction that our people and cause are deserving of justice. From this rostrum at United Nations Headquarters and against the backdrop of the religious holidays, I extend a sincere call on the people of Israel for peace based on justice, security and stability for all. I also call on the Security Council and the General Assembly to shoulder their responsibilities before it is too late. I sincerely hope that they will fulfil their responsibilities before it is too late.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“I wish also to pay tribute to various recent decisions in European parliaments. Some of these have clearly condemned Israel’s settlement activities and affirmed the right of the Palestinian people to sovereignty and independence in their own State, side by side with the State of Israel — which we recognize even though Israel does not recognize our existence — and some have established a committee on relations with Palestine. A number of European countries have also affirmed their recognition of the State of Palestine, thereby endorsing our natural right to independence. In that regard, we wish to thank the Kingdom of Sweden for having the 28/54 15-29562 30/09/2015 A/70/PV.19 courage of its convictions and recognizing the State of Palestine. All who say they support the two-State solution must recognize both States, not just one.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“We are confident that it will actively contribute to achieving the economic, cultural and humanitarian progress of civilization, with positive results for our people, the region and the entire world. Peace will be achieved by and through Palestine. Those who wish to seek and promote peace, I repeat, those who wish to seek and promote peace and to fight terrorism, should start by resolving the question of Palestine. That is the beginning and the end of it. I take the opportunity to express, on behalf of my people, our thanks to all those who, on 10 September, voted in favour of resolution 69/320. Its adoption has enabled us to raise the Palestinian flag at United Nations Headquarters. The day is not far off when, God willing, we will raise the Palestinian flag in East Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Palestine.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“This is attested to by their cultural, humanitarian and spiritual contributions to humankind all along, from the start. Just recently, on 17 May, two nuns from Palestine, Marie-Alphonsine Ghattas and Mariam Baouardy, were canonized as saints by His Holiness Pope Francis at the Vatican in the presence of tens of thousands of the faithful from around the globe. On that occasion, the flag of Palestine was raised at the Vatican, whose recognition of the State of Palestine is documented in the agreement signed between the Holy See and the State of Palestine. It is our hope that those that have not yet recognized us as a State will do so as soon as possible. We look forward to seeing the independent State of Palestine take its rightful place among the community of nations.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“We will not allow this to happen, and we will not let those who are trying to make us do this prevail. We will instead seek to form a Government of national unity that functions according to the programme of the Palestine Liberation Organization, and we will proceed to hold presidential and legislative elections. Palestine is a country of holiness and peace. It is the birthplace of Christ, the messenger of love and peace, and the home of the Isra and Mi’raj, the ascension to heaven and night journey of Mohammed, peace be upon him, who was sent as a gift of mercy to the world. Palestine is still looking for peace, and its people want to live in their homeland in safety, security, harmony, stability and good neighbourliness with all peoples and countries of the region.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“In this context, we highly value the efforts of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee, under Norway’s chairmanship, and urge donor countries to continue to support a better life for our people and our efforts to develop our State institutions. Our membership in international organizations and our accession to treaties and conventions are not directed against anyone; rather, they are a measure aimed at safeguarding our rights, protecting our people, harmonizing the laws and regulations of our country with international standards, and strengthening its international legal status and identity. Is this a mistake? With respect to the internal Palestinian situation, we are determined to preserve the unity of our land and our people. We will not accept temporary solutions or a fragmented State.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Despite all the obstacles imposed by the occupation, since the establishment of the Palestinian National Authority and until this moment, we have worked tirelessly to build the foundations of our State, its infrastructure and sovereign national institutions. We have made real progress on the ground, as has been affirmed by several international bodies, in particular the United Nations, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. With the support of our brothers and friends, we will continue our efforts and work together to strengthen our State, which is committed to upholding international standards, the rule of law and transparency as a democratic and modern State.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Is it not time for the Israeli blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip to be lifted so that our people can 15-29562 27/54 A/70/PV.19 30/09/2015 move in freedom and dignity in their own homeland and beyond? Is it not time to end the racist, terrorist, colonial settlement of our land, which is undermining the two-State solution? Is it not time for the 6,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israeli jails to see the light of freedom and live among their families and communities? Is it not time for the longest occupation in history, which is suffocating our people, to come to an end? These are the questions we ask the international community.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“How can a State claim that it is an oasis of democracy and that its courts and security apparatus function according to the law and yet also accept the existence of so-called price-tag gangs and other known terrorist organizations that terrorize and intimidate our people, confiscate their property and insult their holy sites? All of this occurs under the watch of the Israeli army and police, who do not deter or punish the gangs, but rather provide them with protection. Is it not time to end these injustices? Is it not time to stop this suffering? Is it not time for the racist annexation wall to be torn down? Is it not time for the humiliating and degrading checkpoints and barriers set up by the Israeli occupying forces in our land to be removed?”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“We do not respond to the hatred and brutality of the Israeli occupation with hatred and brutality. Instead, we are working to spread the culture of peace and coexistence between our peoples and in our region. We are eager to see the day when our people and all peoples in our region will enjoy peace, security, stability and prosperity. This cannot be achieved with continued occupation, settlement, colonization, the wall, the burning of people, places of worship and homes, the killing of youth, children and infants, the burning of crops, and the arrest and detention of people without charge or trial.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“On previous occasions, they had burned alive and killed a Palestinian child, Mohammed Abu Khdeir, in Jerusalem, and another, Mohammed Al-Dura, in Gaza, and before them thousands had been killed in Gaza and the West Bank. We still remember the Deir Yassin massacre of 1948 and all other crimes committed against our people. All of these crimes have gone unpunished. Until when will Israel remain above international law and without accountability? Owing to time constraints, I shall not be able to discuss in detail how many Israeli violations have been committed against our people and how many repressive laws have been issued by successive Israeli Governments, the latest of which is the official governmental instructions given to fire live ammunition at and arrest and repress peaceful Palestinian demonstrators. Why is this happening?”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Or do they serve and encourage extremists, thereby fanning their hatred and racism and making them believe that they are above the law, to the point that they committed the crime of burning a Palestinian family in the town of Duma in the West Bank, a crime which claimed the lives of an infant, Ali Dawabsheh, his father and mother? What is left of this family is an orphan child, Ahmed, a 4-year-old, who teeters between life and death in hospital as a result of his burns, while the killers remain free because they have not yet been arrested. Where is justice? Where is fairness? Where is democracy? Where is the democratic State that lays claim to democracy and the rule of law? This was not the first crime of this type.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“It continues its blockade of the Gaza Strip, deepening the immense suffering of our people there, in defiance of United Nations resolutions and the agreements signed by both sides under international auspices. In that regard, we recall the words of the late Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1976, when he stated that Israel would become an apartheid State if it continued its occupation of Palestinian territory. He described the Israeli settlements on Palestinian land as a cancer. That is what Yitzhak Rabin said. Why do they do that to us? The persistence of the issue forces us to ask the following questions. Do the votes of democratic countries against Palestine-related resolutions and the legitimate rights of our people serve peace and the interests of those who believe in the two-State solution?”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“In the light of all the enormous sacrifices that we have made, our years of patience in exile and suffering, and our acceptance of peace in accordance with the two-State solution, which should be based on international law, the relevant United Nations resolutions, the Arab Peace Initiative and the Quartet road map, it is unconscionable that the question of Palestine has remained unresolved for all these decades. The continuation of the impasse is unacceptable, because it means yielding to the logic of the brute force that is being inflicted upon us by the Israeli Government. That Government continues its illegal settlement expansion in the West Bank, especially in occupied East Jerusalem.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Our people have placed their hopes in the countries of this Organization to help them to gain their freedom, independence and sovereignty, so that their wish and their right to their own State, which is the aspiration of all peoples of the Earth, can be achieved. That entails a just solution for the Palestine refugee issue 26/54 15-29562 30/09/2015 A/70/PV.19 in accordance with resolution 194 (III) and the Arab Peace Initiative. Is that too much to ask? We are calling for justice, peace and what is right. Palestine was partitioned into two States, and Israel was established 67 years ago. But the second part of resolution 181 (II), of 29 November 1947, still awaits implementation. Palestine, which is an observer State in the United Nations, deserves full recognition and full membership.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“I ask the Assembly to reconsider the history of the question of Palestine and the relevant United Nations resolutions in order to realize a self-evident truth. A historic injustice was inflicted upon a people who had lived peacefully in their land and made genuine intellectual, cultural and humanitarian contributions to humankind and their homeland. That people does not deserve to be deprived of its homeland, to die in exile, to be swallowed by the sea or to spend its life fleeing from one refugee camp to another. Yet, regrettably, its just cause remains at a standstill after these many years.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“It is my honour to come to speak on behalf of the State of Palestine in the General Assembly at its seventieth session, which coincides with the seventieth anniversary of the United Nations, which has made the promotion and protection of international peace and security and the preservation of human rights its primary goals. The question of Palestine was one of the first just causes brought before the United Nations, dating from the time of its inception. Yet, to date, regrettably, it remains unresolved. The Organization and its Members remain unable to end the injustice inflicted upon our people or to assist it in exercising its right to self- determination and freedom in its own independent and sovereign State.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“The Palestinian people refuses to accept the implementation of an illegal plan that is an affront to the sensitivities of Palestinians and Muslims throughout the world. I call on the Israeli Government, before it is too late, to end the use of brutal force aimed at desecrating the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, and, in particular, to halt its actions directed against the Al-Aqsa Mosque, for such actions will transform the conflict from a political to a religious one and create an explosive situation in Jerusalem, as well as in the rest of the occupied Palestinian territory.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“I come before the General Assembly today from Palestine to sound the alarm concerning the grave dangers of what is happening in Jerusalem, where extremist Israeli groups continue with their systematic and repeated incursions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Those incursions are aimed at imposing a new reality and at temporarily dividing Haram Al-Sharif by allowing extremists — under the protection of Israeli occupying forces, Ministers and Knesset members — to enter the Mosque. In so doing at specified times, they prevent the access of Muslim worshipers from freely exercising their religious rights. The Israeli Government is pursuing that plan in direct violation of the status quo of 1967. The occupying Power is thus committing a grave mistake, because we will not accept such actions.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“The adoption of that draft resolution will affirm that this year the Assembly is striving to realize the International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, who will continue to be steadfast in their struggle and will rise brave and strong from the rubble of destruction. As our poet Mahmoud Darwish has said, we are infected with the incurable disease of hope, and we love life if we are given a chance at it. There is an occupation that must end now. There is a people who must be freed immediately. The hour of independence of the State of Palestine has arrived, and I believe you are listening for it.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“That will be linked to the immediate resumption of negotiations between Palestine and Israel in order to demarcate the borders, reach a detailed and comprehensive agreement on all final status issues and then draft a comprehensive peace treaty between us and them. We are confident that this endeavour will enjoy the full support of those who are committed to ensuring that our country will not witness new wars and atrocities, who wish to support a campaign to combat terrorism, who believe we must act expeditiously to rectify the historical injustice inflicted by the Nakba on the people of Palestine, and who wish to see peace prevail in the land of monotheistic religions.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“All of these are previously adopted resolutions. This endeavour hopes to correct the failure of previous efforts to achieve peace by affirming the goal of ending the Israeli occupation and achieving a two-State solution for the State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital, over the entire territory occupied in 1967, alongside the State of Israel, and with a just and agreed-on solution to the plight of the Palestine refugees on the basis of resolution 194 (III), with a specific time frame for implementing those objectives, as stipulated in the Arab Peace Initiative. There must be a time frame.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“During the past two weeks, Palestine and the Group of Arab States have been working intensively with the various regional groups in the United Nations to prepare for the introduction of a draft resolution on the Israeli- Palestinian conflict for adoption by the Security Council and to advance efforts to achieve peace, which we still believe can be accomplished through international legitimacy. This endeavour reaffirms our commitment to achieving a just peace through a negotiated solution and a diplomatic and political effort through United Nations bodies. It is inspired by and based fully on the spirit and provisions of the many resolutions that have been adopted in the General Assembly and the Security Council, laying the foundations for a lasting solution and a just peace. There is nothing new here.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“At the same time, we affirm our commitment to and the importance of consolidating the ceasefire through the negotiations being conducted under the auspices of Egypt. However, in order to avoid a repetition of the cycle of war and reconstruction every two or three years, it is imperative that we focus on the fundamental issue and starting point, which is that Gaza’s suffering will never be completely over until the occupation is ended and the State of Palestine’s independence achieved.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“While we reiterate our appreciation and gratitude to all the countries and organizations that hastened to help the Palestinian people both during and after the war, we are confident that brotherly and friendly countries will not waver in their support for the plans and programmes we will present, and that the conference will have practical results that can meet the expectations and needs of the victims of this act of aggression. We reaffirm here that the chief prerequisite for the success of all these plans and efforts is an end to the despicable ongoing Israeli blockade that has suffocated the Gaza Strip for years and turned it into the largest prison in the world for nearly 2 million Palestinian citizens.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We greatly appreciate the fact that next month, at the invitation of the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Kingdom of Norway, the city of Cairo will host an international conference on relief and reconstruction for the Gaza Strip. Our Government will present comprehensive reports to the conference on the losses the acts of aggression have inflicted on various sectors of society, and it will provide details of plans and programmes to be rapidly implemented in the Gaza Strip, aimed at meeting immediate relief needs and the requirements for reconstruction, in full coordination with and under the supervision of the relevant United Nations agencies and bodies. Just a couple of days ago, the Palestinian faction emphasized its support for Gaza in order to facilitate reconstruction.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“It requires the creation of solid foundations for a practical consensus rendering the fight against all forms of terrorism everywhere a collective task to be undertaken by an alliance of peoples, nations and civilizations. It requires, as a priority, ending the Israeli occupation, that in its practices and perpetuation, constitutes an abhorrent form of State terrorism and a breeding ground for incitement, tension and hatred. At a time when we are still suffering from the horrors of war, we face a formidable challenge to reconstruct what has been destroyed by occupation. This is the third time we are attempting to rebuild after the destruction inflicted on us by the occupation.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Confronting the terrorism that plagues our region by groups like the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and others, which have no basis whatsoever in the tolerant Islamic religion or humanity, and whose members are committing vile and heinous atrocities, requires much more than military confrontation. The matter is of the utmost urgency and requires much more than condemnations and declarations of positions, which are of course necessary. What is needed, first and foremost, is a comprehensive, credible strategy to dry up the sources of terrorism and eradicate its roots in all political, intellectual, economic and social spheres in our region.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“As I have said more than once, we are the only people in the world that remain under occupation. All the Arab countries and ourselves have constantly warned about the disastrous consequences of the continuing Israeli colonial occupation and the denial of freedom and independence to the Palestinian people. We have repeatedly pointed out that allowing Israel to act as a State above the law without being held accountable or punished for its policies, aggression and defiance of the international community’s will and legality has provided fertile ground for, and an environment conducive to, the growth of extremism, hatred and terrorism in our region.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We will not forever accept demands to prove our good intentions by making concessions at the expense of our rights, to remain silent as we are killed and our land is stolen, and to understand the conditions of the other party and the importance of preserving its coalition Government, while its occupation becomes more entrenched. We are exhausted by the additional tests that we must undergo to prove our efficiency, competence and eligibility to earn our natural, simple right to live a normal life; our inherent right to expect a stable and ordinary tomorrow and to dream about more beautiful days; and the right of our youth to plan their future safely with peace and freedom prevailing over our land, like other peoples of the world. The time has come for a genuine and ust peace to prevail in the land of peace.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Those who were uprooted from their warm homes, good land and beautiful country in Al-Nakba 66 years ago, who were pushed into the misery of exile to live as refugees, and are now being forced into new waves of expulsion or onto ships of death on the world’s seas, need assurances. They need to be assured that they will not be displaced from their homes again, that their homes will not be destroyed again, and that they will not spend their lives waiting for the outbreak of a new war. Is it not time for this long tragedy to end?”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Palestine refuses to have the right to freedom of its people, who suffer terrorism at the hands of the racist occupying Power and its settlers and remain hostage to Israel’s security conditions. The Palestinian people are actually the ones who need immediate international protection — a protection they are seeking through international organizations. They are in need of the security and peace that they more than any other people are denied. And the children of Palestine are worthy of the world’s efforts to ensure that their childhood, dreams and lives will not once again be destroyed. It is time for the chapters of this renewed, ongoing tragedy to be closed.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“It is impossible — I repeat, impossible — to return to the cycle of negotiations that failed to deal with the core of the Palestinian question. There is neither credibility nor seriousness in negotiations in which Israel predetermines the results via its settlement activities and the occupation’s brutality. Nor is there meaning or value in negotiations in which the agreed objective is not ending the Israeli occupation and achieving the independence of the State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital, on the entire Palestinian territory occupied in the 1967 war. Moreover, negotiations that are not linked to a firm timetable for the implementation of this goal have no value. The time has come to end this colonial occupation.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“When our efforts to end the internal division through national dialogue succeeded a few months ago and we prepared to restore the unity of our land, nation and institutions, we formed a national-consensus Government and began a process that was to lead to presidential and legislative elections. All countries around the world welcomed this achievement, with the exception of Israel, which has constantly sought to fragment our land and our national unity. Where do we go from here? The idea that one can simply return to the past patterns of actions that failed repeatedly is naive at best and, in any case, wrong. For it ignores the fact that it is no longer acceptable or possible to repeat methods that have proved futile, or to continue with approaches that have repeatedly failed and that require comprehensive review and radical correction.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We want a State that deepens Palestine’s enlightened traditions of tolerance, coexistence and non-exclusion, strengthens the culture of peace, promotes the role of women, establishes an effective administration committed to the standards of good governance, and cares for the needs and interests of its people. The occupation struck, and continues to strike, a blow at this effort because our quest is the antithesis of Israel’s settlement policies, and because Israel seeks to destroy Palestine’s chance of creating an independent State within the framework of the two-State solution.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Over the years, the occupying Power has pursued a policy aimed at deliberately weakening the Palestinian National Authority in order to undermine it and make its role irrelevant. The occupation has targeted our relentless efforts to establish the foundations for the kind of State of Palestine that we want — a sovereign and independent State living in peace and building bridges of mutual cooperation with its neighbours, respecting its commitments, obligations and agreements and strengthening the values of citizenship, equality, nondiscrimination, the rule of law, human rights and pluralism.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Israel confirmed during the negotiations that it rejects making peace with its victims, the Palestinian people. All of this has been carried out along with an attempt to brand the conflict as a religious one against a background of increasingly rampant racism in Israel’s political and media discourse, as well as its entrenchment in the school curriculum and a series of laws and practices in favour of the occupation and its settlers. This culture of racism, incitement and hatred was glaringly apparent some months ago in an appallingly despicable crime committed by fascist settlers, who abducted Mohammed Abu Khdeir, a young boy from Jerusalem, burned him alive and killed him. This brings me to another fact of history.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“It refuses to end the occupation of the State of Palestine that began in 1967; rather it seeks to continue and entrench it, rejecting the Palestinian State and refusing to reach a just solution to the plight of the Palestine refugees. That is the Government of Israel’s official position. At best, the future it proposes for the Palestinian people consists of isolated ghettos for Palestinians on fragmented lands, without borders or sovereignty over its air space, water and natural resources, under the subjugation and control of the racist settlers and the army of occupation; at worst, it is a totally abhorrent form of apartheid. Some of the Israelis say they are for two States. Where is the State of Palestine? This is what they intend for the State of Palestine.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The occupation’s campaign specifically targeted the city of Jerusalem and its inhabitants, attempting to artificially alter the spirit, identity and character of the Holy City and focusing on Al-Aqsa Mosque while threatening grave consequences. At the same time, armed gangs of racist settlers persisted in their crimes against the Palestinian people and their land, mosques, churches, property and olive trees. Again as usual, the Israeli Government failed the test of peace. It breached an agreement with the United States Administration regarding the release from the occupation jails of a number of Palestinian prisoners, who we continue to insist should all be released. When confronted with simple questions during the direct negotiations or through the United States mediator, Israel had no hesitation in revealing its true positions.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We genuinely respected all our commitments and understandings. Even as we watched the ongoing and escalating Israeli violations, we exercised incredible self-restraint, silencing our cries and tending to our own wounds in order to give the American efforts the best possible chance for success. However, as usual, the Israeli Government missed no opportunity to undermine the chances for peace. Throughout the months of negotiations, settlement construction, land confiscation, home demolition, killing and arrest campaigns and large-scale forced displacement in the West Bank continued unabated. The unjust blockade of the Gaza Strip was tightened.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“In the name of Palestine, we pay tribute to all who chose to stand with human values and demanded freedom, justice and peace. All of those manifestations of true solidarity constituted an important message to those who faced genocide in Gaza, helping them to feel that they were not alone. The recent war confirmed on the ground the essence of what the Israeli Government had been saying behind closed doors in negotiations. It came after long, difficult negotiations held over more than eight months under the auspices of the United States and through the efforts of President Barack Obama and his tenacious Secretary of State, John Kerry. We engaged in that endeavour and with the American Administration’s efforts with open minds and in good faith and a positive spirit. We laid out firm positions based on resolutions of international legitimacy.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“In the midst of a torrent of massacres and the turmoil of vast destruction, we saw the peoples of the world gather in huge demonstrations on the streets of many cities to announce their condemnation of Israel’s aggression and occupation and their support of freedom for Palestine. We also saw how an overwhelming majority of countries around the world declared themselves for the same noble position and rushed to give our people all kinds of support and assistance. And we saw a qualitative and quantitative expansion in the activities of the international grassroots boycotting campaign against Israel’s policies of occupation, apartheid and colonial settlement, especially among academic, cultural, student and youth groups.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Before the Assembly, I affirm that the Palestinian people will hold fast to their legitimate right to defend themselves against the Israeli war machine and to resist Israel’s colonial, racist occupation. At the same time, I want to affirm that not for one moment will our grief, trauma and anger make us abandon our humanity, our values and our ethics. We will always maintain our respect for and commitment to international law, international humanitarian law and the international consensus. We will maintain the traditions of our national struggle established by the Palestinian martyrs, to which we have been committed since the start of the Palestinian revolution in early 1965.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“No one can support Israel’s right to self-defence without regard for the fate of the thousands of victims of our people. No one can ignore the simple fact, upon which we insist, that the life of a Palestinian is as precious as the life of any other human being. Ignoring the facts on the ground cannot erase such facts. We must also assume that no one can continue to wonder why extremism is rising and why the culture of peace is losing ground and receding, while efforts to achieve it are collapsing. And yet we continue to believe and hope that this time no one will try to help out the occupation by supporting its impunity and its attempts to evade accountability for its crimes. Here, today, in the name of Palestine, I affirm that we will not forget or forgive, and we will not allow war criminals to escape punishment.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)