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

“In particular, the Government of Israel must cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, especially in and around East Jerusalem; dismantle the apartheid annexation wall; and put an end to the policy of blockade and closures that restrict the lives and movement of our people and deprive them of their basic human rights. Our demands for the freezing of settlement activities, the lifting of the blockade and an end to all other illegal Israeli practices do not constitute preconditions that are alien to the political process. Rather, they are consistent with the implementation of previous obligations and commitments which have been repeatedly reaffirmed in all the resolutions adopted since the start of the political process.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“We will exert every effort to reach an agreement for Palestinian-Israeli peace within one year, in accordance with the resolutions of international legitimacy, the Arab Peace Initiative, the road map and the vision of the two-State solution. On behalf of the Palestine Liberation Organization, we have reaffirmed our commitment to the option of just peace and our determination, seriousness and sincere intention to make these negotiations succeed, in spite of all the difficulties and obstacles before us. The international community should draw lessons from the reasons for the faltering of the political process and the inability to achieve its goals in the past. Restoring the credibility of the peace process mainly requires compelling the Government of Israel to comply with its obligations and commitments.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“Our people aspire to live in security, peace and stability on their Palestinian national soil, to build the lives and future of our generations. We are willing and ready to reach a comprehensive, just and lasting peace, based on rights and justice and on the resolutions of international legitimacy. Such a settlement must lead to the withdrawal of Israel, the occupying Power, from all the Arab and Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, so that the State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as their capital, can enjoy independence and sovereignty and so that peace can prevail throughout the Middle East. Because of our genuine desire to attain a comprehensive peace in the region, we have decided to enter into final status negotiations.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“To all of this I must add the fact that thousands of Palestinian prisoners and detainees remain in Israeli jails and detention centres. They are all fighting for 31 10-55103 freedom. They must be released and an end must be put to their suffering. This is essential for creating a positive environment for the attainment of peace. We cannot reach a peace agreement that does not liberate all of them from their chains and their imprisonment. In spite of all of this and despite the historic injustice that has been inflicted upon our people, their desire to achieve a just peace that guarantees the realization of their national rights in freedom and independence has not and will not diminish. Our wounded hands are still able to carry the olive branch picked from the splinters of the trees that the occupation forces uproot every day.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“The Israeli blockade is preventing our people in Gaza from rebuilding their homes, even though the international donor community has pledged some $5 billion to finance reconstruction. The blockade against the Gaza Strip must be lifted immediately and completely, and the tragic suffering being inflicted on our people there must be ended as soon as possible. We welcome the efforts of the international independent fact-finding mission established by the Human Rights Council concerning the Israeli attack on the Freedom Flotilla, which was carrying humanitarian assistance for our people in the Gaza Strip. We welcome the conclusions reached by the mission, and we also look forward to the submission by the Panel of Inquiry established by the Secretary-General of its findings to the Security Council.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“All of these illegal Israeli measures and practices must cease. This is also the case with regard to the situation in the Gaza Strip, which has been subjected to an unjust, illegal and unprecedented land, air and sea blockade in violation of international law and United Nations resolutions. It is also the target of harsh Israeli military aggression that has severely damaged its infrastructure. This illegal blockade and aggression have resulted in the destruction of the infrastructure and productive capacity of Gaza and destroyed 25 per cent of its homes and nearly 75 per cent of its jobs, leading to widespread unemployment and dependence on international aid.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“Such actions destroy landmarks, cemeteries and the religious, spiritual and historical identity of the holy city in every aspect and as quickly as possible, aiming to erase its historical character and pre-empt final status negotiations. This is in addition to the continuous excavations under the Al-Aqsa mosque, the demolition of homes, the deportations and revocation of the residency rights of its population and the imposition of a siege on the city in an attempt to isolate it from its natural Palestinian Arab surroundings and to control it geographically and demographically. This situation is a provocation to our people. It antagonizes them and gives rise to anger, especially in the Arab and Islamic world. It creates instability in our region and constitutes a serious obstacle to the achievement of peace and security.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“Such disrespect has rendered those resolutions ineffective, undermined the credibility of the United Nations and bolstered the prevailing view that double standards are in effect, particularly regarding the Palestinian question, and that Israel is a State above the law, flouting all these resolutions and engaging in oppression, arrests, detentions, killings, destruction, demolition of homes, blockades, settlement expansion and the establishment of the annexation apartheid wall, violating and undermining the existence and the rights of our people in their own homeland. The ancient city of East Jerusalem, capital of the independent State of Palestine and designated by UNESCO as a world heritage site requiring protection, is being subjected by Israel, the occupying Power, to actions that alter and distort realities on the ground.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“Our people, our homeland, Palestine, and our region, the Middle East, are facing extremely serious problems that continue to push them towards violence and conflict, wasting chance after chance to seriously address the issues faced by the peoples of the region and to arrive at comprehensive and bold solutions. This is the result of the expansionist and hegemonic mentality that still prevails in the ideology and policies of Israel, the occupying Power, whose standard policy is non-compliance with internationally legitimate resolutions, including those of the General Assembly and the Security Council.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“This demands that the international community take vigorous, effective measures to compel those countries to respect and implement these resolutions; to end colonization, occupation and exploitation in our world so as to promote the values of freedom, justice, tolerance and coexistence; and to combat extremism and terrorism. Indeed, the United Nations has a fundamental role to play in promoting cooperative relations among peoples and guiding them towards investment in the development of societies and infrastructure, as well as in fighting poverty, unemployment, desertification, disease and epidemics and the lethal human and environmental risks they pose for humanity and the future of our planet.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“All of this is happening at a time when we are witnessing rightful demands for the revitalization of the United Nations, particularly reform of the Security Council aimed at making it more representative and truly reflective of the current international situation. This is especially important in the light of the 10-55103 30 emergence of new Powers, which should be represented in the Security Council in order to enhance its role and effectiveness in maintaining international peace and security. There is also significant discontent over some States’ non-compliance with Security Council and General Assembly resolutions.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“In particular, we greatly appreciate his efforts, and those of the United Nations entities, especially the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, which continues to work to provide essential services to Palestinian refugees, who have been waiting for more than 60 years for redress of their plight and the realization of their right to return to their homes and properties. I am well aware that the agenda of the General Assembly is filled with matters and issues of pressing concern to the entire human race and to our planet, particularly those relating to armed conflict, wars and the struggle of people under foreign occupation to realize their right to self-determination, as well as climate change, global warming, natural disasters and the global economic and financial crises.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“It gives me pleasure to congratulate Mr. Joseph Deiss on his election to the presidency at this session and to wish him every success in fulfilling his important tasks. We would also like to convey through you, Sir, our thanks to His Excellency Mr. Ali Abdussalam Treki for his valuable efforts during his presidency of the General Assembly at its sixty-fourth session. We would like also to express our thanks and appreciation to His Excellency Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his tireless efforts in strengthening the role and work of the United Nations and its bodies in various fields.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“From this rostrum, I conclude by reaffirming our commitment to the Road Map, the Arab Peace Initiative and to all terms of reference of the political process. We call upon all parties to respect and abide by them to provide the opportunity to launch a successful and effective peace process. We are confident that all our brothers in sisterly Arab countries will adhere to the Arab Peace Initiative as a basis for safeguarding our rights and opening the way towards genuine peaceful relations with Israel once the occupation is ended and the independent State of Palestine is established.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“We continue to make every possible effort for the success of the efforts of our brothers in Egypt to end the ongoing coup in the Gaza Strip and to restore our national unity by resorting to the ballot box and holding presidential and legislative elections on their constitutional date under the supervision and control of Arab and Islamic countries, the United Nations and the 09-52463 32 international community. In that way, democracy will be firmly institutionalized in our political life. Hope will remain alive in our souls and we will not despair of regaining our rights on the basis of relevant resolutions of the United Nations, the historic role of which we reaffirm for attaining peace and upholding the principle of “might for right” and not “right for might”.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Our people, which continues to demand its rights and to be determined to remain in its homeland despite all of the suffering caused by the detentions, the blockade and the killings, is also keen to end internal division and to restore national unity. Our sister, Egypt, is making commendable efforts to achieve that goal. In spite of all our suffering from the occupation and its practices, we continue to work to build and develop our national institutions. We have made significant progress in this regard both in upholding the rule of law and public order and in promoting economic and social development, despite the harsh conditions of the occupation and the blockade.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“We call upon the international community to uphold international law and international legitimacy and to exert pressure on Israel to cease its settlement activities, to comply with the agreements it has signed, to cease its policies of occupation and colonial settlement, to release the approximately 11,000 prisoners and detainees and to lift the unjust siege imposed on the Gaza Strip, which was subjected months ago to devastating aggression claiming thousands of civilian casualties among and causing unprecedented destruction of infrastructure and public facilities, including hospitals, mosques, schools and even United Nations facilities.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“I reaffirm the eagerness of the Palestine Liberation Organization to achieve a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in accordance with the resolutions of international legitimacy. At the same time, I caution that the settlement policy and the building of the separation wall, which continue to be pursued by the Israeli occupation, will abort opportunities to relaunch the peace process. Time is running out and the risks are becoming greater as a result of the continued suffering of the Palestinian people under the last remaining occupation in the world.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“In this regard, I should like to express our deep appreciation of the important speech delivered to the Assembly by President Obama two days ago (see ), in which he affirmed the necessity of ending the occupation that began in 1967 and the illegitimacy of the settlements. He also stressed the need to establish an independent, sovereign and viable Palestinian State and to address all the final-status issues in the negotiations, foremost among these Jerusalem, refugees, borders, water and settlements, along with others. We reiterate that adherence to these principles, in addition to a complete freeze on all settlement activities, can salvage the peace process and open horizons for its success.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“How can one conceive of holding negotiations without agreement on the terms of reference and the objective of those negotiations, which the whole world has unanimously agreed upon, namely ending the Israeli occupation of the territories occupied in 1967, establishing the State of Palestine, with Jerusalem as its capital, reaching a just and agreed upon solution to the question of Palestinian refugees on the basis of resolution 194 (III) of 1948, and achieving peace on all the Palestinian, Syrian and Lebanese tracks, as affirmed in the Arab Peace Initiative, which provides a precious opportunity that must be seized to achieve peace?”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“How is it conceivable that negotiations can be held on the borders and on Jerusalem while Israeli bulldozers are working to change the reality on the ground with the aim of creating a new reality and imposing the borders that Israel desires?”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“President Barack Obama gave much hope to our people and the peoples of the region when he announced his vision for a peace agreement on the basis of a two-State solution and the cessation of all settlement activities. We welcomed the active American diplomacy to revive the peace process and all efforts of the international Quartet and its members: the United Nations, the European Union, the Russian Federation and the United States. All these active efforts and initiatives, which have been welcomed and supported by us and by the Arab States, are however confronted by the intransigence of Israel, which refuses to adhere to the requirements for relaunching the peace process.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“If international law stipulates the inadmissibility of the acquisition of the territory of others by force, how can we then deal with the current situation where Israeli settlement policies are undermining the goal of establishing a geographically contiguous Palestinian State in implementation of the will of the international consensus? That consensus is reflected in the many resolutions and principles, including the Road Map, which we all agreed upon and which is based on the 31 09-52463 principle of land for peace and on an end to the occupation that began in 1967. Immense efforts have been exerted and many conferences have been held over the years, particularly since the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993. Yet all of this has not led to an end to the conflict.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Since the occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, including East Jerusalem, in 1967, Israel has continued with its settlement policy on all Palestinian land, especially in holy Jerusalem, where that policy is being accelerated and escalated by many means, including the seizure of the homes of Palestinians in the city, the imposition of restrictions, even preventing Palestinians from building and sometimes from repairing their homes while new settlement neighbourhoods are established. Jerusalem is becoming completely isolated from its surroundings because of the illegal settlements and the apartheid wall. We now face a unique situation.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Everyone agrees on the need to achieve peace in the Middle East, to counter extremism and violence, and to establish the region as a zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. Yet the larger wound and deeper tragedy remains the suffering of our Palestinian people since the Nakba — the catastrophe — more than 60 years ago, to which the United Nations is a living witness. Its archives contain not dozens but hundreds of resolutions that have not been implemented. The suffering of the Palestinian people as a result of Israel’s settler occupation is crystal clear to the world.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“The peoples of the whole world are looking to this body to determine what can be done to save our planet from the effects of climate change and global warming and to address the world financial crisis. Many countries, including small and developing countries, see the need to reform the United Nations, including the Security Council, so as to reflect the reality of the current international situation and to ensure more comprehensive representation of the international community. These common concerns must not overshadow the fact that serious problems face the Middle East region in particular, first and foremost the lack of commitment to the Charter of the United Nations and the extent to which the resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council are actually being implemented without the application of double standards.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“I congratulate you, Sir, on your election to the presidency of the General Assembly. I wish you every success in your noble mission and recognize your long experience in international political affairs. I also extend our greetings and thanks to former President, His Excellency Father Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, whose positions and active efforts reflected the spirit and principles of this international organization, which is headed by His Excellency Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, whom I also salute. I express our appreciation for everything he has done personally and through the organs and agencies of the United Nations, notably the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), to assist the Palestinian people and defend their rights. During this session we have a full agenda before us.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Mahmoud Darwish glorified life and cherished his homeland, calling on our new generations to love life on their land and to preserve its continuity and to keep the torch always lit. Mahmoud Darwish said, “On this land there is something that deserves life, on this land there was first the beginning and the end — a land called Palestine — a name that was and is and will endure”.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“This Government will prepare for the holding of legislative and presidential elections. We will continue building a security apparatus based on professional tenets, with the support of Arab security. After the completion of those steps, it will be possible for us to proceed further towards strengthening our reconciliation and deepening the participation of all. If that is not actualized, whoever rejects those principles and does not conform with them must bear the responsibility before our entire people and before the Arab and international positions that reject this disintegration and division. In concluding my statement, I recall the words of our great Palestinian poet, Mahmoud Darwish, whom we recently lost and whose loss was that of a great cultural and humanitarian symbol and icon.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“In that regard, we express our deep appreciation for the role played by the brotherly Arab countries, especially Egypt, to alleviate the suffering and to help us save our people from the extremely difficult situation they find themselves in, including in particular their efforts to end the division resulting from the bloody coup led by Hamas against Palestinian legitimacy more than a year ago. As I have on more than one occasion, I would like to reaffirm once again from this rostrum that we will spare no effort to achieve Palestinian national reconciliation. We have already announced a preliminary plan that opens the door for this reconciliation to be realized and the formation of an independent, impartial Government that is acceptable to all, but that will not place us back under siege again.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“There is no doubt that the ongoing siege of the Gaza Strip, where unemployment is endemic, is compounding the tragic humanitarian crisis there. It is unprecedented in scope and scale, and the opportunities for education and medical care are scarce, punishing and causing the malnutrition of an entire generation with all the consequent risks for the future of the entire people. All of that is in addition to the transformation of the Gaza Strip into a huge virtual prison holding nearly 1.5 million Palestinians. We have exerted all efforts to get the siege on Gaza lifted, this dear part of our homeland.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“It is with pride that I can say that, even under those most difficult conditions we have been able to achieve security, the rule of law and public order for most of 39 08-52272 our towns and districts, despite all the remaining obstacles we have to confront. However, we will continue to follow that same path with firm determination and resolve. In that connection, the Paris Donor’s Conference, followed by the Bethlehem economic conference, were two special occasions in support of our national economy, our financial and economic institutions and treasury, and assistance to the Palestinian private sector, which has unwaveringly borne heavy burdens over the past years and has not failed to develop and progress.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“I wish to express our gratitude to our brothers in the Arab countries, to the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States, and to the whole international community for all the important assistance extended to our people and our Authority in all aspects of the endeavour to restore the Palestinian economy, provide real opportunities for its advancement, and rebuild the Palestinian security apparatus and the various institutions and agencies of the Palestinian Authority. In that regard, I wish to convey special thanks and appreciation to all the envoys from other countries who have provided assistance in several fields, particularly Mr. Tony Blair, the Quartet Special Envoy.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“At the same time, ongoing tragedies strike every Palestinian family with the continuing detention and imprisonment of over 11,000 Palestinians in Israeli jails. I know of no situation in today’s world comparable to ours, where a people is subject to the detention of such large numbers of its civilians and where prisons continue to be filled with more and more accused who are guilty only of wanting to be free and of envisioning a future that is different from the reality of occupation, siege and the loss of hope. Despite those harsh circumstances, our National Authority and governing institutions have exerted every possible effort to improve our conditions in all fields, including the security, economic, education, health and cultural sectors.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“As humankind celebrates the sixtieth anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the conditions being endured by our people are increasingly severe and complex. Our nation, which possesses only a small area of land, continues to suffer the fragmentation and discontiguity of its cities and villages as a result of more than 600 checkpoints and roadblocks on all main and secondary roads. There is no precedent for that in modern history. The harshest and most painful of those barriers are those that have surrounded occupied East Jerusalem, severing the link between it and its Palestinian surroundings, not to mention changing the Islamic and Christian character of our city. Attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian civilians have become daily occurrences.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“At this juncture, I would like to express our appreciation for the role played by the United States Administration, President George Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in advancing the negotiations and the peace process, as well as their efforts to remove the obstacles that stand in its way. I also wish to commend the positions taken by the Arab, Islamic and non-aligned countries, which have always taken firm stances in support of a just peace. I would like to express our appreciation for the role played by the European Union, which has supported our efforts in every possible way, and the role and positions of the Russian Federation, the People’s Republic of China and Japan, as well as of our friends and colleagues in Latin America and Africa who have always supported the advancement and continuity of the political process.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“In referring to the benefits of past experience, I wish to convey clearly that partial or interim solutions or the dropping or deferral of those core issues are unacceptable and unviable and will maintain the roots of the conflict, thus undermining any achievement on the road to peace. The solution must be comprehensive, complete, detailed and wholehearted. The solution we aspire to must include a mechanism to ensure its full and faithful implementation pursuant to the timetable agreed upon. All that inevitably requires international supervision of the implementation of the solution, as well as a more effective role for the international Quartet in safeguarding the solution we will reach and an effective guarantor role for the Security Council and various other United Nations bodies.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“We hope that the process will culminate in the achievement of justice, the implementation of international resolutions and the affirmation of international legitimacy. For our part, we will continue to strive to achieve the maximum possible progress in the current negotiations between us and Israel through this year, benefiting from past experience and relying on the desire of all our peoples to realize a genuine and comprehensive peace that will end decades of occupation and hostilities and result in the attainment of the two-State solution — the State of Palestine living alongside the State of Israel on the basis of the 1967 borders — and a just and agreed solution to the plight of the Palestinian refugees in accordance with resolution 194 (III).”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“For the purpose of the noble and peaceful objectives of building of a new Middle East free of destructive mindsets and irrational tendencies that run counter to the highest human values preached by all religions and creeds — a new Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction — we have been and remain committed to international legitimacy. We extend our hands for dialogue and negotiation to resolve the conflict in a way that provides all that is required for coexistence and openness to the future so we can build our societies and nations in accordance with the aspirations of our peoples to progress and in the spirit of the times. In that context, we express our full support for the continuation of the indirect talks currently taking place between Syria and Israel with the help of sisterly 08-52272 38 Turkey.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“Indeed, it is strange to hear comments, which we do not understand or accept, that are used to justify the continuing settlements in East Jerusalem and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territory and refer to the land as if it were not occupied territory or as if peace were possible without an end to the occupation of all of the Arab territories occupied since 1967, including the occupied Syrian Golan and the Lebanese Sheba’a Farms, and without an end to the occupation of East Jerusalem, the capital of our future Palestinian State and a city holy to hundreds of millions of the faithful of the monotheistic religions.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“On the contrary, their participation, in terms of both the level of attendance and the substance of positions, was a reflection of their genuine desire to embrace and support the political process and to address it in real earnest on the basis of the Arab peace initiative adopted at the Arab summit in Beirut in 2002. Allow me, from this rostrum to recall once again the special importance of the Arab peace initiative. I do this personally in order to draw attention to the significance of each of its platforms, because it represents a major joint Arab undertaking and offers a historic opportunity for us to achieve peace, security and mutual recognition for all.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“The main obstacle I refer to is that of the Israeli settlement campaign and its continuation throughout the occupied Palestinian territory, particularly in East Jerusalem. All of the participants in Annapolis took a united, firm and unprecedented stand calling for the immediate cessation of illegal settlement activities. It was recognized that this was a prerequisite for allowing the negotiations to resolve the conflict to lead to an end to the occupation and the grave, historical injustices inflicted on our people over the long decades. The participation of most brotherly Arab countries in the Annapolis conference was not merely a symbolic gesture.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“Such an agreement would lead to the realization of peace within our region and allow it to enter a qualitatively new era of relations characterized by good-neighbourliness, mutual recognition, security and open borders, and not by walls and barriers. I am certain that never in the history of the conflict in our region have so many countries gathered as those that attended the Annapolis conference or participated in the consensus that arose there. Those who met not only demanded vigorous action to accelerate and advance negotiations towards the achievement of a final peace agreement, but also explicitly emphasized the need to remove all of the obstacles that have continuously impeded the negotiating process and cast doubt on its credibility, usefulness and ability to actually resolve all aspects of the conflict.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“This year, I should have liked to bear news of the achievement of a comprehensive agreement between us and our Israeli neighbours, bringing an end to the Israeli occupation of our land since 1967 and to the suffering of the millions of our people living as refugees and displaced persons in exile from their homeland. I believe that the entire world, with its differing alliances and trends, shares that desire with me, especially following the Annapolis conference late last year and the relaunching of the political process. That set the necessary guidelines for the advancement of negotiations towards the conclusion of a comprehensive and complete agreement on all final status issues.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“37 08-52272 I highly value the Secretary-General’s understanding of the need to address the political and humanitarian issues concerning the Palestinian people and our region, along with the important role that continues to be played by various United Nations agencies, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which continues to shoulder great burdens, especially in the Gaza Strip and in the refugee camps in the West Bank, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria. In the absence of such a continuous, outstanding role, we would have suffered even more severe and perilous crises than we have experienced to date.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“On this occasion, I also wish to commend the role and positive contributions of your predecessor, Mr. Srgjan Kerim, during the sixty-second session of the General Assembly. I would also like to express our deep appreciation for the efforts, positions and initiatives of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. They reflect his foresight and pragmatism regarding the various issues before us and in all regions that are suffering crises and that pose threats to world peace, including in particular in the Middle East region.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“At the outset, I congratulate you, Sir, on your election as President of the General Assembly for this session. We wish you every success and express our confidence that you will continue to pursue the great mission undertaken by the United Nations, which constitutes a monumental achievement in the history of humankind towards the promotion of dialogue and understanding and the resolution of issues and conflicts. That mission continues to be carried out in accordance with the rules and principles of international law, including humanitarian law, and on the basis of covenants that are consistent with the spirit of the times and the needs of the Organization in resolving problems and conflicts and confronting the enormous challenges before us, including poverty, hunger, the environment and climate change.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“I thank the Members of the United Nations for their support.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“In conclusion, and from this rostrum of the United Nations, I say to the Palestinian people, both those in Palestine and those abroad, that an important historic opportunity is emerging. Therefore, let us be united in order to make that opportunity a reality so that our people, who have suffered so long, can recover their legitimate national rights and achieve the peace, stability and prosperity to which they aspire and which they deserve. We also hope that peace will come to other peoples who are suffering daily, such as the brotherly Iraqi people, and to those who deserve to live in security and stability within the framework of democracy, such as our dear friends the Lebanese people. Together, let us build a stable world a world of mutual assistance based on respect for life and for the right to self-determination.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“I have come to express the pain and suffering of every Palestinian man and woman, of all those who have lost loved ones or whose loved ones have been wounded, of all those who are waiting for the release from prison of their brothers, fathers, mothers and sisters, of all those who remain trapped on the Iraqi or Syrian borders and of the millions of Palestinians who are living as refugees on their own land. I have come to affirm that the messages of peace of the prophets and the other divine messengers who trod the paths of our land remain vibrant, like a tree that continues to grow and bloom. I have come to affirm that the voice of peace remains stronger than any other voice in our country. That is why I urge that we move forward, hand in hand, on the shining path towards peace, leaving expediency and short-term interests far behind.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)