YouSaid · the spoken record

Al-Kidwa

lines on the record: 724
first: 1992-01-06
most recent: 2004-10-06
sittings or episodes: 59
sources: un-security-council

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

“We hope that the Security Council will take the steps needed to provide the necessary protection for Palestinian children living under Israeli occupation, not only in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its relevant Optional Protocol but also with the legal commitments emanating from the Fourth Geneva Convention - which must be respected in all circumstances, as must its Additional Protocol 1.”
2003-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4684Resumption1 (2003) · source
“More important, we believe that the two paragraphs do not clearly reflect either the situation or its legal aspects; nor do they reflect the tragic situation experienced by Palestinian children for many years now. Nevertheless, this is a beginning that we hope will develop in an appropriate manner, including a visit by the Special Representative to occupied Palestinian lands, including Al-Quds Al- Sharif. We convey our welcome to him in advance.”
2003-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4684Resumption1 (2003) · source
“We also welcome the improvement of the Secretary-General's report in this context and the reference made therein to Palestinian children and their suffering, although the reference inadequately covers all the essential aspects of the issue. The same can be said of the statement made this morning by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict, Mr. Olara Otunnu, in which he added to the relevant paragraph of the Secretary-General's report another paragraph on the use of suicide bombings in Israel. Although we do not disagree in principle, we nevertheless do not understand part of the text in that additional paragraph.”
2003-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4684Resumption1 (2003) · source
“Only four members, whom I shall not name, voted against that resolution. It may be possible in a professional context for the representative of the occupying Power to seek to defend the illegal and illicit behaviour of his country, but it is intolerable and disgusting that he should try to tell Member States what to do and to portray the occupying Power as a State that obeys and observes international law and loves peace. We welcome the improvement of the Security Council's position concerning the question of children and armed conflict through its acceptance of the legal necessity of addressing the issue of children under foreign occupation. This logically leads to the issue of Palestinian children under Israeli occupation.”
2003-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4684Resumption1 (2003) · source
“To all of this we must add Israel's uprooting of half our population - including children and women - from their lands and homes since 1948 and its prevention of their return for over 50 years. We can thus realize the magnitude of the great humanitarian crisis and plight of Palestinian children at the hands of the leaders and forces of Israel, who are war criminals and the colonialists of the twentieth century. The efforts of the Security Council in the field of children and armed conflict complement the great work of the General Assembly. In this respect, we express our appreciation for the efforts of the General Assembly in addressing the situation of Palestinian children. The Israeli Charge d'affaires, with all his well-known arrogance, earlier attacked and criticized the General Assembly resolution concerning Palestinian children.”
2003-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4684Resumption1 (2003) · source
“Above all, Israeli measures and practices have impoverished Palestinian children, who consequently suffer malnutrition and lack of health care, and have halted and destroyed the educational system, leading to the spread of ignorance among future generations. All of this is occurring against the backdrop of Israel's ongoing occupation of our land for over 35 years, during which the occupying forces have not only oppressed and suppressed the population, but have also practised settler colonialism, one of the worst possible war crimes. The settler colonialism, which denies our people's rights to exist and survive and to national independence, further inhibits the Palestinian child's right to a natural and normal future, such as that enjoyed by any child throughout the world.”
2003-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4684Resumption1 (2003) · source
“Over the past 28 months, the children of Palestine have been subject to systematic murderous action by Israel, the occupying Power. During this period, the occupying forces of Israel have committed war crimes and acts of State terrorism, as well as systematic violations of the rights of Palestinian children and of the Palestinian people in general. The occupying forces, both deliberately and through the indiscriminate or excessive use of force, have killed over 650 Palestinian children and wounded thousands more, hundreds of whom have been permanently disabled. Through the use of force, widespread destruction and the collective punishment of the entire Palestinian community, the occupying forces have also inflicted psychological disorders and emotional and social damage on huge numbers of Palestinian children.”
2003-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4684Resumption1 (2003) · source
“Mr. Al-Kidwa (Palestine) (spoke in Arabic): At the outset, let me express our great satisfaction at seeing you, Sir, preside over our Council. You are a skilful diplomat well known throughout the United Nations. I am pleased to see France, a friendly country, at the helm of the Council. Although Colombia is no longer a member of the Security Council, I should also like to take this opportunity to convey our thanks and appreciation to the friendly delegation of that country and to Ambassador Valdivieso for his presidency of the Council last month and to wish him every success. We also thank the former members whose membership lapsed at the end of the year, congratulate the new members and wish them every success.”
2003-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4684Resumption1 (2003) · source
“He was prevented from going to Bethlehem to celebrate the holidays with the believers, the faithful Christians and Muslims. However, this is the Sharon-Netanyahu Israel. Perhaps we see something different. Perhaps we will see a different Israel next year. I wish you all a joyous holiday season.”
2002-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4681 (2002) · source
“This way we will be able to arrive at a peaceful solution, and the roadmap, any roadmap, will succeed, including the roadmap that was deferred today and which probably will not be confirmed before Mr. Sharon is able to add everything he wants to it. We are about to celebrate Christmas, a New Year, the holiday seasons. However, our people, the Palestinian people will not be able to celebrate the holidays. Not even the Israeli people can joyfully celebrate the holidays. Suffice it to mention the presence of the occupying forces, the occupying tanks, not merely in Bethlehem but in the Nativity Square itself, the birthplace of Jesus Christ in the manger. Let us just recall that President Arafat has been under siege for over a year.”
2002-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4681 (2002) · source
“One could simply refer to the letters that your august Council receives on this subject, given the lateness of the hour. I would only say that this tragedy should come to an end, but for this tragedy to end, the international community should play its role, and the Security Council should play its natural role and assume its responsibilities under the United Nations Charter. This Council should not stop at putting an end to Israeli criminal acts - Israel being the occupying Power - but should aim at setting a clear definition of the basis of a building block for peace, two states based upon the 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as the capital of the two States, with a fair solution to the problem of the Palestinian refugees.”
2002-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4681 (2002) · source
“The Palestinian people and the Palestinian leadership will not accept, neither today nor in the future, bargaining over our land and over the nature of these lands, as lands under occupation. We will not accept to put the rights of the Palestinian civilians under the Fourth Geneva Convention on the bargaining table. I hope that what I have already said is not true. I truly hope this will be the case. Otherwise, God help us all for the disasters that are yet to come to the Middle East region. What Israel does against the United Nations, its staff and against the international humanitarian organizations including ambulances and even hospitals, is only part and parcel of the criminal acts perpetrated against the Palestinian people by Israel. Frankly, I just jotted down some examples of such criminal acts.”
2002-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4681 (2002) · source
“If this is true it would mean that the United States of America is about to cause a historic new disaster to be inflicted on the Palestinian people and on the region by opting to take positions that would only lead to support of the extreme Israeli right that aims at eroding the nature of the occupied territories. Israel would therefore be an occupying Power that would guarantee the expansionist scheme, the continuation of settler colonialism and the building of greater Israel. If this is true it would mean an end to attempts to achieve peace in the Middle East on the basis of the rule of the two States with the 1967 borders. Furthermore, this would be an end to the peace process.”
2002-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4681 (2002) · source
“No one would have thought that such a draft resolution would face difficulties. No one would have thought it could have been voted down or vetoed, although we note that the United States is biased towards Israel. It seems that this bias knows no limit, even if it is at the expense of international humanitarian law and at the expense of the lives of those who work in the humanitarian field and the lives of the Palestinian people in their entirety. If the cause of the difficulties that the draft resolution - which was not adopted - faced was the reference to the Fourth Geneva Convention, or if the difficulties were due to the fact that Israel was mentioned as an occupying Power, meaning that there is an occupation, if either was the reason for the difficulties of the draft resolution then I say there is yet another major obstacle.”
2002-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4681 (2002) · source
“Furthermore, it has become clear that the attacks against United Nations headquarters and against United Nations personnel constitute a systematic approach and a type of conduct that characterizes the behaviour of the Israeli occupying forces. It reflects the Israeli defiance, as the occupying force, of international law, international humanitarian law, as well as all international norms. Israel, regrettably, depends on the automatic protection bestowed upon it by a permanent member of the Security Council. The Arab Group submitted a draft resolution that deals with the events and aims at putting an end to the acts by the Israeli occupying force, by stressing the protection provided by international humanitarian law to the sites, headquarters and personnel of the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations.”
2002-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4681 (2002) · source
“The international community should therefore undertake necessary measures against those who perpetrated these acts and should work to have them brought to justice. The Council has already stated in a presidential statement the need to protect civilians in times of war. We express our deep concern with the fact that the Sharon-Netanyahu Government did not take any measures to put an end to the grave violations and gross infractions by the Israeli occupation authorities, including acts against United Nations and other humanitarian organizations. Thus the Israeli Government is directly responsible for these acts.”
2002-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4681 (2002) · source
“Mr. Al-Kidwa (Palestine) (spoke in Arabic): We strongly condemn the attacks by the Israeli occupation forces on the sites and personnel of the United Nations in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem. We particularly condemn the killing, including the killing of one international civil servant, Mr. Iain Hook, in the Jenin refugee camp. Mr. Hook was responsible for reconstructing the refugee camp of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). We also condemn the destruction, particularly the World Food Programme warehouse in Beit Lahiya. These acts clearly constitute war crimes under international humanitarian law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention and its Additional Protocol I.”
2002-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4681 (2002) · source
“The Security Council has, despite repeated attempts, failed for many years to provide protection for the Palestinian people and even to adopt the appropriate international presence in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, which would certainly have created a different situation for Palestinian civilians. Nonetheless, that does not exempt the Council from fulfilling its obligations under the Charter regarding this issue. Of course, we look forward to that.”
2002-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4660Resumption1 (2002) · source
“While we acknowledge that Israel has the right to take all necessary measures to ensure the prevention of acts of aggression against its citizens within Israel proper, we must, nonetheless, stress that Israel has been present in our occupied territories since 1967 as an occupying Power and, therefore, it must respect the principles of international humanitarian law. More seriously, Israel is engaged in an ongoing war crime of colonization of the Palestinian territories through its settlement activities. We would like to state that those settlers who have been brought to the occupied territories are not civilians. Their presence constitutes the essence of the war crime committed by the occupying Power. Israel is the last colonial Power of contemporary times and, thus, must be condemned and forced to end its current crimes.”
2002-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4660Resumption1 (2002) · source
“Of course, that involves serious violations and grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949, and its first Additional Protocol, which involves the commission of committing war crimes and State terrorism, in addition to systematic violations of the human rights of the Palestinian individual. Against that background, therefore, the international community is dutybound to take specific measures, including bringing the perpetrators of war crimes and other crimes, and their authorities, to justice, to stand trial for their crimes. We refer now to what others call Israel's right to self defence.”
2002-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4660Resumption1 (2002) · source
“This is in addition to measures and policies relating to what is called "access", including extended curfews, isolation of population centres, and internal and external closures of communities, all of which have been reported by the Secretary-General in his reference to the report of Madame Bertini, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs. We believe that no one is treated like our people are. What is taking place is the destruction of the entire Palestinian community, the present and future of an entire people.”
2002-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4660Resumption1 (2002) · source
“We hope that future reports will reflect in a more accurate and better fashion this important dimension. There is an international consensus on the existence of a genuine humanitarian crisis endured by Palestinian civilians living under Israeli occupation. There is an international consensus that this crisis arises from the measures and policies enforced by Israel, the occupying Power. Those measures and policies have led directly to the death and injury of civilians and also to destruction of residential homes, commercial enterprises, agricultural crops and physical infrastructure on a broad scale.”
2002-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4660Resumption1 (2002) · source
“Mr. Al-Kidwa (Palestine) (spoke in Arabic): Let me begin by expressing our pleasure at seeing you, Madame Foreign Minister, presiding over this meeting and at seeing Colombia as President of the Security Council for the current month. I would also like to express our appreciation to the Permanent Representative of China and members of his delegation for their wise stewardship of the Council in the past month. First, I would like to thank the Secretary-General for his report to the Council on the protection of civilians in armed conflict. Also, I would like to express our satisfaction, because the report contains this time, after omissions in past reports, direct references to the humanitarian situation of Palestinian civilians in the occupied territories.”
2002-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4660Resumption1 (2002) · source
“Then, and only then, will the entire Arab region be prepared to fully heed the Security Council and to implement its resolutions in all areas.”
2002-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4625Resumption3 (2002) · source
“Why did the Council accept Israel's blatant defiance of the Council and even its disrespect for that body? Why were no measures undertaken, pursuant to Chapter VII of the Charter, to enforce compliance with and respect for Council resolutions? We know the reason, and I shall not dwell on it now. But it undoubtedly constitutes a double standard. I do not believe that there is anyone in the Arab region, or perhaps in the entire world, who does not know that. I shall reiterate what I said this morning. What we need today from the Security Council is a more serious attitude, in conformity with the Charter, that will convey the right message: that there is only one standard, based on international law and the provisions of the Charter.”
2002-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4625Resumption3 (2002) · source
“So, as we can see, it is a matter not only of what took place in recent months, but also of systematic policies that Israel has carried out for the past 35 years, in blatant violation of 37 Security Council resolutions, not to mention international law and the Charter of the United Nations. Thus, the entire life of the Palestinian people has been destroyed: their land has been stolen and their houses have been demolished; they have been deprived of their fundamental rights, of their State and of the right to return to their land. There is no other example of this kind in the world today. It is unprecedented in the history of the United Nations, and yet the Israeli representative says that there are no double standards. Why did the Security Council not try to enforce compliance with its resolutions?”
2002-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4625Resumption3 (2002) · source
“The settlements now dominate and occupy 40 per cent of our occupied territories. Among the resolutions in question are those concerning the extradition of certain Palestinians, asking Israel to put a stop to this practice, but Israel has continued this practice until very recently. There are resolutions calling for the protection of Palestinian civilians and resolutions calling for investigations by the Council itself. The Council set up a committee for this purpose, but Israel refused to receive it. The latest Security Council resolution, 1405 (2002), was to develop accurate information regarding recent events perpetrated by Israel in the Jenin refugee camp through a fact-finding team. What was the result? Again, the answer is very clear.”
2002-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4625Resumption3 (2002) · source
“Among the resolutions in question are those concerning the illegal Israeli practices and the attempt to change the legal and demographic nature of Al- Quds, resolutions which considered the law concerning Al-Quds null and void and asked Israel to put a stop to such practices. What was the result? Israel continued violating the resolutions and pursued the Judaization of the city, insisting on referring to it as the capital of Israel. Among the resolutions in questions are those concerning the illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied territories that called upon Israel to put a stop to these settlements, and even to dismantle them. What was the result? Israel pursued its settlers' colonialism and over the years transferred 400,000 Israelis into the occupied territories.”
2002-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4625Resumption3 (2002) · source
“Among the resolutions in question, there are 27 that reaffirm the Fourth Geneva Convention and call on occupation forces to respect the Convention. What has happened? Israel continues to violate the terms of the Geneva Convention, one serious violation after the other, including collective punishment and, recently, war crimes. Among the resolutions in question, some relate to the displaced Palestinian people, not the refugees, but the displaced people of the 1967 war. What was the result? Israel refused to implement the resolutions, and there are now 700,000 displaced Palestinians. Israel has not allowed a single one back.”
2002-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4625Resumption3 (2002) · source
“It is the only State within the United Nations that continues an active colonialist process in the twenty-first century, now that the entire world has practically eliminated colonialism - or most of it. The record is quite clear. Since the beginning of Israeli occupation in 1967, the Council has adopted 37 resolutions related to Israeli practices in the occupied territories. Thirty-seven resolutions, Mr. President, that deal only with Israeli practices in the occupied territories. They do not include resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973), or Israeli practices in southern Lebanon; nor do they include the peacekeeping operations. These 37 resolutions deal only with Israeli practices in the occupied territories.”
2002-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4625Resumption3 (2002) · source
“The representative of Israel tried to say that there is a difference in the nature of the resolutions pursuant to Chapter VII and those pursuant to Chapter VI of the Charter. He went so far as to say that the resolutions adopted pursuant to Chapter VI are mere recommendations. Of course, we do admit that there is a difference in the fact that there is an enforcement mechanism pursuant to Chapter VII. But to attempt to give the impression that some resolutions are binding and others are not is legally false and should be condemned, because this is an attempt to falsify one of the Charter's principles. Article 25 is extremely clear, and all Security Council resolutions are binding. Israel is the only State in the United Nations that has been recognized by the Security Council as an occupation Power.”
2002-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4625Resumption3 (2002) · source
“Mr. Al-Kidwa (Palestine) (spoke in Arabic): Thank you, Mr. President, for giving us a second opportunity to address the Council. A few moments ago, the representative of Israel gave a lengthy and rather strange intervention, discussing, in the first place, essential matters unrelated to the issue at hand. Secondly, he gave false legal arguments, false interpretations of the provisions of the United Nations Charter and of Security Council resolutions. Thirdly, he attempted to falsify Israel's record in non-compliance with the Council's resolutions, accusing many speakers and launching unjustified accusations. This is why we find ourselves obliged to reply to his intervention.”
2002-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4625Resumption3 (2002) · source
“That State is, of course, Israel, which is considered by the Council to be the only occupying Power in the world today and which, incidentally, has illegally acquired several weapons of mass destruction. Just a few hours ago, Israeli tanks once again destroyed the homes of civilians in Rafah, killing at least five people and injuring forty. What we need here is for Members to try to regain, even partially, credibility for the Council and for this international Organization.”
2002-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4625Resumption2 (2002) · source
“The Beirut Summit was a very important step in that direction. We would like to reiterate our commitment to the spirit of the Summit and to its decisions and resolutions, including with regard to cooperating with the Tripartite Commission to resolve the issues of the return of Kuwaiti property and of Kuwaiti prisoners and third-party citizens being held in Iraq. It is very difficult for the Arab street to believe that the use of force against Iraq would serve to uphold international law and legitimacy or to ensure respect for the resolutions of the Security Council. It is doubly difficult to believe when all Arabs - and indeed the entire world - have witnessed how Security Council resolutions are violated and rejected and how the provisions of international law are flouted by a single State.”
2002-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4625Resumption2 (2002) · source
“The recent negotiations in Vienna and Iraq's subsequent position seem to point to the possibility of reaching acceptable arrangements between the United Nations and Iraq with a View to ensuring full compliance with the resolution calling for the destruction of all weapons of mass destruction and verifying that there are no such weapons in Iraq. Nevertheless, if the members of the Council find it necessary to adopt a new resolution, it will be important that such a resolution not contain impossible demands or mandate the use of force in advance. A new Council resolution should serve as a bridge leading to the implementation of its previous resolutions and not as a bridge to war. Just prior to the last crisis, Arab States had indeed made great headway towards Arab reconciliation with regard to the situation between Iraq and Kuwait.”
2002-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4625Resumption2 (2002) · source
“On the one hand, this question has been referred to the United Nations instead of taking unilateral action; and, on the other hand, Iraq has accepted the unconditional return of inspectors. We believe we should build on these two elements and that the current crisis should be resolved through a rapid return of inspectors to ensure that there are no weapons of mass destruction, thereby reassuring the international community with regard to this important issue. The Security Council has adopted enough resolutions on this subject.”
2002-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4625Resumption2 (2002) · source
“We are also worried about the growing possibility of the use of military force against Iraq - a sisterly Arab member country of the United Nations - as well as about the possibility of invading and occupying it. Were such things to occur, they would of course lead to further destruction in Iraq and to further suffering for its people. Moreover, such events would also have profound negative consequences on the region as a whole, encourage extremism and heighten hatred towards those who actually undertook such actions. It is very difficult to imagine stability in either Iraq or the region if such events take place. Using military force or going to war is definitely no solution. It must be avoided. Despite the beating of war drums we have been hearing recently, there have been some positive developments.”
2002-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4625Resumption2 (2002) · source
“Mr. Al-Kidwa (Palestine) (spoke in Arabic): At the outset, I have the pleasure to express to you, Mr. President, our happiness at seeing you preside over this meeting. Allow me also to thank the members of the Security Council for giving us this opportunity to participate in a debate of such great importance. In that regard, we would also like to express our gratitude to South Africa for its initiative in calling for the holding of this meeting in its capacity as the current Chair of the Non-Aligned Movement. Like other Arab and Islamic countries and the overwhelming majority of the world's peoples and States, Palestine is deeply concerned and harbours serious apprehensions about what we are witnessing with regard to the increasing possibilities of a new outbreak of war in the Middle East region.”
2002-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4625Resumption2 (2002) · source
“This approach also requires a genuine and effective international presence on the ground. This could be in the form of official observers in sufficient numbers and having a clear mandate, or, even better, in the form that was proposed by Secretary-General Kofi Annan: the establishment of a multinational force under Chapter VII of the Charter. The parameters of the final settlement are widely known, and our direct experience has taught us that the only possible and available way to achieve peace is that just described. What, then, is the obstacle to this settlement? I do not want to get into that from my official position of responsibility, because, like every Palestinian, I am angry and furious at everything that is happening in our country and in our region. But we, the Palestinian people, have not lost hope, and we await your measures.”
2002-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4614 (2002) · source
“What is meant by a comprehensive approach is not only how to deal with political, economic and security dimensions all at once, although these are important; but also to have a prior declaration of the form of the final settlement, not only on the basis of two States - Israel and Palestine - but also by identifying the borders between the two States, with the possibility of the two sides agreeing to some specific amendments thereto. This border is, of course, the armistice line that is now commonly known as the 1967 border. On this basis, there would be specific stages and steps that would lead us from here to our final destination, the final settlement. This is the only approach that would create a different dynamic on the two sides and inevitably lead to support by the overwhelming majority of both sides for this settlement.”
2002-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4614 (2002) · source
“Either intentionally or unintentionally, this for all practical purposes provides a new cover for Mr. Sharon and his policies, while blaming the Palestinian side for failure. All this is happening while the peace process is being marginalized and extremist forces are rising. This hysteria must come to and end and the moment of truth must be faced, namely the truth of Mr. Sharon, his Government, his army and their policies. Otherwise, we are drifting to a course that will drag the entire region into a worse situation. The only viable way to end the current tragedy and to return to the peace track is to pursue a comprehensive approach along with an effective international presence on the ground.”
2002-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4614 (2002) · source
“Yes, we will proceed with our second round of national elections, and we will do our best to rebuild our institutions and reform them. We welcome any international assistance in this regard. But at the same time, we understand the limitations of this process, and we know that no true, full democracy can exist under foreign occupation, and we know that we cannot build and maintain stable and effective institutions while killing, destruction and aggression continue. Demanding that the Palestinian side fulfil its duties in the area of security following the destruction of its security apparatus, expecting it to complete reforms and establish true democracy while under occupation and continued oppression is ludicrous and impossible to achieve.”
2002-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4614 (2002) · source
“We see this clearly in focusing on the question of reform. It is true that this is a very important issue for us, but it remains a Palestinian matter and is not part of the international agenda that deals with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Unfortunately, some appear to want to implement Mr. Sharon's plans through this approach. They are trying to give democracy a new meaning that does not recognize free elections and are trying to impose a political system, even an electoral system, on our people. This crude intervention in the affairs of our people is unacceptable. In any case, this issue cannot substitute for addressing the main issue - namely, the continuation of the Israeli occupation and the need to end this occupation.”
2002-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4614 (2002) · source
“It is the only State that has systematically violated and breached provisions of international law and international humanitarian law. It is the only country in the world that has openly rejected all relevant Security Council resolutions. As if that is not enough, Israel is the only State in the region that has illegally acquired nuclear weapons, in addition to other weapons of mass destruction. What has the Security Council done? Unfortunately, not much. What does the Council intend to do now? We hope that the Council will show the necessary seriousness in shouldering its responsibilities towards the implementation of its own resolutions. Another classic component of Israeli campaigns is the attempt to divert attention to issues other than the main issue at hand and to shift the onus onto the Palestinian side.”
2002-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4614 (2002) · source
“All were rejected by the occupying Power; it did not comply with even one of them. These include resolutions on Israeli violations and breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949; resolutions on illegal Israeli measures in Jerusalem; resolutions on the settlements; resolutions on deportations; resolutions on providing protection to the Palestinian civilians; and resolutions on dispatching envoys and fact-finding missions. All have been rejected and, in fact, defied through continued Israeli occupation. Israel is the only State in the world that is officially recognized as an occupying Power by the Security Council. Israel is the only State engaged in settlement colonialism in the post-colonization era.”
2002-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4614 (2002) · source
“Even if we accept the Israeli version of the story, how can a State be allowed to prevent attacks against its own civilians through ferocious and destructive attacks against an entire other population? If Mr. Sharon wanted a solution, he should have known by this time that there was no military solution. He is pursuing a military solution through suppression and brutality, because he does not want a political solution. If we examine all of Israel's actions in the context of international law and Security Council resolutions, we find a clear case. It is a case of three decades of defiance of Security Council resolutions. Three decades and more. Twenty-eight resolutions have been adopted by the Council with regard to Israeli practices and measures in our occupied territory.”
2002-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4614 (2002) · source
“When the Israeli political position favoured the continuation of the peace process and efforts to achieve a final solution, those acts were not allowed to derail the peace process but rather were used to strengthen cooperation with the Palestinian Authority. When the political position became Sharon's political position, the peace process was halted and the suicide bombings were used as a pretext to hit the Palestinian Authority and to revert to the pre-Oslo situation. Why is the Palestinian Authority being targeted instead of assaulting the perpetrators of the suicide bombings? Why are the lives of the entire Palestinian people being destroyed instead of convincing them that there is a viable path to peace to fulfil their rights.”
2002-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4614 (2002) · source
“We condemn them as acts of terrorism that are harmful to the Palestinian national interests. In any case they are being committed by groups that oppose the peace process and the accords signed between the two sides. However, I would like to state here that the first suicide bombings took place towards the end of 1994. That is 27 years after the gruesome Israeli occupation began, and after Israel, the occupying Power, had already transferred about 350,000 Israeli settlers to occupy Palestinian land in order to settle there, colonize it and take it over. No, the Israeli occupation and its reprehensible practices have not resulted from the suicide bombings - it actually created them.”
2002-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4614 (2002) · source
“He is the person responsible for all kinds of war crimes and State-sponsored terrorism committed by the Israeli occupation forces during his premiership of the Israeli Government. He is the person who is pushing the entire region towards catastrophe. For its part, Israel is trying to deny these political objectives and is waging psychological warfare against our people and leadership, in addition to a systematic global campaign of falsehoods and misleading lies. One major component of this is an attempt by Israel to project that all of the atrocities committed against our people are a reaction against suicide bombings, projecting the entire conflict as having started with all these explosions. Nothing could be further from the truth. For our part, our position has been clear. We condemn these bombings against civilians in Israel.”
2002-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4614 (2002) · source
“Sharon has repeatedly said that he rejects any final settlement and that he wants long-term interim arrangements. Mr. Sharon has repeatedly said that Palestinians had to be harmed and totally defeated. He objected to the Mitchell recommendations until he managed to bury them. Mr. Sharon said that he had hoped to have killed President Arafat in Beirut. Mr. Sharon rewrote resolution 242 (1967) in open defiance of the Security Council and all those who supported the peace process, and he was categorically clear when he recently said that the Oslo Accords no longer exist. This is the very same Mr. Sharon who is the hero of the massacres of Sabra and Shatila, Qibya and Khan Yunis.”
2002-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4614 (2002) · source