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

“Mr. Al-Kidwa (Palestine) (spoke in Arabic): At the outset I would like to express our great pleasure at seeing you, Mr. Minister, preside over the deliberations of the Council as it debates this important subject. Also, I would like to take this opportunity to express our thanks and appreciation for the truthful and courageous positions taken by Bangladesh, a friendly country, during its membership in the Security Council, and the extraordinary effort made by the Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations in this regard. I would also like to express thanks to the Secretary-General and to welcome his tireless efforts to enhance the role of the United Nations in the prevention of armed conflicts and in the maintenance of international peace and security.”
2001-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4334Resumption1 (2001) · source
“I should like to add to that my earlier comments about the need to avoid selectivity, whether with regard to enforcing compliance or dealing with the matter as a whole. This includes ending what has become a culture of impunity in one specific case. Without this, we will be speaking honourable and strong words, but they will remain just that: words.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“In this regard, we would like to express our deep appreciation to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, the Special Rapporteur, and the commission of inquiry, for strongly underlining the need for a protection mechanism for Palestinian civilians in their recent reports 4 although, mysteriously, in her statement today, the High Commissioner for Human Rights did not even mention the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory. In his note regarding this debate, the President of the Council suggested that we remain focused on the subject matter and make suggestions. Our focus is clear. It can be summarized in one word: compliance - compliance with the relevant instruments of international humanitarian law and human rights law, and compliance with the Security Council's own resolutions.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“On the other hand, it is very difficult for the Council itself to assert credibility, or claim success, in dealing with the protection of civilians in armed conflict at a time when it has repeatedly failed to effectively respond to the need of Palestinian civilians for protection, including the dramatic and urgent increase in that need during the past several months, beginning on 28 September 2000. We, together with many States Members of the United Nations and the majority of Security Council members, have indeed been trying to achieve something in this regard, even in a gradual, initial form - but to no avail.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“In this regard, I refer to, inter alia, the many Security Council resolutions reaffirming the applicability of the Fourth Geneva Convention to the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem; the existence of several resolutions specifically dealing with the need to provide protection to Palestinian civilians; and, finally, the convening, for the first time in the history of the four Geneva Conventions, of a Conference of the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention on the situation, in accordance with calls made at the tenth emergency special session of the General Assembly. In addition, significantly, the Statute of the International Criminal Court - including a part on war crimes - has now been concluded.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“This is practically the entire sense of the Fourth Geneva Convention and Additional Protocol I. With regard to the specific case of Palestine, the Secretariat should also have taken into consideration the longstanding dealings of the United Nations with the case, from the issue of the Palestine refugees to the ongoing Israeli occupation since 1967.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“However, we reiterate our comments during discussion of the first report; we are perplexed that the two reports fail to make any mention of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territory, or of the grave and serious breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention, Additional Protocol I and the Hague Regulations being committed by the occupying Power. We agree with the report that the rising number of internal armed conflicts around the world is a phenomenon to which we must direct greater attention. Nevertheless, there can be no serious consideration of the subject of the protection of civilians in armed conflict, and no serious attempt to apply international humanitarian law, without necessary attention being given to the case of foreign occupation.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“The interest shown by the Security Council in this matter is appropriate and necessary, and we hope that it will continue until the protection of civilians in armed conflict is adequately ensured and taken seriously in all cases - and, I would add, without the selectivity caused by political considerations that leads to inaction. We appreciate the second report (S/2001/33l) on this subject, of 30 March 2001, presented by the Secretary-General to the Security Council upon the request of the Council, just as we appreciated the report (S/l999/957) of 8 September 1999. Both are important documents.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“Mr. Al-Kidwa (Palestine) (spoke in Arabic): I congratulate you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the Council for the current month. I express the hope that, during the remaining period of your presidency, the Council will carry out important work relating to our region. I should also like to pay tribute to your predecessor, the Permanent Representative of Ukraine, for his work last month. I should like to make my statement in English. (spoke in English) We firmly share the belief that the protection of civilians in armed conflict is a matter of immense importance.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“In conclusion, I would like to pay tribute once again and express our thanks to all of those who stood by our side. I am especially thankful to the non-aligned caucus - primarily its coordinator for this month and the Arab member, Tunisia 4 for their positions of principle in support of our people's struggle.”
2001-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4305 (2001) · source
“Kofi Annan; we call upon him to continue those efforts, especially as the Council has been prevented from doing its duty. When we think of what has happened, we truly think it strange: After hearing just a while ago the unbalanced - at least from our point of view - statement by the representative of the United States of America, we have to admit that our astonishment is no longer. Indeed, we would have liked not to be surprised any longer, but for totally different reasons and in a totally different way. The Palestinian party will work sincerely to resume traditional cooperation here at the United Nations and in capitals with the friends who chose to abstain in the voting on the draft resolution today. We are confident that this is possible, particularly in the light of the traditional Middle East policies of those States.”
2001-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4305 (2001) · source
“It was out of the question to take a step backward by sacrificing the legitimate needs and demands of our people, including their need for international protection, especially since no other concrete proposal was put forward in terms of either timing or substance. From our perspective, this stage of our effort with the Security Council has come to an end. We shall certainly return at a later date to see what can be done, in cooperation with Council members who are willing, in the service of the principles of peace, justice and legitimacy. We are confident that this will ultimately be possible; under no circumstances will we cease to call upon the Security Council to shoulder its responsibilities under the Charter of the United Nations. At the same time, we shall continue to welcome the efforts of the Secretary-General, Mr.”
2001-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4305 (2001) · source
“To all of that we must add the convening of the Arab summit at Amman, an important political development that cannot be ignored. We wanted the Council's action to send the right message to that summit, one that would promote interdependence and harmony between Arab action and international legitimacy in addressing the deteriorating situation in the region. We made every possible effort to reach such a positive conclusion, even at the expense of the substance of the draft resolution - even, more than once, at the expense of our own positions. Clearly, we are sorely disappointed at the position we are in today, including all the surprises and unexpected developments, some of which were rather unusual in terms of the Council's procedures and working methods.”
2001-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4305 (2001) · source
“And as for content, it was suggested that what had been decided was in fact very far removed from what could actually be agreed upon at this time. For our part, in the light of our duty towards our people, it would have been impossible for us to pursue action that would result in something falling far short of what is acceptable in the light of the situation on the ground, in the light of past Security Council resolutions, and in the light of the provisions of international law and international humanitarian law. Moreover, it would be unreasonable for us to pursue action that seems to drag on indefinitely in the face of a situation that is daily deteriorating and given the need for an international response to the issue of timing.”
2001-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4305 (2001) · source
“But, in the hope that we could take a positive step that might open the way to better prospects for greater Security Council participation in the Middle East situation and that might improve the situation on the ground and promote the peace process, we agreed to respond to that initiative; we cooperated sincerely with European countries and with the United States of America 4 and, naturally, with non-aligned and other members of the Security Council. More than once during that time, we thought we were close to agreement. Indeed, on Tuesday afternoon we achieved an agreement conditional only upon acceptance by our officials. Despite all of that, it became clear to us late this evening that everything related to timing had evaporated. There seems to have been an attempt to delay action without setting any definite date or time.”
2001-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4305 (2001) · source
“There was a move to accept a limited step in the direction of the possibility of setting up a force to help protect Palestinian civilians in the occupied Palestinian territories; this came to be known as the two-stage approach. To be frank, we were not very happy, because, as is only normal, we feel that protection for our Palestinian people should be expedited in order to put an end to the current bloodshed.”
2001-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4305 (2001) · source
“Since November 2000 we have made efforts to establish a United Nations observer force to provide protection to the Palestinian people. As members know, the result was the unfortunate outcome which the Council reached for reasons known to all. Subsequently, we resumed our efforts towards the same objective. Later, when it had become clear that it would be impossible to attain our objective now, owing to the negative United States position, European members of the Council took an initiative that would have responded to the situation on the ground and to the situation relating to the Middle East peace process, with a view to moving the peace process forward.”
2001-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4305 (2001) · source
“Those friendly States undertook this marvellous action in support of the just demands of the Palestinians and in support of the peace process in the Middle East on the basis of the principles of the Non-Aligned Movement and on the basis of positions of principle regarding the question of Palestine. Likewise, we would like to thank the members of the Council who voted in favour of the draft resolution and those that expressed their readiness to support us even if the current circumstances were more difficult. In that regard, I would like to mention China and the Russian Federation. We would also like to express our deep gratitude to our brothers in the Arab Group and the Group's Chairman this month 4 the United Arab Emirates - as well as to Chairman of the Arab Summit, the Arab Republic of Egypt.”
2001-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4305 (2001) · source
“Sharon and Barak - through all their declared and expressed statements and positions that run counter to international law and that call for escalation and confrontation. This also means a failure to provide the support necessary to revive what is left of the Middle East peace process, as well as the necessary assistance to the parties to overcome the difficulties they face by simply assuming the presence of good intentions among the parties. This regrettable result came about despite the constant work done recently to which we all contributed. I would first like to express, on behalf of the Palestinian people, our heartfelt thanks to the Non- Aligned caucus in the Security Council, which sponsored today's draft resolution - Bangladesh, Colombia, Jamaica, Mali, Mauritius and Singapore.”
2001-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4305 (2001) · source
“Mr. Al-Kidwa (Palestine) (spoke in Arabic): The Security Council arrived at a negative result today because one of its permanent members used the right of the veto. This means that the Council was prevented from carrying out its duties to preserve international peace and security in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations. This is truly regrettable. As far as we, the Palestinian people, are concerned, we believe that this failure also means a failure to contribute to ending the tragedy that has been taking place in the occupied Palestinian territories because of the bloody and oppressive campaign waged against our people by Israel - the occupying Power - and by the leaders in charge and the current and previous Israeli Prime Ministers f Messrs.”
2001-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4305 (2001) · source
“It is our right to call upon the Security Council to take up its responsibilities in accordance with the provisions of international law and of its own resolutions, and even in accordance with the peace agreements signed between the Palestinians and the Israelis, as well as the Charter, and to take the necessary measures to provide minimum protection for the Palestinian people and to halt this tragedy that is occurring in Palestine. Mr. President, this is what we want you to do. We will try to approach this with an open mind and an open heart, and we hope that it will come about in order to send the correct message to the two parties so that the Security Council can finally contribute to changing this rapidly deteriorating situation.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“Whenever Israel faces any form of criticism it escalates its aggressive measures; then it returns to the previous situation; then we, the representatives of the international community, applaud Israel for such behaviour. Is this logical or reasonable? We are calling upon you, Mr. President, and the Council, to commit yourselves to upholding the minimum of international law, international humanitarian law and the provisions of the Security Council resolutions. This is all we are asking for - nothing more. Do not support any position that does not serve the peace process. Do not support any position that calls upon you to go beyond international law.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“We have a legal, political and moral problem vis-a-vis this so-called artificial balance. In fact, we do not accept any comparison between the power of the occupation force and the power of the people subjugated by this occupation. There is no comparison. In truth, we are very worried about the hesitation of those few countries in the face of the escalation of Israeli repression against the Palestinian people. The problem is that those few countries believe, whenever Israel eases the blockade and siege that have been imposed, that this is a positive thing. Why? How can we deem positive the easing of the blockade instead of calling for a halt to such a blockade? This is an invitation to Israel to intensify the blockade imposed on the Palestinians whenever it faces a problem. That is why they are behaving this way.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“Israel is not forced to deal seriously with the Security Council because of the Council's continuous hesitation before Israel. Who could do this? How can a Minister for Foreign Affairs, after a Security Council meeting, threaten the Palestinian side by saying, "If you go to the Security Council, we will not resume negotiations." Why is this? We extend our thanks, of course, to all the countries that have participated in the discussion during these two days. In fact, the majority of these countries have spoken very positively. Once again, we thank them all for their positions. There are a few speakers who have used logic with which we have a problem. Such logic contributes to the present Israeli position. Our problem is in establishing a dialogue with those few States, thus reaching a so-called artificial balance.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“The accusations they are making against the Palestinians are false, and the mass media will come to reveal the acts of violence carried out by Israel against the Palestinians. He posed the question, if the Palestinian side "renounces" violent acts when military observers are invited, is it really rejecting violence? Our answer is that we believe that the presence of the observers would contribute positively to controlling all forms and acts of violence. It would also contribute to restoring the situation to what it was before 28 September, until we reach an agreement on the final status. What is the problem here? The problem here is that the international community has hesitated before Israeli intransigence, the reason being that the most powerful member of the Security Council continues to support Israel.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“This is what the Israeli Prime Minister is actually saying in public: he would like to put aside all agreements concluded until now. The Israeli Ambassador then comes here to lecture us about Israel's peaceful position. Until now, we have not understood the reason for Israel's rejection of the establishment of an observer force under the auspices of the United Nations. What is the real reason for that? The Israelis used to talk about the internationalization of the problem and the fact that Israel rejects the internationalization of the problem. Perhaps they have concluded that this is not really acceptable. They have talked about the fact that video cameras and the mass media are more dangerous than acts of violence. They have not given us a reason for this.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“We talked about this in our earlier statement and we will not repeat what we have already said. But what is important now is what Mr. Sharon, the present Prime Minister, is actually saying about the peace process. Will Israel accept the resumption of negotiations, or will it try to avoid this, giving various pretexts and excuses, pretexts that it has created and for which it is responsible? Will Israel accept the resumption of negotiations at the point at which they were suspended? Will Israel take into account the progress that has been made? Even more importantly, will Israel accept responsibility for the agreements already concluded and thus negotiate the final status? Or would Israel like to destroy all this and impose a new transitional process on the Palestinian people?”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“We emphasize that Israel should accept in principle its obligations and responsibilities vis-a-vis the Palestinian refugees and their right to return and that compensation should be given to those refugees who do not wish to return, in accordance with international law. But this is only half of the truth. We have also said that we are prepared to negotiate with the Israeli side on certain mechanisms that would take into consideration all Israeli fears, including Israel's security requirements. Even if the Israeli side does not accept this, it should not depict our position as a request for Israel to commit suicide. Therefore, there is a conceptual problem here. The Ambassador said that President Arafat has refused to sign an agreement with Mr. Barak despite the many concessions made by Mr. Barak. This is not true.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“These accusations can only mean that the Palestinians are very strange and abnormal creatures. They are not human beings because they are happy when they are repressed; they seek repression, and they are very happy when their children are killed. What do these accusations mean? How can we accuse an entire unarmed people of practising force and violence against the most powerful military force in the Middle East? What does this mean? The Israeli Ambassador has also talked about something another colleague had mentioned, concerning the essence of the Israeli position rejecting the Palestinian position on the return of refugees. This is not the situation in Palestine. Of course, we say that it is important to preserve the rights of Palestinian refugees.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“I hope this situation will not deteriorate because of such persistence and insistence. The Israeli Ambassador did not like the reference made by another colleague to the importance of not distinguishing between Israeli blood and Palestinian blood. What is the problem here? What is the problem concerning not distinguishing between the blood of both sides? The problem is that the positions taken by Israel and Israeli officials affirm our suspicions that they believe that Israeli blood is more precious and more valuable than Palestinian blood. How, when there are 10 times as many Palestinian victims, can we talk about Palestinians as the real cause of the present tragedy? What is worse is that the Israeli Ambassador made many accusations against Palestinians in his first statement.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“Perhaps it would have been possible to make such claims about the Palestinian people actually being under the control of the Palestinian Authority in many forums prior to the beginning of the actions that started six months ago - that is, before the imposition of siege, blockades, strangulation and all the other types of suffering we have experienced. It would be extremely ludicrous and unacceptable to talk about such issues as Israel no longer being an occupying Power due to the supposed fact that the Palestinian people are under the control of the Palestinian Authority. We would have liked to hear something more serious and quite different. In fact, the main issue is the occupation. The essence of the tragedy is that the Israeli side does not want to understand that, and that is the reason we find ourselves in this position.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“Another point I wish to make has to do with the fact that the Israeli Ambassador indicated that 97 per cent of the Palestinian people and 42 per cent of Palestinian territory are under Palestinian control. These figures lie, of course, given the fact that occupied Jerusalem itself has over 200,000 Palestinians. We also know that over half of the land under the control of the Palestinian Authority remains under the security control of Israeli forces. What is important to note here is that the Israelis believe that it is acceptable for Palestinians to live in isolated cantons, and that it is even a good thing. This in fact is a reflection of racist thinking that is no different from racial discrimination under apartheid and the establishment of bantustans in South Africa.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“I would now like to refer to the content of the statement made by the representative of Israel and to the expressions he used, specifically his reference to the "terrorist" aspect of the intifada and so on. This of course represents a serious and dangerous return to the lexicon that prevailed before the advent of the peace process. We, on the other hand, are speaking in an objective manner about the serious violations of the Fourth Geneva Convention being committed by the occupying Power, as well as about the war crimes that have been perpetrated by that Power. If the Israeli side insists, then we too are prepared to use the same expressions that were in use before the peace process began.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“Peres as follows: (spoke in English) '"Negotiations with the Palestinians will not be resumed as long as the Palestinians continue calling on the United Nations to station observers in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip', Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said on Monday." (spoke in Arabic) I do not really know whether that constitutes a threat to us or a threat to the members of the Security Council. Why are the Israelis rejecting negotiations? One of the parties is merely resorting to the Council, in accordance with international law and without having violated any of the agreements signed between the two parties, for the purpose of restoring the situation to what it was so as to bring about peace. Israeli logic here is quite different from Israeli logic as we know it.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“Mr. Al-Kidwa (Palestine) (spoke in Arabic): I am in fact not really certain of the nature of the statement we have just heard. Is it an attempt to exercise the right of reply or is it the second statement by Israel during the same meeting of the Security Council? The more important question is perhaps about its content, which, to say the least, is a reflection of the usual Israeli arrogance and intransigence. In fact, we had thought that the Israeli Ambassador would have made a different speech, but it seems that we are all supposed to be committed to the official statement he made earlier. I would like to refer once again to the meeting that took place between Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and the Security Council and to the results of that meeting. Various press agencies have today quoted Mr.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“We dearly hope that the Security Council will play that role this time and will contribute to improving the situation so as to achieve lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East as a whole.”
2001-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295 (2001) · source
“On our part, we reaffirm our commitment to all of this, to our strategic choice of peace and to our readiness immediately to resume negotiations on a final settlement. We call on the Israeli side immediately to halt the bloody military campaign against our people and to resume negotiations on a final settlement, taking into account the progress made to date in the negotiations. We call on the international community, and the Security Council in particular, to take the necessary steps to help the two sides to surmount the current situation, to put an end to the current tragedy and to restore control as a prelude to the resuscitation of the peace process, as I have mentioned before, through practical measures, including the establishment of an observer force.”
2001-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295 (2001) · source
“Sharon as we already know it with respect to the current situation, his refusal to accept a United Nations observer mission and even the future of the peace process, not to mention the other news and indications to be inferred from the escalating measures adopted by the Government in imposing a suffocating blockade against the Palestinian people. These positions impose clear responsibilities on the international community, in particular the two sponsors of the peace process and, specifically, the United States, which was a party to the current agreements. We all bear the responsibility to maintain and support the peace process by preserving its agreed bases and by insisting on a commitment to concluded agreements.”
2001-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295 (2001) · source
“Yesterday, Mr. Shimon Peres, the Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs, met here with the Security Council. That was good. Mr. Peres is a veteran politician known to be reasonably moderate. The problem is that he represents a Government that does not reflect that reasonable moderation. The question is whether Mr. Peres and his colleagues can influence the policies of that Government or whether the Government will use them as a cover for its extremist policies. So far, the omens are bad. Mr. Peres laid out the position of Mr.”
2001-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295 (2001) · source
“It acts as if we can isolate the situation on the ground from the political situation and the future of an entire people. The Israeli Government also refuses to negotiate from the point that was reached by the two sides in Taba. In other words, it would want to take us back a very long way. Much more serious than that, however - and here we are talking about the essence of that Government's position - is its reluctance to negotiate a final settlement in favour of new interim arrangements and solutions. This clearly indicates its desire to dissociate itself from the implementation of resolution 242 (1967). It would like to impose an eternal interim stage on the Palestinian people following the five interim years and their extension. This, of course, destroys the basis of the peace process and the agreements concluded between the two sides.”
2001-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295 (2001) · source
“This indicates our commitment to the bases of the peace process and that we are ready to negotiate on the basis of those principles. In the wake of the summit, the two parties achieved reasonable progress in the Taba talks. It would have been possible to achieve further progress had it not been for the known and constant of Mr. Barak up to the very last moment. As for the current Israeli Government, its positions completely contradict the bases of the peace process and the agreements concluded between the two parties. This Government, through the head of its cabinet in particular, claims that it cannot negotiate while the violence continues, as if the Palestinian side were responsible for the occupation and the practices of the Israeli army, the settlers and the campaign against our people.”
2001-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295 (2001) · source
“The question is the Israeli positions of the past, particularly if they were unreasonable and contrary to international law and legitimacy. The standard that should be used is consonance with the peace process, which includes implementation of Security Council 242 (1967) and the principle of land for peace. That is the yardstick. Here, I say very clearly that the previous Government did not adopt positions consonant with the peace process or with the implementation of agreements, although these positions were progressive relative to those of previous Governments. That is what prevented us from reaching an agreement at the Camp David summit. Let me say here that the Palestinian side has accepted, with some reservations, the principles that were later declared by former United States President Clinton.”
2001-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295 (2001) · source
“In this respect, we must refer to the responsibility of the international community, particularly that of the Security Council. Stopping the serious and dangerous deterioration is the necessary prelude to restoring the situation to the way it was before 28 September, saving the peace process and resuming the negotiations between the two sides. This brings me to the situation of the peace process, both before and after the installation of the new Israeli cabinet. The Israeli party claims that the previous Government made unprecedented concessions, which the Palestinian side rejected. This tells only half the story and in a very evasive and deceptive way paints a different picture. The previous Israeli Government may have adopted positions that were unprecedented by any adopted by earlier Israeli Governments, but that is not the question.”
2001-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295 (2001) · source
“Perhaps the Israeli army or some of its elements are completely out of control - some refer in particular to the Chief of Staff, Mr. Mofaz, as one example of this. Perhaps the Israeli political leadership would like to break Palestinian political will and impose certain solutions on the Palestinian side. Perhaps it is even worse - perhaps the political leadership has concluded that it could not implement the agreements undertaken in the peace process, including the implementation of Security Council resolution 242 (1967). It may wish to exit the peace process and to throw the blame on the Palestinian side. Perhaps it is a combination of all these factors. The important thing here, regardless of reasons and motives, is that we stop this tragedy as soon as possible.”
2001-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295 (2001) · source
“But the difference is huge and beyond comparison. In addition, there is no Israeli civilian presence within the occupied Palestinian territory; there are the members of the occupation army and settlers who reside there illegally, in violation of international law. The question here is how can any party, at least in view of these facts, talk about Palestinian violence, except those who believe that the Israeli human casualties are different qualitatively from the Palestinian human casualties? But this would represent such a racist situation that we would not even be able to begin to deal with it. Why does Israel, the occupation force, do all of this? We are not really sure, after all this time and all this suffering.”
2001-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295 (2001) · source
“Since 28 September, other measures have included the presence of the Israeli occupation army and the use of its huge military machinery; the presence of the illegal occupiers and settlers and their use of weapons against our people; the deliberate destruction of the Palestinian economy; and the transforming of the lives of the Palestinian people into a veritable hell. Of course, there is a complete popular Palestinian rejection of all of this. Here we have to say that in the face of all these Israeli policies and measures, some limited elements have accepted the use of reciprocal violence. However, this cannot at all change the clear and definitive nature of the situation. Let us take another look at the numbers: the huge number of Palestinian casualties and the limited Israeli casualties, for which we also express our regret.”
2001-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295 (2001) · source
“This tragic situation was also described by other international organizations and human rights organizations, including the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs. Mary Robinson, and the committee delegated by the Commission on Human Rights to investigate the situation. In spite of the clarity of this bleak picture, Israel has not stopped making claims of Palestinian violence. The cause of this situation is the Israeli occupation and the measures taken by the occupying forces, which continued even after the start of the peace process, such as the confiscation of territory and the building of settlements.”
2001-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295 (2001) · source
“In these letters we described the Israeli actions under the military bloodletting campaign as follows: deliberate killing, even in circumstances where the safety of the occupation forces were not jeopardized; the wounding of many victims - shooting at the upper limbs and upper parts of the body; the targeting of people by sharpshooters and by other means, using types of ammunition unknown to us; the use of tanks, helicopters and other heavy weapons to shell the Palestinian Authority headquarters and other civilian targets; restrictions on the movement of individuals and goods in Palestinian territory and between the Palestinian territory and the outside world; collective punishment, such as an almost continual curfew on the population of Hebron and the destruction of agriculture, land and other economic installations; and the non-transfer of taxes collected for the Palestinian Authority.”
2001-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295 (2001) · source
“Our Mission gave several specific examples, as well as the names of Palestinian martyrs, including children under 18 years of age. We sent 30 letters in which we documented everything that was done by Israel. Our file that could be described as the "file of crimes", including measures that represent a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 1949 and that clearly constitute war crimes in the terms of that Convention.”
2001-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295 (2001) · source
“We believe that it would have been possible to save at least some of those people had the Council sent a different message. We say this so that we can make perfectly clear the context in which we are calling on the Council to move in the implementation of its duties under the Charter. Of course, this is in addition to the risks that the current situation in the Palestinian territories might pose for the peace process and for the Middle East as a whole. During the same period, our Observer Mission sent 30 letters to the President of the Security Council and identical letters to the Secretary-General and the President of the General Assembly, in which we explained developments in the Israeli practices and the Israeli campaign.”
2001-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295 (2001) · source