YouSaid · the spoken record

Gillerman

lines on the record: 555
first: 2003-02-20
most recent: 2008-07-22
sittings or episodes: 44
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

“In the meantime, I want once again to thank members for their comradeship, for their collegiality, for their understanding, for their compassion, for their leadership and for their integrity. It has been an honour for me to serve with them, and I want on this very special occasion to make one more pledge: whatever happens, whatever the Council discusses, whatever transpires, Israel will prevail, because a country that has given the world the Weitzmann Institute, Hebrew University and the Israel Philharmonic can do no less. Thank you very much, and goodbye.”
2008-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5940 (2008) · source
“It is up to them to stand up today for what is right, to support and legitimize a moderate Palestinian leadership, and to tell those leaders that if they go for a fair and long-lasting settlement the Arab and Muslim world will stand by them, legitimize them and support them. I believe that this is also the solemn duty of the Security Council: to support the talks on the ground between the moderate and democratically elected leadership of the Palestinians and the Israeli leadership, and to let the parties reach an agreement which - hopefully very, very soon - will bring an end to the cycle of violence and make our two peoples live side by side in peace, security and prosperity. I believe it will happen. I am saddened by the fact that it will not happen during my tenure, but my wish for my successor is that it may happen on her watch.”
2008-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5940 (2008) · source
“What are we doing?" I hope very much that such a leader will emerge, and I hope very much that the Arab and Muslim world will realize that it is its duty and responsibility today, in that very clash, to support the moderates and to isolate and marginalize the extremists, because that is indeed what we are witnessing: a horrible clash between moderates and extremists. Nowhere is that illustrated more starkly than in Iran, where there is a President who denies the Holocaust while preparing 08-4326] the next one and who calls for wiping another Member State of this Organization off the face of the map. I think that much of the Arab world and the Muslim world, as I witnessed first-hand in Annapolis, realizes where the real threat is.”
2008-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5940 (2008) · source
“Not only is the vast majority of terrorists Muslim, but sadly and tragically, the vast majority of victims is Muslim. Each and every day, Muslims are being killed by Muslims in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Algeria, Morocco, Sharm el-Sheikh and Amman. What is the most frightening thing to me is the eerie silence of the Muslim world, the fact that we do not see in this Council or in the world a Muslim leader - be he secular, religious, political or academic - getting up to say "Enough is enough.”
2008-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5940 (2008) · source
“I would ask those here, when they next talk about the Middle East, discuss the situation there and talk about Israel, to think about that and to think about what we are dealing with each and every day. I wonder what they will think of next. But what I would ask and urge those here to do is to think of the world we live in. We are here to really deal with the real problems of the world we live in. We are, each and every one of us, here to make a difference. We are here to make the world a safer and better place. But what we are truly witnessing today is no longer a clash of civilizations. We are indeed witnessing a clash of civilization, in the singular, because most of the horror, most of the bloodshed, most of the killing and most of the violence, sadly and tragically, is within Islam.”
2008-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5940 (2008) · source
“When I look around this table, I see people representing countries that gave the world great Asian art; that gave the world Emile Zola and Hector Berlioz; that gave the world alternative medicine; that gave the world Breughel; that gave the world Benjamin Franklin, the Declaration of Independence, Albert Einstein and Leonard Bernstein; that gave the world Thomas Moore and Benjamin Britten; that gave the world Dostoyevsky and Tchaikovsky; that gave the world Verdi; and that have given the world, among other things, Nelson Mandela. What are the contributions of those terrorists to our world? Their biggest inventions and most advanced exports are airplane hijackings, hostage-takings, suicide bombings and, indeed now, using bulldozers as death machines.”
2008-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5940 (2008) · source
“I think that that reality should be considered very carefully when we next come to elect members to the Security Council. I think the standards should be higher and the considerations should be deeper. We are dealing with terror every day, and we have seen a new manifestation of terror only a few hours ago in Jerusalem. A few yards away from where President Peres was having lunch in his residence with President Abbas, another terrorist used a bulldozer as a death machine, trying to kill as many people as he could. That is the second time this has happened. When it happened the first time, people thought it was a just a crazy man doing something crazy. Now, it is becoming a pattern and we are seeing yet another contribution from those people whom one member of this Council totally supports. That member supports terrorism.”
2008-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5940 (2008) · source
“I truly believe that each and every representative around this table is here because he or she wants to make the world a better place for our children and for our grandchildren. Most are here because they care; most are here to make a difference. In that, I include my Palestinian colleague Riyad Mansour, who is not here. I truly believe that, when he speaks and when he is here, he cares very deeply about his people and wants to see their aspirations and their dreams realized. We may have had our differences, but they were always out of caring and doing the right thing. I can, unfortunately, not say that about every single member of the Council, because we do have a member whose main aim is to block any reasonable resolution and any mention or any condemnation of terror.”
2008-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5940 (2008) · source
“But if those present here were to come to Israel, or even just to imagine being there, they would understand that, while to many what we are dealing with - including in these quarterly meetings - is a technicality and something that is happening far, far away, to us it is everyday life. To us, it is not just statistics and numbers. To us, it is indeed human faces, living faces and, unfortunately all too often, dead bodies. I will be leaving here with a sense of achievement, because we and Israel have had some very memorable achievements at the United Nations over the years, but also with some sense of frustration. Represented around this table are many countries that mean well and are here because they want to make a difference.”
2008-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5940 (2008) · source
“Imagine. Imagine what it is like this morning to drive on the main street of Jerusalem and have a bulldozer turn over cars and crush them. Imagine being on Fifth Avenue or Oxford Street or the Champs- Elysees and seeing a bulldozer overturning buses and crushing cars with their occupants inside. Imagine that reality. Imagine the terror we face and the fear we live with each and every day, and try to understand what it is like to be an Israeli. Now, I have been here for nearly six years. I have sat here many, many times, and I have often been accused by some of my colleagues of overreacting, overdramatizing and being oversensitive.”
2008-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5940 (2008) · source
“Imagine being a grandfather like me, who sometimes goes to the kindergarten to pick up his young grandchild and whose heart breaks when he sees the armed guard in front of that kindergarten and for a moment is not sure whether he will live to see the moment when he will embrace his grandchild alive. Imagine what it is to embark on a bus and look around in fear, not knowing whether that bus will reach its destination or blow up. Imagine what it is like to sit in a cafe in Jerusalem and to realize that, while a coffee on the Champs-Elyse'es or in the Pushkin Cafe' in Moscow or right here in New York may cost $2 or $3, a coffee in Jerusalem could cost many, many lives. Imagine being a mother in Sderot whose children wet their beds every night out of fear and who, when she comes to collect them from school, is not sure they will be there.”
2008-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5940 (2008) · source
“Everyone will see a country that has contributed and is contributing each and every day to mankind and to humanity, not just to itself and the Jewish people, by making deserts bloom with its agriculture, by making limbs move with its medicine, and by making the world a better place each and every day with its innovations, patents, creativity and excellence, and indeed a richer place with its art and its culture. I would urge everyone here to come and see for themselves because, as with many other countries, one can never understand what Israel is really like unless one touches it and smells it and feels it. We urge everyone to come and visit. But I would also like everyone here, for one moment, to imagine - to imagine what it is like to be an Israeli.”
2008-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5940 (2008) · source
“I invite each and every representative here - some representatives have been invited and have not yet been able to make the journey - to come to Israel. Everyone will see a country that is very different from the perception he sees on the television screens, from the perception he gets from watching cable networks, where one sees only a country that seems to be a place torn by violence and bloodshed. Everyone will discover a very vibrant country of great excellence and innovation, where young people go about their lives enjoying themselves, while contributing to the country and to the world.”
2008-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5940 (2008) · source
“Throughout, many representatives have shown great integrity and great leadership. Many representatives have spent much time and energy on a conflict that to so many of them is so far away. But I would like truly to express my appreciation for What has been over the years a true demonstration of care, compassion, intelligence and integrity by very many. I would also like to share with the Council what it is like and what it feels like to represent Israel at the United Nations and around this table. One of the first things I would like to point out is that I am afraid that many of those present have not been to Israel, and I think that whatever words I use and whatever descriptions I give will never fully bring to the awareness of the world, or even of those present, what an incredible country Israel truly is.”
2008-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5940 (2008) · source
“I have prepared a speech for this meeting, Sir, which I will submit to you and ask you to read, because some very good people have worked very hard on it, and it is, I think, a very good speech that I think should be read by everybody. But, as this is most probably my last appearance before the Council as Permanent Representative of the State of Israel, I would like to take the liberty to speak to the Council from the heart rather than from the written word. I would like to start by thanking everyone here, each and every representative - Permanent Representatives and Deputy Permanent Representatives, members of the Council and other Ambassadors - for the time and the energy that everyone has spent on, among other issues, the Israeli- Palestinian conflict and our problems.”
2008-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5940 (2008) · source
“Thank you, Sir, for your able stewardship of the Council this month. I also wish to thank the Mission of the United States for their very able leadership of the Council last month and Under- Secretary-General Pascoe for his customarily comprehensive briefing. I would also like to take this opportunity to express to the Secretary-General our great admiration for his leadership, integrity and compassion in dealing 08-4326] with the very delicate effort concerning the release our two boys, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. In spite of the sad closure of that chapter, we are very grateful to the Secretary-General for his efforts, both personally and through his mediator, to bring it to a close. We realize how compassionate he was about it, and we are, both as a State and personally speaking on behalf of the families, eternally grateful to him.”
2008-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5940 (2008) · source
“Whatever disagreements exist on technical matters, dragging our feet on regulation - and worse, continuing to allow the illicit trade of small arms and lethal light weapons and State sponsorship of terrorism - will only exacerbate the threats posed to civilians. For States to fulfil their obligations to their citizens and ensure their safety and security, there must be a collective resolve to prevent the emergence of situations in which small arms and light weapons and other weapons aggressively threaten civilian populations. Israel, for its part, is prepared to engage with the international community in promoting appropriately robust arms regimes and in ensuring the safety and security of all citizens of the world.”
2008-04-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5881 (2008) · source
“When addressing the relationship between illicit arms and maintaining international peace and security, we tend to focus on statistics and figures to bolster our call for action, but we must remember that behind each victim affected by the illicit trade of small arms and light weapons - be it in armed conflict, civil strife or terrorism - is the face and name of a loved one, now lost to his or her dear family and friends forever. While the discussions on small arms and light weapons are largely technical, their consequences are overwhelmingly humanitarian. Hence, the lesson for the international community is clear.”
2008-04-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5881 (2008) · source
“We hope that the Security Council will be very vigilant in not allowing that vital issue to be politicized, as seems to be the aim of at least one member of the Council. We consider it to be a fundamental and crucial step towards progress in the peace process. Due to that commitment, Israel is ready to continue the efforts to identify standards for transfer control to reduce the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. Such standards could include the implementation of the marking and tracing instrument, full compliance with the Security Council's arms embargos, the assessment of the risk of diversion to illicit end users, a ban on the transfer of man-portable air defence systems to non-State actors, satisfactory management and control of stockpiles, as well as other similar measures.”
2008-04-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5881 (2008) · source
“Israel actively participated in the negotiations leading to the successful conclusion of the International Instrument to Enable States to Identify and Trace, in a Timely and Reliable Manner, Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons. The implementation of the Instrument, as well as the Programme of Action, would contribute to reducing human suffering if carried out by all States. For Israel, as well as for other States in our region and around the world, the implementation of the United Nations Programme of Action has become more relevant than ever. As such, we look forward to the coming Biennial Meeting on the Programme of Action in New York in July, and we support the Secretary-General's call for an operational and action-oriented meeting.”
2008-04-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5881 (2008) · source
“In that case, Hizbullah and its supporters who enable the small arms and light weapons to reach the terrorists both posed a grave danger to peacekeepers and the fulfilment of their mandate, as indicated by this very Council. Israel welcomed the adoption of the Programme of Action at the United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in 2001. The Programme of Action has contributed significantly to international arms control efforts in the past few years by raising the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons to a higher priority. The 2006 Review Conference reiterated the key role of the Programme of Action. However, Israel, like other delegations, regrets that the Conference was not able to achieve a consensus document.”
2008-04-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5881 (2008) · source
“Let us not forget that small arms and light weapons pose a threat not only to States and their civilians, but also to the peacekeepers who are often deployed to areas where the illicit transfer of weapons takes place. The Council is aware of numerous incidents over the past few years. I wish to point to one in particular, which occurred in southern Lebanon just last month - as detailed in paragraph 24 of the most recent report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of resolution 1559 (2004), contained in document S/2008/264 - in which a patrol of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon encountered unidentified armed elements in its area of operation.”
2008-04-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5881 (2008) · source
“Scores of Hizbullah and Hamas terrorists have been sent for training in Iran in recent months alone. The international community must press for an end to State sponsorship of terrorism. The security situation has therefore required my Government to spare no effort in combating and preventing terrorist organizations from acquiring small arms and light weapons, especially man-portable air defence systems, mines and improvised explosive devices, ammunition and explosives. Those arms are used by all terrorist organizations in our region to launch attacks targeting, both indiscriminately and intentionally, innocent civilians. The daily attempts to smuggle small arms and light weapons by land Via underground tunnels and through abusing humanitarian convoys underscores the significance of the threat.”
2008-04-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5881 (2008) · source
“The terrorism and violence carried out by extremists against Israel, and against Israeli civilians in particular, is enabled by the illicit transfer of small arms and light weapons to terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the Palestinian areas and Hizbullah in Lebanon. While State sponsorship of terrorism is not a new challenge for the international community per se, the increase in size, operational capacity and military technology of non-State actors reminds us time and time again that terrorist organizations cannot exist without the support of States. Two extremist States in our region, Syria and Iran, are heavily invested in transferring a variety of weapons to Hizbullah in Lebanon, among them small arms and light weapons. In addition to providing weapons, Iran also trains terrorists in operational methods.”
2008-04-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5881 (2008) · source
“In our opinion, the best way to curb illicit arms proliferation is through strong national commitment and determination. In that regard, Israel's small arms and light weapons export control policy includes tight controls aimed at, inter alia, the prohibition of exports to regions or States under Security Council arms sales embargoes, non-State entities, subversive and underground movements, terrorist or guerrilla groups, criminal organizations and areas of ongoing internal armed conflict. In our region, the illicit transfer of small arms and light weapons presents a growing danger, owing to the role of terrorist organizations.”
2008-04-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5881 (2008) · source
“Israel views the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, and in particular the transfer of those weapons to terrorists, as an imminent threat to international peace and security. Therefore, my delegation welcomes the report submitted by the Secretary-General on small arms (S/2008/258) and wishes to express its support in particular for the Secretary-General's proposal that the Coordinating Action on Small Arms be revived as one of the priorities in the field of disarmament for this year. Israel has consistently placed high on its agenda the issue of preventing the illicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons. We strongly believe that harmonized cooperation and coordination at the global, regional, subregional and bilateral levels would enhance the ongoing international efforts to prevent proliferation and combat terrorism.”
2008-04-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5881 (2008) · source
“At the outset, allow me, Sir, on this, your last day - for the moment - as President of the Security Council, to congratulate you and to thank you for your able stewardship of the Council during this month and for convening this important debate. I also wish to thank Ms. Hoppe for her informative briefing. More than 640 million small arms and light weapons whenever we talk about "SALW", I think that the "L" could also stand for "lethal", and not just "light", weapons - and 16 billion rounds of ammunition are in circulation today across the globe, with an additional 8 million new weapons entering the market each year. Most present-day conflicts are fought primarily with these weapons, and they are used in civil wars, terrorism, organized crime and gang warfare. Moreover, civilians are often those most affected and endangered by them.”
2008-04-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5881 (2008) · source
“While we heard here today from several representatives of countries that are members of the Movement a clear condemnation of terror, and especially of the massacre in Jerusalem on 6 March, there was not a single word about terror nor was there a condemnation of that brutal act in the statement made by the representative of Cuba on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement. It is precisely because we hear such very different statements from countries belonging to the Movement, both around this table and outside the Chamber, and precisely because of our deep respect for so many of the members of the Non-Aligned Movement, that we wonder whether the representative of Cuba spoke on behalf of his own island. If not, whom does he really represent? I believe that both the Council and the Non- Aligned Movement deserve an explanation.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859Resumption1 (2008) · source
“While I share the view expressed by some members of the Council as to the value of these debates, I feel that, at the end of this meeting, I would be remiss if I did not express our gratitude to the assassins of Damascus and the butchers of the Sudan - both beacons of human rights - for their expert presentations on terror and genocide. It was indeed enlightening to hear a lecture about targeted killings from a country under investigation by this very Council for assassinating its own political opponents in Lebanon, as well as about genocide from the monsters of Darfur. Maybe this meeting did serve some purpose after all. As to the statement made by the Cuban representative, ostensibly speaking on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, I find it strange and disturbing, just as I did the last time.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859Resumption1 (2008) · source
“The international community needs to strengthen the bilateral process between the two parties and to show a collective resolve to support the negotiations that will bring lasting security, stability and peace to all people of our region. That is the mandate of the international community. That is its calling; that is its duty. This collective resolve must be shown, first and foremost, by this Council. We in Israel are committed to showing it each and every day, in partnership with the moderates around us, until moderation, modernity and common sense prevail.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859 (2008) · source
“That is why suspending the ongoing dialogue and talks between Israel and the Palestinians would be a grave mistake. The extremists have no real solutions to anybody's problems. All they want is to see our failure. Moderation must be seen as the only answer and legitimate alternative to extremism. Israel knows it cannot accomplish this alone. It needs the support of like-minded moderate leaders in the region who understand the threat posed by the extremists - not just to us, but to them and the world - and are willing to do what it takes. This is a goal that all the moderates share. If we begin to show divisions and weaknesses, the extremists will take advantage of the indecision and hesitation.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859 (2008) · source
“Listen to the words of the terrorist leaders themselves, such as the Hamas commander in Gaza who recently told The Sunday Times newspaper that Hamas has "sent seven 'courses' of our fighters to Iran". According to the commander, a further 650 Hamas fighters have trained in Syria under instructors who learned their trade, techniques and ways in Iran. Sixty-two are in Syria right now. He said Hamas was modelling itself on Hizbullah. Clearly, Syria and Iran both play host to and support global and local terrorist organizations. The international community must press to end that support. Israel understands it must work with the moderate, legitimate Palestinian Authority leadership to show the people of the region that the path of moderation will bring tangible benefit to all.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859 (2008) · source
“To be sure, the new and improved UNIFIL on the ground is doing important work, and, among the positives on the ground, Israel welcomes the trilateral meetings between the Israel Defense Forces, the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL, as well as efforts to demarcate the Blue Line. However, as I began my statement referring to the dangers of extremism, here too it must be emphasized that Hizbullah poses an extremist threat to the region. Indeed, Hizbullah and Hamas share the same strategies and tactics and are funded and supported by the same ominous backers, Syria and Iran. The relationship between Iran, Syria, Hamas and Hizbullah are continually reinforced for us, as we recently saw in the expressions of sympathy and support made by those leaders, again just yesterday, regarding the arch- terrorist Imad Mughnieh.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859 (2008) · source
“In that context, I wish to draw attention to three main areas: first, stemming the illegal flow of weapons through the porous Syrian-Lebanese border; secondly, preventing the rearming of Hizbullah, which has already adapted its weaponry and tactics so as to take into account the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) presence south of the Litani River, as its spokesmen openly declare; and thirdly, the unconditional release of our boys, the Israeli soldiers Udi Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, kidnapped on 12 July 2006 by Hizbullah. The Council, in adopting resolution 1701 (2006), committed itself to seeing to their release, and I call on members to keep their word.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859 (2008) · source
“Allow me to briefly turn to the situation along our northern border. As you know, resolution 1701 (2006) changed the reality on the ground following the 2006 second Lebanon war and constituted an important achievement for this Council. Hence, the international community must ensure that the implementation of resolution 1701 (2006) remains a priority issue, and my delegation supports the Council taking the appropriate action to show its resolve.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859 (2008) · source
“All the while, Hamas has refused to provide details of his condition or well-being. We continue to hope and pray for his safe return home. Surely, no similarities can be drawn between Israel and Hamas. The immeasurable difference between the moderates and the extremists can be seen in both their rhetoric in this hall and their actions on the ground. In that context, I can only hope that my Palestinian colleague's poignant outcry against the deliberate killing of children, describing it as sinking into the abyss, was really directed at the Hamas terrorists he again somehow failed to mention by name. Let us be very clear: while for Israel every dead Palestinian child is a horrible mistake and a tragedy, for the terrorists, every dead Israeli child is a victory and a cause for celebration.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859 (2008) · source
“Whereas Israel makes all efforts to protect civilians in accordance with international law, Hamas indiscriminately fires rockets into Israeli civilian areas. Whereas Israel ensures that medicine and fuel enter the Gaza Strip to reach hospitals and needy civilians, Hamas hijacks those trucks and diverts them to its bomb-making factories and terrorist camps. Whereas Israel allows humanitarian convoys into Gaza - more than 1,600 trucks and over 20,000 tons of aid in recent weeks alone - Hamas cynically fires on those same crossing points, so it can fabricate a pretext for inciting the Palestinian public against Israel. Moreover, the cruelty of Hamas continues to be seen in its holding of Gilad Shalit, who was abducted by that terrorist organization in June 2006 and begins today his twenty-second month in captivity.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859 (2008) · source
“Lately, a particularly worrisome trend has become apparent when it comes to the discourse concerning our region. Some have a penchant for equating the lawful actions of States in defence of their citizens with the Violence of terrorists whose goal is to endanger those very civilians. The misguided tendency to accept the status quo of terrorism, as expressed even by some United Nations officials in their statements and reports, is simply unacceptable. Such parity, which is often in the name of an ill-conceived balance, undermines the credibility of moderate States and their strength to bolster one another and isolate the extremists. Israel goes to great lengths to ensure the safety and well-being of all civilian populations - Palestinians and Israelis alike.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859 (2008) · source
“President, and those of many other distinguished ambassadors on the Council. The Security Council has a longstanding practice of condemning terrorism, no matter the victims, no matter the location, no matter the perpetrator and no matter the motivation. Yet the Council could not unanimously condemn that terrorist attack and intentional killing of civilians, for the Council was blocked by a politicized opposition, by one Member State in particular. The hypocrisy and cynicism displayed by that State, with its long history of terror, does not bode well for this Council and draws sad and alarming conclusions as to the screening process States undergo before attaining a seat on this august body. It was indeed a sad moment for this Council, but also one that should be a wake-up call to us all.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859 (2008) · source
“As medical and rescue teams rushed to the scene, as the Israeli public heard the news of this appalling massacre, and as mothers and fathers were called to retrieve the remains of their slaughtered sons, the extremists in Gaza rejoiced at the spilling of Israeli blood. I am sure that many in this Council watched with horror and disgust as Hamas terrorists joyfully fired their rifles into the air and passed out candy to children in celebration. If anyone doubted what the extremists stand for, the reaction in Gaza to the murder of eight Israeli boys sets the record straight. It was also a stark reminder that those were the same people who danced on the rooftops after 9/11. That is why it was so sad and disturbing that the Council could not condemn the terrorist attack, particularly in spite of your own very valiant efforts, Mr.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859 (2008) · source
“It is a silent promise - a promise of what is to come next: more terror and more violence, more extremism and more bloodshed. In fact, we have seen the great lengths that the extremists are willing to go to in order to kill and maim Israelis. Just over two weeks ago, a Palestinian terrorist infiltrated the Mercaz HaRaV rabbinical seminary in Jerusalem and ruthlessly gunned down eight young men, who were studying the Bible in the upstairs library. Eleven others were injured, many of whom remain in serious condition. The terrorist chose his target carefully; Mercaz HaRaV is one of Israel's most revered institutions of Zionism and Jewish learning, and it is situated in the heart of Jerusalem, steps away from the seat of the Israeli Government and our most cherished democratic institutions.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859 (2008) · source
“Indeed, it is terrorism - plain and simple. As Hamas unleashed its terrorism on the civilians of Ashkelon, it continued to wreak havoc and daily terror on the people of Sderot - a small but resilient city of 23,000 people where children no longer run around on playgrounds; they now run to bomb shelters. Such is the reality in Sderot, where 15 seconds is all you have to find safety before a Qassam rocket comes crashing down on you. Though some wish to refer to the apparent lull in Hamas rocket attacks, I must warn that the perceived quiet is only on the surface. The bombs keep ticking, albeit quietly. The rockets out of Gaza have not stopped. Hamas is using this time to smuggle in and produce more rockets. Building rockets is not quiet.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859 (2008) · source
“Grad rockets - smuggled into the Gaza Strip from Iran during the breach of the Gaza border this January - have greater range and larger warheads, and they fragment on impact. Hamas' new weapon of choice means that a quarter of a million Israeli civilians now live in constant danger of rocket fire. We can all thank Iran for adding another weapon to the Hamas arsenal, in addition to its already heinous suicide attacks and deadly Qassam rockets. Hamas and its terrorist-State backers bear sole responsibility for the escalation of violence. The Secretary-General rightfully told the Council at the meeting held earlier this month, "I condemn Palestinian rocket attacks and call for the immediate cessation of such acts of terrorism, which serve no purpose, endanger Israeli civilians and bring misery to the Palestinian people" (S/PV.5847, p. 3).”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859 (2008) · source
“In contrast, negotiations with the moderates, as Israel is doing with a moderate Palestinian Authority leadership that renounces terrorism and violence, can yield great benefit for both parties. I sincerely want to believe that my esteemed Palestinian colleague does represent the moderates, in spite of the very distorted picture he felt compelled to draw today. As we have seen, the extremists will do everything to break the coalition of moderates and destroy all prospects for peace. During the last month alone, Hamas fired more than 300 rockets at Israel, at least 23 of them Iranian-made Grad missiles that hit the city of Ashkelon, a quaint coastal city with a population of 120,000. The rocket attacks marked an escalation of Violence not just in number, but also in weaponry.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859 (2008) · source
“Across the globe, forces of extremism seek to transform resolvable political conflicts into endless religious wars, using all means of Violence at their disposal. They fight not for their own rights, but to deprive others of their rights. In our region, Iran - a notorious State sponsor of terrorism- uses proxies such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas among the Palestinians to draw the moderates into a cosmic battle, where victory is not about achievement but about total annihilation. The very ideology of the extremists makes a dialogue with them impossible. That is why Israel, along with other, like-minded States, understands that dealing with extremists is indeed a zero-sum equation.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859 (2008) · source
“At the outset, allow me to congratulate you, Mr. President, on your very able stewardship of the Council this month and to thank you for your principled leadership. We are also grateful to the Secretary-General for honouring us with his presence at the opening of this meeting and for his commitment to resolving this issue. I also wish to thank Under-Secretary-General Pascoe for his briefing. On this note, I just want to make clear that Israel never has acted, and does not act, against so-called alleged militants but against internationally declared and recognized terrorists. I certainly hope the term "alleged militants" is not the United Nations' new definition of terrorism. The struggle of the moderates against the extremists, which is raging around the world, is the defining challenge of our day.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859 (2008) · source
“My delegation is engaged in active dialogue and cooperation with the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, and we hope to see these concerns reflected in future reports. As Israel engages with the moderate Palestinian Authority leadership and works shoulder to shoulder to achieve peace and security for all citizens of our region, we are aware of the impact that conflict has had on our children. It is in this interest, therefore, that Israel hopes to prepare its children for peace, to maintain a commitment to dialogue and moderation and to eradicate extremism, racism and hate. Only upon those foundations will we truly be able to build a better world today for our children and grandchildren of tomorrow.”
2008-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5834Resumption1 (2008) · source
“Each one has a name and a family; each one has his or her own dreams and aspirations. And each victim has now had those dreams and hopes shattered by the cruelty and inhumanity of terrorism. Lastly, my delegation wishes to place on record its concern regarding some of the methodologies utilized in compiling the report. Specifically, our concerns relate to sections where ambiguities in the report may allow for misinterpretation. Moreover, the tendency to rely on unsubstantiated reports, third-party testimony and hearsay harms the report's credibility and effectiveness. We stress that accurate reporting is in the interest of regional peace and security and that all efforts should be made to utilize credible testimonials and evidence.”
2008-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5834Resumption1 (2008) · source
“You deserve the security of living in your own home and your own town, living with the other citizens who live there". That is a touching statement of courage and solidarity in the face of terrorism, but it is also a harrowing reminder of how Palestinian terrorism continues to destroy and shatter innocent lives. Surely, there is no monopoly on suffering. All children - Palestinian and Israeli - suffer from and are victims of this Palestinian terror. Terrorism is a gross threat to the ability of our children to live in peace and safety in the region. Hence, terrorism, in all its varieties and forms, is always unacceptable and can never be justified - because it is the children who ultimately suffer, each and every one of them. The child victims of terrorism, both Israeli and Palestinian, are real.”
2008-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5834Resumption1 (2008) · source
“His 19-year-old brother Rami was also badly injured from the terrorist attack. Osher, who dreamed of becoming a soccer player, does not yet know that he has lost one of his legs. Israelis were reminded of the never-ending and inescapable pain of Palestinian terrorism when the Tuito family received a letter yesterday from the Cohen family, whose children, Tehila and Yisrael, ages seven and eight, also had their legs amputated after being severely injured in a terrorist attack a few years ago. In their letter, the Cohen children wrote to the Tuitos: "What can we say to you as Osher lies in the hospital bed without knowing what the future holds? It is heartbreaking. Such a small child. And the biggest question is - will he ever be able to ride a bike again or kick a soccer ball?”
2008-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5834Resumption1 (2008) · source