YouSaid · the spoken record

Lancry

lines on the record: 313
first: 2000-04-19
most recent: 2002-10-17
sittings or episodes: 24
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

“Our Foreign Minister, Mr. Shimon Peres, who was in New York last week for the general debate, signed the Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, and on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, signifying Israel's enduring commitment to preserving the innocence of youth, as part of a fundamental right enjoyed by all children. Israel's becoming a signatory to the Optional Protocols is sure to inspire yet more revisions to Israeli legislation. The report of the Secretary-General contained in document S/2000/712 correctly draws attention to the importance of education and to its potential for use and misuse in times of conflict. The report refers to separate curriculums that must be unified, and, in paragraph 46, to "distinct history lessons...”
2001-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4422Resumption1 (2001) · source
“In our region, children have suffered terribly from decades of conflict and from the still-looming threat of terrorism. The Middle East has endured more than its share of wars, which have left scars on all people in the region, but particularly on children. For these reasons, Israel has supported international initiatives aimed at protecting children from the devastation of armed conflict, including the landmark Convention on the Rights of the Child. Israel's accession to the Convention was followed by the adoption of "Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty", a law that ensured that the rights of the child were guaranteed constitutional protection. The adoption of that law sparked a flurry of judicial and legislative activity that broadened and extended the commitment of Israeli society to the principles of the Convention.”
2001-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4422Resumption1 (2001) · source
“The situation of children in areas of conflict is one of the most heart-wrenching issues we address in the United Nations. The images of suffering that we have all seen emerge from virtually every corner of the earth. The manner in which so many children around the world are taken from their homes and schools, physically and emotionally abused, and forced to fight in wars they did not start is a matter that must be of concern to all of us. The international community has repeatedly affirmed that children must be spared the horrors of armed conflict. The Secretary-General's report offers important recommendations, first and foremost among which is adherence to the relevant international conventions, which, if they were widely respected, would almost entirely solve the problem of children in armed conflict.”
2001-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4422Resumption1 (2001) · source
“On behalf of my Government, I wish to express our satisfaction at the convening of this debate. Protection of the rights of the child, particularly in areas of conflict, has been a matter of concern to the international community for some time. This concern stems from our recognition that childhood is a period of innocence and dreams, and yet, all too often, the harsh realities of war and unrest have denied children the right to grow and develop in a nurturing environment of peace and stability. Israel wishes to thank the Secretary-General for his excellent report on children and armed conflict, and for the many insightful and important recommendations contained therein for protecting and defending the rights of the child.”
2001-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4422Resumption1 (2001) · source
“It is from that perspective - which encompasses the same means used during the most fruitful stages of the Israeli- Palestinian peace process - that we invite our Palestinian partners to resume the dialogue. Recent months, during which similar debates have taken place in the Security Council, have duly shown the futility of an exercise that would impose an unjustified and ineffective international presence. Only a return to the beginnings and the life-source of the historic turning taken by Palestinians and Israelis since Oslo will enable us to overcome our frustrations and attain the peace and coexistence that both our peoples deserve. The announced meeting between Shimon Peres, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Israel, and Chairman Yasser Arafat could indicate - at least, this is our conviction and our hope - such a new beginning.”
2001-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4357Resumption2 (2001) · source
“We Israelis have no particular reason to welcome such lessons of contempt and hatred, as taught in countries such as Iraq and Libya, but I wonder whether such rhetoric is the best way of serving the Palestinian cause. As we have said, we consider the draft resolution being circulated at Palestinian behest to be utterly impracticable, despite its sophisticated crafting. The text is unilateral; it absolves the Palestinian side of any responsibility for its terrorist practices; and it strips the Mitchell plan of its bilateral dimension and uselessly burdens it with a totally superfluous international machinery. We stress that our approach, which calls for direct bilateral negotiations on the implementation of the Mitchell report, enjoys significant support among key members of the Security Council.”
2001-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4357Resumption2 (2001) · source
“Soon after his Iraqi colleague, the Permanent Representative of Libya, in what appears to be a recurring rhetorical spasm, drew on his repertory of hatred and contempt for the Jewish people and for Israel. Those two permanent representatives, of Iraq and of Libya, also represent the serene permanence of two eccentric dictatorships that, with noteworthy composure, advocate the eradication of the State of Israel. The most recent reminder of this anti-Israel penchant may be seen on page A-8 of today's The New York Times, which quotes the regime's number-two man, the Iraqi Vice-President, Izzat Ibrahim, as calling on the Arab and Islamic nation to combat Israel and "to expel the sons of monkeys and pigs, strangers on the land".”
2001-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4357Resumption2 (2001) · source
“He said that "peace cannot be established through subjugation". I willingly agree with that, and recall in that context that peace was not obtained at Camp David precisely because of the flaw of subjugation: as a response to the comprehensive Israeli peace offer encompassing the main final-status issues, Israel found itself facing the threat of scheduled extinction by demographic drowning linked with the right of return of Palestinian refugees. We could not submit to subjugation of that kind. This type of Security Council debate inevitably generates its share of tangential and outrageous rhetoric fueled by ranting. And the Permanent Representative of Iraq felt neither embarrassment nor restraint in engaging in unmatchable hyperbole: he accused Israel of nothing less than using nuclear and chemical weapons against the Palestinian people.”
2001-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4357Resumption2 (2001) · source
“Yet we are somewhat perplexed by statements made by certain participants in the debate, which were as inconsistent as they were self-contradictory. An example is the twofold position taken by the Permanent Representative of Pakistan. Our Pakistani colleague both affirmed that he "support[ed] the full implementation of the Mitchell report" (supra, resumption I) and bridled at what he called a denial of "legitimacy and glory", referring to Palestinian terrorism. I say this with all the deference I feel towards my Pakistani colleague, whose statements on a variety of issues I invariably appreciate, but how can we seriously believe in the "legitimacy and glory" of suicidal terrorism and its gruesome effects? In another vein, worthy of weightier discourse, I would like to respond to one of the comments of my Pakistani colleague.”
2001-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4357Resumption2 (2001) · source
“Yesterday, permanent and non-permanent members of the Security Council indicated their firm and unequivocal condemnation of Palestinian terrorism. They spoke of their revulsion at the atrocious nature of certain Palestinian terrorist practices. Chairman Arafat must heed that powerful message. The condemnation of terrorism that underlay those Council members' appeal for a resumption of dialogue was highly significant. It essentially indicated the need to end the process by which terrorism and policy are becoming interchangeable. This mixture of the two is no longer acceptable; it could even undermine the remarkable political achievements made during the early days of the Oslo process. Declared by the Mitchell report to be "reprehensible and unacceptable", Palestinian terrorism has now been rejected by nearly the entire Security Council.”
2001-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4357Resumption2 (2001) · source
“Consequently, rather than exacerbating an already sufficiently complex situation by introducing totally new international machinery, it is up to the Palestinian leadership to assume its responsibility by taking the necessary decision: that of doing away with all strains of terrorism, which are harmful to peace and hinder its painstaking realization. Good-faith negotiation cannot endure even the smallest dose of terrorism - much less the Palestinian suicide attacks that throughout this conflict have been used as a method of killing the maximal number of people. It is once again imperative to eliminate terrorism and replace it with policy, a fundamental principle to which Chairman Arafat committed himself when he signed the Oslo Accords. That is an inviolable rule to which Chairman Arafat must bind his dialogue of peace.”
2001-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4357Resumption2 (2001) · source
“The Mitchell report, agreed to by the two parties, could be immediately implemented if only the entry point, that is the end of violence and terrorism, were opened up. This is precisely what is stipulated by the Mitchell report in its broad outlines. Israel has already shown its willingness for a return to the situation that prevailed before 28 September 2000. It is ready for an end to this confrontation on all fronts imposed for almost a year by Palestinians under the cover of an intifada, as soon Palestinian terrorism gives way to dialogue.”
2001-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4357Resumption2 (2001) · source
“The bedrock of the Oslo Accords linked to the intrinsically philosophical dimension of the Israeli-Palestinian relationship - that is to say moving from exclusion and reciprocal denial to mutual recognition - is still valid despite the tragic setback inherent in the current crisis. It is this common basis, on which the future of both peoples, depends that we must make more visible and credible, through a political process free of any confrontation or terrorist constraint. In the service of that objective, the Mitchell plan is a necessary and effective tool for a return to the logic of peace. It is this strong and necessary message that most Members of the Security Council have given pride of place.”
2001-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4357Resumption2 (2001) · source
“Mr. Lancry (Israel) (spoke in French): When this discussion began, I was given ample opportunity to put forward Israel's point of view. I would like in this regard to express my full gratitude. Nevertheless, this second statement seemed to me to be a necessary clarification at the end of this discussion, which has been clearly unequal in its content. First of all, we take note of the urgent and relevant appeal for a return to reason and dialogue between Palestinians and Israelis based on a total cessation of violence and confrontation and on the implementation of the Mitchell plan. A guiding principle of the peace process, the mutual recognition contracted between Israelis and Palestinians following the Oslo Accords remains a major basis for the ability of the two peoples to affirm the principle of their coexistence.”
2001-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4357Resumption2 (2001) · source
“It is a simple and straightforward necessity that requires concerted action, not meaningless and empty proclamations. I invite our Palestinian partners to join us in implementing - not declaring, but implementing~ the true and genuine ceasefire. Let us lay down our arms and return once more to the process of building a future based on respect, coexistence, cooperation and peace.”
2001-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4357 (2001) · source
“We have read Chairman Arafat's commitment to renounce terror and violence, and for a time we saw in him the image of a new peacemaker. But his current terror alliance, the education in hatred and exclusion that permeates Palestinian society, and the campaign of incitement and demonization of Israel and the Jewish people that fills Palestinian television and newspapers are not only harming the Palestinian people and their will to exist in peace, but are undermining the faith of the people of Israel in our ability to render war and confrontation a relic of the past. We must return ourselves to the lost language of peace. The recommendations of the Mitchell Committee must be fully implemented without delay, including, first and foremost, an immediate and total cessation of violence. There is nothing that must be discussed or negotiated.”
2001-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4357 (2001) · source
“The only way to break the cycle of violence is to prevail upon Chairman Arafat to comply with acceptable norms of behaviour and rid the territory under his jurisdiction of this vile scourge. It is for these reasons that we find the current draft resolution totally unacceptable, and we thoroughly reject it. Under the destructive and painful influence of the violence that has rocked the region for 11 months, we seem to have lost our ability to speak in the language of peace. Israelis still recall the courageous moral and political stance of the late President Anwar Sadat of Egypt, who, with his proclamation of "No more war", broke open an emotional and political avenue that permitted the historic breakthrough that constituted Israel's treaty of peace with Egypt.”
2001-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4357 (2001) · source
“According to the recent United Nations report of the fact-finding team led by Joseph Connor, senior officials in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations expressed grave concern over this fact. What are we therefore to assume would be the reaction of a team of observers in the territories - or any other international mechanism - to a potential confrontation or to the daily harassment by Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Tanzim? All calls for an international presence have been predicated on the mutual acquiescence of both sides. For its part, Israel does not accept such a presence. It would be ineffectual and would set a dangerous precedent by relieving the responsible party of its international and bilateral obligations.”
2001-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4357 (2001) · source
“In short, an international presence cannot return peace and quiet to our region; that requires the concerted effort of Chairman Arafat, who cannot be permitted to escape his commitment and his duty. Rather than hiding behind an internationally supplied shield, which in any case must be agreed by both sides, the Palestinians must fulfil their obligations to renounce terror and violence. If more evidence of the limitations of an international presence is needed, the behaviour of UNIFIL vis-a-vis Hezbollah is highly instructive. When a confrontation over control of two vehicles, using the abduction of three Israeli soldiers on 8 October 2000, arose between UNIFIL - a well-trained and well-armed force representing international legitimacy - and a small group of Hezbollah terrorists, UNIFIL surrendered to the demands of Hezbollah.”
2001-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4357 (2001) · source
“How can the Palestinians claim the need for protection while they kill Israelis by the dozens on an ongoing basis? Israel therefore remains opposed to an international presence in this context, as that would contravene both the spirit and the letter of direct bilateral face-to-face negotiations. More importantly, such a presence would be totally ineffective in preventing terrorist attacks like the recent suicide bombings in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. An international presence cannot dismantle the bomb factories of Hamas and Islamic Jihad; it cannot intercept suicide bombers on their way to carry out attacks; it cannot stop snipers and mortar fire from targeting Israeli civilians.”
2001-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4357 (2001) · source
“Moreover, even though the Mitchell report calls for an incremental series of steps, the draft resolution totally ignores the sequential procedure. Since the Mitchell report refers to a direct, face-to-face approach, there appears to be no justification for further complicating matters by subjecting implementation to international supervision and scrutiny or by imposing any kind of monitoring mechanism that has not been negotiated and agreed to by both sides. Such a selective reading of the Mitchell report does not advance the cause of peace. In calling for international protection, as stipulated in the preamble of the draft resolution, the Palestinian leadership is once again exposing its duplicity in seeking exemption from the consequences of their own aggressive and violent behaviour.”
2001-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4357 (2001) · source
“The Mitchell report calls, first and foremost, for an unconditional cessation of violence, followed by a cooling-off period, then a series of confidence-building measures and ultimately a return to negotiations. The report further states "the Palestinian Authority should make clear through concrete action to Palestinians and Israelis alike that terrorism is reprehensible and unacceptable" and by taking all measures "to prevent terrorist operations and to punish perpetrators". I would like to ask, where in the draft resolution is there any similar reference to the Palestinian obligations regarding terrorism? I would also like to ask why operative paragraph 1 does not call on the Palestinian side to put an end to the unspeakable practice of suicide bombings.”
2001-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4357 (2001) · source
“There is no "call on the two sides", but rather, a sophisticated semantic texture that explicitly designates Israel as the unique source of violence and implicitly absolves the Palestinian side of its killing of 156 Israelis and the injuring of hundreds more. With regard to negotiations, let me reiterate that we are willing to undertake them once the terror ends, on the basis of existing signed agreements. Even more, the draft resolution's supposed fidelity to the recommendations of the Mitchell report is entirely disingenuous. Nowhere does the spirit of the Mitchell Committee permeate this document with regard to the obligations of the Palestinian side. The Palestinians, who have repeatedly called for the implementation of the Mitchell recommendations, seem to have forgotten precisely what they are. Allow me to remind them.”
2001-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4357 (2001) · source
“Israel regards the draft resolution before the Council as a biased and one-sided document that seeks to place the onus of the present crisis squarely on one party. In fact, it requires virtually nothing of the Palestinian side. It does not call for a commitment to resolutely fight terror, nor does it call for the re-arrest of terrorists currently planning future attacks on Israel. Even with regard to violence itself, the draft resolution, in operative paragraph 1, uses a sort of coded language that refers exclusively to Israel and thereby frees the Palestinians from their own obligations to end the violence.”
2001-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4357 (2001) · source
“This is our moral obligation, and our response is driven by this obligation. Similar principles apply to Orient House, as well. Under signed agreements, Jerusalem is specifically excluded from Palestinian jurisdiction. Under the Interim Agreement, Palestinian Authority offices may be located only in areas under Palestinian territorial jurisdiction in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Notwithstanding, Palestinian offices have been located in Orient House, in violation of agreed arrangements. In both cases, in that of Orient House, as well as in that of the District Governor's compound in Abu Dis, the Palestinian leadership, and particularly Chairman Arafat, must take into account that converting terrorism into a political tool will entail a political loss.”
2001-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4357 (2001) · source
“In so doing, they have failed to comply with their obligations under Israeli-Palestinian agreements, including, inter alia, Chairman Arafat's cardinal undertaking to renounce the use of terrorism and violence and to resolve all outstanding issues through negotiations. In taking control of these buildings, which have been used to coordinate terrorist activity, Israel has acted in full compliance with its responsibilities under signed agreements. Under those agreements, the areas in question are designated as Areas B and C, areas in which Israel is responsible for maintaining security and for fighting terror. The Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement stipulates that not only is Israel permitted to take security measures in those areas but, in fact, it is required to do so.”
2001-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4357 (2001) · source
“Orient House was, in fact, being used for much more, as indicated by the intelligence materials and illegal arms found by Israeli forces that entered the site. Thus, Palestinian actions there are not protected under the terms specified in Shimon Peres's letter. The legality of our actions in Abu Dis conforms to the same principle. Palestinian forces headquartered in the District Governor's compound in Abu Dis- including the security forces, Force 17, the Palestinian police, the intelligence services and others - have been engaged in organizing and instigating terrorist activities.”
2001-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4357 (2001) · source
“What we have done is take temporary control of buildings that were being used by official Palestinian forces to assist terrorists in carrying out their murderous attacks. Israeli forces recovered intelligence reports and illegal weapons from Orient House that constitute irrefutable proof that the site was being used for political and military purposes. Israel has agreed to the presence in Jerusalem of Palestinian institutions serving the communal needs of the city's Palestinian population. A letter to that effect was sent by Foreign Minister Shimon Peres to Norwegian Foreign Minister Hoist. However, this letter clearly refers only to economic, social, educational and cultural institutions.”
2001-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4357 (2001) · source
“Israel's action in Jenin was intended to achieve what Chairman Arafat has thus far failed to achieve, namely the prevention of violence. Our response was a limited one, taken in a city that has become a hub of suicide bombers. No casualties were incurred as a result of that preventive action that undoubtedly saved the lives ofinnocent civilians. Israel's actions are in accord not only with agreements signed between the parties, but also with established principles of international law, most pertinently the right to self-defence. After the devastating carnage that littered the streets of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, it can no longer be denied that Israel is genuinely under attack. Similarly, Israel's seizure of Orient House and the Abu Dis compound is not a takeover, it is not occupation, it is not an act of revenge, but an act of self-defence.”
2001-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4357 (2001) · source
“As long as the Palestinians maintain that policy, Israel will continue to take the steps it deems necessary to keep the Palestinian machinery of killing off its streets. We have waited long enough - nearly a year in fact -and we have given the Palestinian leadership every opportunity to fulfil its obligations and to contain terrorism. After the Mitchell Committee submitted its recommendations calling, first and foremost, for an end to the violence, we waited. After a Palestinian suicide bomber took down 21 young people at a Tel Aviv nightclub, we waited. After Chairman Arafat agreed to the terms of the Tenet ceasefire, we waited. Each time, we waited, and we ended up waiting only for the next attack. We cannot be expected to wait any more.”
2001-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4357 (2001) · source
“In the fight against Palestinian terror, no one is more obligated than Chairman Arafat. It was his commitment, expressed in his letter to the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, which qualified him as a partner for peace. What is more, no one is better positioned to contain terrorism at its source than Chairman Arafat. Instead of doing so, as he has repeatedly promised, Chairman Arafat has himself become a party to terrorism. He has released terrorists from jail; he has used the official Palestinian media to incite them to violence; he has refused to re-arrest them even when he knew they were about to commit murder; and he has invited the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror organizations to join him in a unity coalition.”
2001-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4357 (2001) · source
“The use of human beings as bombs is an alarming phenomenon that presents no obvious response. Individuals who are willing to sacrifice their lives in such a gruesome manner will not be deterred by ordinary means. Our response must therefore be adapted and geared towards cutting off terror at its source because, once it is unleashed, it is virtually impossible to stop. In the face of international scrutiny of Israel with regard to its alleged violation of international norms, I wish to draw the Council's attention to the fact that Palestinian suicide bombings, which engender death and devastation, cannot be regarded as perfectly judicial. They do not exemplify a moderate use of force and do not comply with international law and human rights. They constitute a unique challenge that requires adapted responses.”
2001-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4357 (2001) · source
“Chairman Arafat must receive a clear and unequivocal message from the Security Council and from the international community: terrorism is unacceptable. In the light of the security situation, Israel was forced to take action in defence of its citizens. These were not actions that we wished to take; they were actions that were forced upon us, and at the same time they were indispensable. Israel is obligated, under every norm of international law and custom, to take concerted action in defence of its citizens. In that regard, we should be treated like any other nation that faces armed aggression, let alone continuous violence directed specifically at innocent civilians, seeking to cut them down as they go about the most ordinary aspects of their lives.”
2001-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4357 (2001) · source
“Had the Palestinian Authority fulfilled its obligation to renounce terrorism, had the Palestinian Authority been serious about implementing its part of a ceasefire and arrested Abdullah Barghouti, 15 lives would have been spared and an immeasurable rise in mistrust and suspicion between our two peoples could have been avoided. Obviously, terrorism has become the Palestinian Authority's preferred way to deal with the peace process. The Palestinian leadership, in fact, has much to lose by using terrorism for the achievement of political ends. That is a message that Israel should not be alone in expressing. Terrorism is a global issue. The entire free world has a vital interest in making clear that terrorism is totally unacceptable and that no gains will ever accrue to those who wilfully attack civilians.”
2001-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4357 (2001) · source
“What would any Government do in the face of ongoing daily acts of terrorism that spilled blood on the streets and denied its citizens a sense of security? Prior to the Jerusalem bombing, Israel provided the Palestinian Authority with a list of terrorists engaged in planning impending attacks on Israel. The Palestinian Authority ignored the information on that list and, in flagrant violation of signed agreements, took no action whatsoever. On that list figured Abdullah Barghouti, who was the mastermind of the Jerusalem bombing.”
2001-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4357 (2001) · source
“Among them were seven children, five members of one family - a mother and father and three of their children, ages 14, 4 and 2 - a tourist from Brazil, and a pregnant American schoolteacher. Before Israel could fully grieve for that senseless loss, another bomb ripped apart a coffee house near the northern coastal city of Haifa. There too, a Palestinian suicide bomber entered a small, crowded cafe and detonated powerful explosives. Twenty-one Israelis were injured in the blast, and it was only by a miracle that no one was killed. Both those attacks bear a frightening resemblance to the Palestinian suicide bombing outside a Tel Aviv nightclub on 1 June 2001. In what has now become a familiar pattern, a Palestinian terrorist situated himself among scores of civilians waiting to enter, and detonated an explosive that ended 21 young lives.”
2001-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4357 (2001) · source
“We have been facing a calculated and orchestrated campaign of Palestinian terror for more than 10 months; bombings and shootings in civilian areas have become a fact of life for many Israelis. What has changed - and to catastrophic effect - is the frequency, intensity and horror of the attacks. Ten days ago, a Palestinian suicide bomber walked into a crowded Jerusalem restaurant during the lunch hour and detonated a powerful explosive charge, sending glass, chairs, tables and even human beings flying through the air and out into the street. Reports from the scene described a nightmare of chaos, wanton destruction and intense human suffering. When the dust had settled, 15 people lay dead and more than 130 were injured.”
2001-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4357 (2001) · source
“Thus, today's meeting takes place not only against the backdrop that the Palestinians have depicted, but also against the backdrop of ongoing Palestinian terrorism, which in the last two weeks has escalated to an average of more than 20 attacks per day, with scores of Israelis killed or injured. It appears that despite the recent atrocity in Jerusalem, which echoes a similar atrocity in Tel Aviv in early June - not to mention the daily gunfire attacks everywhere - the Palestinians have no scruples about convening a meeting of the Security Council to discuss Israeli actions. This unprecedented escalation of Palestinian terror is not in itself a new phenomenon in Israel.”
2001-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4357 (2001) · source
“We do, however, believe in a vital, urgent and necessary need, namely, to end the current Israeli-Palestinian setback. In this spirit, the State of Israel has accepted the Mitchell report, in all its sequential aspects, as a road map leading back to the negotiating table, and we remain committed to it. Even before the Tenet ceasefire took effect, Israel implemented its own unilateral ceasefire. Unfortunately, these actions were met with no reciprocal gestures from the Palestinian side. Consequently, 36 Israelis have been killed and 292 have been injured in over 1,300 separate attacks since the Tenet plan took effect in mid-June.”
2001-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4357 (2001) · source
“At the outset, Mr. President, I wish to congratulate you on your election to the presidency of the Security Council and to congratulate your predecessor, the distinguished Permanent Representative of China, on his most able leadership of the Council. My country, Israel, is a country that seeks peace. This may sound commonplace, but in this tormented period when hatred and mistrust are deepening between Israelis and Palestinians, even such a cliche becomes essential in order to rebuild the lost language of peace and to recover the spirit of the acceptance of the other. Our desire to live in peace and coexistence with our Palestinian partners and our neighbours in the region is imperishable. Our hand remains extended in peace, as it has for 53 years of Israeli statehood.”
2001-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4357 (2001) · source
“I wish to conclude by enjoining my colleagues and the Member States of the United Nations to look closely at the current report of the Secretary-General and to lend their full and unqualified support to international efforts aimed at minimizing the adverse effects of armed conflict on civilians, developing and strengthening international legal instruments to prosecute those who violate international law and basic humanitarian norms and contributing to a culture of protection, transparency and objectivity that will serve the noble and timeless aims for which this Organization was created.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“Unfortunately, in many neighbouring countries the media remain the sole purview of Government authorities, and as such are manipulated to dispense propaganda which reflects the interests of the authorities over the interests of the truth. In many instances, journalists attempting to photograph events are harassed and threatened, as was the case with several journalists who were on the scene during the lynching of two Israeli soldiers in Ramallah last October.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“Even his late father, President Hafez Al-Assad, despite all the bitterness and frustration generated by the Syrian-Israeli conflict, never used such an unbearably heinous analogy. We support the Secretary-General's assertion, in paragraph 40 of his report, that the best antidote to hate speech and incitement to violence is the development of free and independent media serving and reflecting the needs of all parts of society. We further support the statement of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs. Mary Robinson, who remarked on the media's ability to promote diversity and respect for others, and on how unfortunate it is that such powerful technologies are used to stir up hatred and violence instead. We join them, as well as members of the Council, in condemning this shameful practice.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“The Egyptian press has also been a major promoter of anti-Semitic diatribes and cartoons that are disturbingly reminiscent of the anti-Jewish propaganda once prevalent in Nazi Germany. On 18 April, the day when Israel honoured the memories of the innocent victims of the Nazi Holocaust, Ahmed Rajib, a senior editor, wrote, in the Egyptian newspaper Al-Akhbar: "We thank the late Hitler for avenging the cause of the Palestinians in advance against the most contemptuous criminals on earth. Even more, we rebuke Hitler for not taking revenge on them to a sufficient degree." In Syria and other Arab nations, anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial, and calls for jihad and the murder of Israelis and Jews, remain the order of the day. President Bashar Al-Assad has no scruples about equating Israelis with Nazis.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“All these are covered in the Secretary-General's report and all characterize aspects of the current hostilities. In light of the relevance to Israel's particular situation, as well as of the broader descriptions of modern warfare which apply more generally, Israel endorses many of the recommendations of the Secretary-General in this regard. In particular, Israel fully supports the Secretary- General's focus on the misuse of information, the proliferation of hate speech and hate media and its role in fomenting conflict and igniting mass violence. Israel has repeatedly drawn attention to the role of Palestinian media incitement throughout the period of the current violence, and its contribution to fostering a culture of violence and hatred of Israel and Jews.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“And while we deeply regret the suffering and casualties that have come to the Palestinians, it must be stressed again and again that they are suffering first and foremost as a result of their own misguided decision to engage in violent confrontation, rather than to continue with peaceful negotiations. Many of the characteristics of contemporary conflicts described in the report apply directly to the current situation in Israel. We are in what the Secretary-General refers to as a "grey zone between war and peace", with armed conflict erupting sporadically, intensifying and then subsiding. Concerns have also arisen regarding the use of children in armed conflict, the proliferation of small arms, the targeting of women and children, impunity for atrocities and the direct targeting of civilians.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“And yet, many of the statements today have simply ignored Israel suffering. More significantly, they miss or perhaps have deliberately ignored a critical distinction. The Secretary-General's report refers to civilians who have been harmed by either being targeted by or being situated in close proximity to violent and armed groups. This aptly describes the situation of Israeli civilians, who have been killed while travelling to and from work, riding public transportation or shopping for groceries in the market. Conversely, when Israel is compelled to respond to defend its own citizens from violence and terror, in many cases it gives prior warning to the Palestinian side so as to minimize any harm that may come to civilians.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“It is the Governments of Lebanon and Syria which are preventing the full implementation of resolution 425 (1978) and subsequent resolutions and whose actions are directly endangering the lives and well-being of civilians in northern Israel. In light of the actions of these Member States, which actively support terrorist operations against Israeli citizens, we deeply regret that an issue of such importance to all individuals of conscience, which affects the lives and well-being of so many innocent civilians around the world and which the international community is morally obliged to address with resolve and alacrity, has been appropriated by several Member States to launch biased attacks on my country. Though one would never know it to listen to today's speakers, Israelis and Palestinians alike have suffered from the current violence.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“As recently as 14 April, Hezbollah carried out an attack which killed an Israel soldier. This comes in addition to the killing of two other Israeli soldiers and the kidnapping of three others since the completion of the Israeli withdrawal. The organization continues to enjoy virtually complete freedom of movement and action in South Lebanon. Not only have the Lebanese and Syrian Governments granted Hezbollah free rein, but they actively encourage and support their activities, permitting arms transfers from Iran to Hezbollah to pass through their territory and facilitating the growth of an elaborate terrorist infrastructure.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“The terrorist organization Hezbollah has long operated with near-complete impunity, launching Katyusha rockets from its bases in South Lebanon at towns and cities in northern Israel. Residents of communities that are within range of Hezbollah's weaponry have learned to live with the persistent threat of rocket attacks and the reality of long days and nights in bomb shelters. Israel had hoped that its withdrawal from Lebanon last May, in full and confirmed compliance with resolution 425 (1978), would have halted these attacks and moved the Government of Lebanon to fulfil its obligations under international law to seize control of the area and restore its effective authority up to the line of withdrawal. Unfortunately, one year later, this has yet to occur.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source