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

“In the territories of the Palestinian Authority, convicted terrorists have been freed, released as part of the Palestinian effort to stoke the flames of confrontation and encourage violent terrorist activities. Those terrorists who once sat in Palestinian prisons are presently engaged in planning and implementing terrorist operations aimed at Israeli civilians. Even more distressing is the fact that official organs of the Palestinian security apparatus are now also engaged in the terrorist campaign against Israel, with no significant effort expended by the Palestinian leadership to bring such operations to a halt. In Lebanon, similar freedoms are granted to violent terrorist groups.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“We were reminded of this special responsibility just last week on Holocaust Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Day, the day when the State of Israel and Jews worldwide remember those who perished at the hands of the Nazis. We therefore share the belief of the Secretary- General that international standards of protection should be given the force of law. Israel has been actively engaged in efforts aimed at establishing the International Criminal Court. I had the honour this past December of applying my signature to the Statute of the Court, symbolizing Israel's identification with the aims which underlie international efforts to prosecute and punish those who commit genuinely heinous crimes. In our region, however, we see opposing forces at work.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“The world has changed dramatically in the last decade alone, and the ways in which the international community addresses these issues of prime humanitarian importance must be brought into accord with the prevailing conditions of our times. The State of Israel has a longstanding interest in the development of international humanitarian law. As a nation which lost one third of its population in the Nazi genocide in Europe, in the most heinous case of genocide in human history, Israel's own birthright is engraved with a particular responsibility to prevent this crime from occurring ever again to the Jewish people or to any other people, as well as with a universalist commitment to combat genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes wherever they occur.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“At the outset, I wish to congratulate you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency and your predecessor, the representative of Ukraine, for his most able leadership. I wish to further thank the Secretary-General for his excellent report on the protection of civilians in armed conflict. Indeed, "protection" does not appear to be the right word here, because, as the Secretary- General himself points out, civilians have gone from being the incidental victims of warfare, in need of protection, to being the principal targets of armed conflict. Israel welcomes this report and many of the recommendations it makes for improving the situation of civilians in areas of conflict. Israel further supports the broader efforts to update the political and legal instruments available for the protection of civilians.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“We look forward to a time when we can return to the process of negotiations with the Palestinians as partners and not as adversaries, to a time when dialogue has once again replaced weapons as a means of addressing the outstanding issues in this conflict. For in this way, and only in this way, will we arrive at a just and lasting solution to the conflict that will spare future generations the pain and misery we have both experienced over the past six months.”
2001-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4305 (2001) · source
“Thus, the Security Council must not endorse such a choice by coming to the aid of those who initiate hostile confrontations. Moreover, such a step, while the intifada continues, has the potential to actually escalate the violence and further destabilize the region by solidifying the Palestinian refusal to put down their weapons and compromise for peace. If the international community wishes to see a return to dialogue and negotiation and the ultimate realization of the legitimate aspirations and needs of both parties through a peaceful process, it must insist that the Palestinians stop the violence that they have initiated and refrain from actions that may be construed as endorsing the violence. We therefore take positive note of the fact that the Council has not taken such an action.”
2001-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4305 (2001) · source
“I wish to emphasize yet again that the moment Chairman Arafat issues a public call to end the terrorist campaign, once he returns in earnest to the negotiating table, and when both in word and in deed he acts to reinvigorate the spirit of peace, Israel will take whatever steps possible in order to accelerate the return to normal relations between us and the Palestinians. Indeed, we have already taken steps to that end, as the situation allows. More comprehensive measures could be implemented once the Palestinians demonstrate a firm commitment to control the situation. More importantly, the current Palestinian initiative represents a blatant attempt to obscure their strategic choice to engage in violence and terrorism.”
2001-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4305 (2001) · source
“There is no condemnation of Palestinian terrorism, or specifically of Chairman Yasser Arafat's departure from his signed commitments to renounce violence and terrorism as a tool to achieve political objectives. To our dismay, it appears that there is nothing the Palestinians have done in six months of murder, abduction, bombing and mortar attacks, let alone in the last 24 hours, that is worthy of reproach. Is it possible that, after all the debate in the Council and after three separate terrorist attacks in a single day, Israel must continue to shoulder all the blame and all the responsibility? As we have stated before, Israel remains opposed to the establishment of a United Nations force in the region. Chairman Arafat has the ability to protect the lives of his people himself.”
2001-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4305 (2001) · source
“These tragic incidents perpetrated by those with no regard for the noble principles we seek to uphold in this Council must not go unmentioned. We do a great disservice to the mandate of this Organization, as well as to the memory of the innocent civilians whose lives were taken by the enemies of peace, by failing to loudly condemn such atrocities. We are therefore disheartened that this draft resolution employs terms that reflect a purely Palestinian viewpoint. There is no mention of Israeli casualties - of the 70 Israelis who have been killed by terrorists since September. There is no clear call upon the Palestinian side to refrain from unilateral actions.”
2001-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4305 (2001) · source
“I thank you, Mr. President, for giving me this opportunity to address the Council. The draft resolution just voted on and not adopted reflects, unfortunately, a one-sided View of the nature of the last six months of violence. The reality, as the last 24 hours have gruesomely reminded us, is that the double-edged sword of this conflict cuts both ways. In Hebron yesterday a 10-month-old baby girl, Shalhevet Pass, was shot and killed by a Palestinian sniper armed with a telescopic rifle, which, I hasten to add, is a weapon generally available only to official Palestinian security personnel. Today the city of Jerusalem fell under the dark cloud of terrorism. Two separate terrorist bombings, one of them on a public city bus, killed at least one person and wounded nearly 40 others.”
2001-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4305 (2001) · source
“Such an endorsement by the Security Council would strip the Oslo accords of their substance and remove one of the main pillars on which they are built. This is the reason why Israel is firmly opposed to a resolution sending an international protection force, and why it hopes to convince the Security Council of its own logic regarding the establishment of an international mission. That logic would more likely lead to the endorsement of a peace agreement - whether an interim one, as was the case with Hebron, or a final one, as was the case with Egypt - in order to ensure its proper implementation, than to a premature intervention in a situation in which violence and terrorism are improperly seeking the cover of international legitimacy.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“With a view to doing so, we would like to resume dialogue and negotiation with our Palestinian partners. In order to resume that dialogue there is a crucial need to break the cycle of violence and to rebuild confidence. It is up to the Palestinians and the Israelis, linked by their agreements and their mutual recognition, to decide to do this as soon as possible. Any diversionary tactics, such as calling for an international protection force, will only serve to hamper a return to a bilateral process. It goes without saying that sending an international protection force while the intifada and terrorism are raging - and against the wishes of one of the parties, namely, Israel - is tantamount to sanctioning the Palestinian strategic choice of trying to achieve political objectives through terrorism.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“But we also need to ensure that Israel's right to exist is also fixed in the Palestinian consciousness in particular and, more generally, in that of several countries - Arab or Muslim - such as Libya, Iran and Iraq, which continue to preach daily the eradication of the State of Israel. That lengthy digression was required not only as a response to questions and to the comments of some of my colleagues with regard to the roots of the present Israeli-Palestinian crisis, but also as a means of shedding necessary light on the issue and recalling a reality that is far more complex than the simplistic dichotomy of occupier and occupied. As we have repeatedly said, Israel is resolute in its quest to see peace and security extended to our entire region.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“It is such denial - which, for the sake of convenience, I will refer to as "demographic denial" - compounded by spiritual denial and denial of the very identity of the holy Jewish sites in Jerusalem, that characterizes the Palestinian position. Furthermore, that double denial is the underlying reason for Yasser Arafat's refusal to sign a final agreement with the Barak Government. That double denial, as we know all too well, is the true reason for the Palestinian uprising fuelled by violence and terrorism. To be sure, the word "occupation" as applied to the territories of 1967 seems, a priori, to be the easiest explanation for Palestinian frustration.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“Israel expects its territory, as delimited within secure and recognized borders in the aftermath of the final agreement, not to be the object of a demographic reworking, as stipulated by the Palestinians with regard to the right of return of refugees. Everyone understands that the right of return of the Palestinian refugees, if it were to be carried out in accordance with Yasser Arafat's ideas - that is, the potential establishment of 4 million Palestinian refugees in Israeli territory, which goes far beyond the establishment of a Palestinian State that would result from a final agreement - would effectively amount to the programmed death of Israel as a State. Israel does not, therefore, expect to die for the sake of an agreement accompanied by demographic inundation.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“It is precisely here that we find the essence of the problem of the relationship with Israel for an intelligentsia that is all too ready to demonize the Israeli people in order to satisfy its urgent need to give expression to these feelings and to alleviate, even to a small degree, its enormous burden of guilt. All of this would be of secondary importance if it were not for the adverse influence that such attitudes and speeches can have on the development of peace between Israel and a large part of the Arab world. In his statement, the Permanent Representative of Tunisia, Ambassador Said Ben Mustapha, asked "What does Israel expect?" (S/PV4295, p. 12) given that the Palestinian request amounts to 22 per cent of the territories. My answer is very simple: Israel expects to be able to survive after the final Israeli-Palestinian agreement.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“The idea is to understand the reasons, whether manifest or latent, that are leading a considerable part of the intelligentsia and opinion-makers in Egypt to advocate a rejection of Israel, to the point of sometimes appearing more Palestinian than the Palestinians themselves. It is not difficult to see that that intelligentsia, through a painful and growing awareness, is struggling with an enormous guilt complex - one that is rooted in the perception of the flagrant historical responsibility of its country, Egypt, for the disasters that were visited on the Palestinians in 1948 and 1967.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“I believe that I would not be exaggerating if I were to say that Ambassador Ahmed Aboulgheit's statement is completely interchangeable with the relentlessly racist anti-Israeli columns that the Egyptian press continues to dispense with careless frenzy on a daily basis. Furthermore, in considering Ambassador Aboulgheit's lengthy discourse - his insidious insinuations about the superiority of Israeli blood over that of the Palestinians - I believe that his statement, which at the very least was inappropriate, represents some of the worst demagoguery ever heard in the Council. But above and beyond the polemics between the representatives of two countries linked by a peace agreement, we must also wonder about some of the underlying motives of Egyptian society regarding Israeli-Palestinian relationships.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“I must raise this question even though it concerns the statement made by an ambassador whom I consider to be a personal friend - one who, furthermore, addressed me directly at the end of his statement. I am sure that the Council understands that I am referring to the Permanent Representative of Egypt, Ambassador Ahmed Aboulgheit. I asked myself what could be the reason for the deliberately virulent nature of his statement - a speech whose accusatory tone was firmly in line with the anti-Israeli attitude that is favoured by certain Egyptian journalists from the institutionalized or private press.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“We Israelis will certainly never forget the rare and dazzling appearance of the far-sighted genius of President Anwar Al-Sadat, who, with his exceptional generosity of deed and word and through his unique vision contributed to setting our region on the road to peace and enabling it to dream of reconciliation. Following in his wake, the noble presence of His Majesty King Hussein of Jordan also strengthened the establishment of peace in our region. The initial peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan were achievements through which Israel was able to show its historical commitment to compromise, peace and reconciliation. Egypt and Jordan certainly remain essential driving forces for the expansion of peace in our region. However, an inevitable question arises.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“It was the result of an attempt by part of the Arab world - the immediate neighbours of Israel, with Egypt, under Nasser, at the forefront a to proceed to the prompt annihilation of Israel. We should also recall, as Mr. Shimon Peres did a few days ago, a further revealing and significant fact: for 19 years, between 1948 - the time of its first abortive attempt to eliminate Israel - and 1967, Egypt, which today is engaged in denouncing the Israeli occupation, was itself the occupying Power in the Gaza Strip. Similarly, between 1948 and 1967, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan held the destiny of the West Bank in its hands. During that period, it never occurred to either Jordan or Egypt to establish in those territories a Palestinian State, which could have been done at that time.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“That principle has been put into practice since the signing of the Oslo accords, with the result that 97 per cent of the Palestinian population and 42 per cent of the Palestinian territories are under Palestinian control. Since its adoption, that principle has never been challenged by any Israeli Government, including the Government of National Unity, which has just come to power. Having made that useful and necessary comment in the interests of dispelling any ambiguity, I now find myself obliged to take the Security Council back, as briefly as possible, over the recent history of the Israeli-Palestinian-Arab conflict. The Israeli occupation of June 1967 did not come as a bolt from the blue.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“But, in all sincerity, the statement made by Algeria - despite its highly partial nature - had value, as its conclusion contained a most commendable phrase: "a just and lasting solution to the Middle East conflict". Coming from a country that itself is experiencing a latent conflict and which has been engaged in a desperate search for domestic peace, which it fully deserves and which we very much wish to see, that comment takes on emblematic significance. Certain States Members of the United Nations, headed by Egypt, have identified the Israeli occupation as the cause of the current crisis and of the frustration of the Palestinian people. Let us recall, first of all, that the driving force of territorial compromise lies at the heart of the Oslo accords.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“Several countries that are not members of the Security Council have also taken part in this debate. We were particularly sensitive to the reiterated appeals for a return to negotiation and to the rhetoric and logic of peace. Those notable appeals also were observed in several statements by Permanent Representatives of Arab countries. Here I am certainly not thinking of the dubious contribution of the Permanent Representative of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. Every so often, here or in the General Assembly, we are witness to Libya's outrageously inaccurate rewriting of the history of the Jewish people in both ancient and modern times. Nor will the Iraqi or Iranian statements contribute to an Israeli-Palestinian-Arab peace.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“Although this condemnation of the terrorist practices of the Palestinians seems at times to be slightly muted and is certainly voiced in a carefully crafted type of rhetoric, it is still perceptible, and although in some cases it is presented in a veiled or understated manner, nevertheless it is healthy and useful for a return to the logic of peace as well as for the fundamental credibility of the Security Council. We would hope, however, that those who support the notion of Israel's excessive use of force - without the slightest concern for a more serious and in-depth consideration of the facts - might also be able to denounce Palestinian terrorism as an incredibly sacrilegious practice and an untenable setback that undermines the very foundation of the peace process.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“Indeed, our country, after acceding to the regional Group of Western European and Other States - thereby putting an end to 40 years of exclusion - following its withdrawal from southern Lebanon, in full conformity with Security Council resolution 425 (1978), now finds itself much more in step with the United Nations. We have also noted an increased awareness among members of the Security Council of the true nature of the intifada, in particular of its terrorist dimension, and of the need to condemn in no uncertain terms - as we felt was the case for several members of the Council - the unacceptable and murderous practice of Palestinian terrorism.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“Mr. Lancry (Israel) (spoke in French): Mr. President, I should like to thank you for the opportunity to speak once again, at the end of this meeting of the Security Council on the situation in our region. Israel has every reason to consider that this dialogue with the Security Council was undertaken, in particular by Mr. Shimon Peres, Minister for Foreign Affairs, in a spirit of openness and as a constructive and frank exchange of views leading to greater understanding. We have taken note of the satisfaction voiced by the members of the Council regarding this more intensive dialogue between Israel and the United Nations.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“Let us strive to rejuvenate the spirit embodied in the letters of mutual recognition, broaden the channels of communication and enhance the sense of goodwill and brotherhood between our two peoples. Let us join together in creating an environment of peace and coexistence that will serve as a model for the entire region. Our hand is extended, our leadership is willing and our people are eager.”
2001-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295 (2001) · source
“The Security Council must encourage all relevant parties to be careful with their words, to refrain from language that will incite. I would urge Council members to consider, above all else, whether an international presence will truly advance our common goal of peace and reconciliation. I believe that the deployment of such a force - and I stress this - while the intifada is still being employed as a strategic tool for political gain would, rather than bringing calm and quiet, be a recipe for long-term instability in the region. I wish to conclude by calling out in peace to the Palestinian people on behalf of the Government and people of Israel.”
2001-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295 (2001) · source
“Israel has never, and will never, initiate conflict with the Palestinians. They are our neighbours and our partners in peace. A concerted effort on the part of the Palestinian leadership to control violence and terror would enable Israel to ease restrictions in the territories and work again, as we have in the past, to improve the quality of our coexistence. It is the encouragement of confrontation, and the lack of will to bring it to an end, that have brought needless hardships to the civilian population. It cannot be emphasized enough: peace and violence are mutually exclusive; you must abandon one in order to get the other. What is needed from the Security Council is not intervention, but support for the parties and their bilateral efforts to achieve peace.”
2001-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295 (2001) · source
“In recent weeks we have seen terrorist bombings in Netanya, Jerusalem and the Mei-Ami junction. As far as I understand, at least Netanya and the Mei-Ami junction are not places where illegal settlements are located in Israel. I say this because there has been an attempt by my Palestinian colleague to plant some confusion about the terrorist activities that occur in Israel itself, not in the territories. We have experienced abductions and murders. Our citizens are being shot and killed as they drive to and from their homes, including inside of Israel, not only in the territories. This has become a daily aspect of life in Israel that cannot be tolerated by any Israeli Government. It is completely wrong and irresponsible to portray Israel's response to this constantly looming threat as a punitive action taken against the Palestinian people.”
2001-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295 (2001) · source
“The Mitchell commission, with which the Government of Israel has expressed its willingness to cooperate fully, will report to the President of the United States and the Secretary- General of the United Nations on the nature and causes of the current violence. Contrary to allegations and gross mistranslations and misrepresentations of Israel's policies in the face of continuous terrorist threats, our armed forces are not seeking to suffocate the Palestinian people. As Minister Peres said, we seek the advancement and prosperity of the Palestinian people and are willing to work harder towards that goal together with other nations of the world. The present security situation in Israel, however, is real and dangerous. Just this week, police sappers thwarted a car-bomb attack outside the town of Beit Shemesh.”
2001-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295 (2001) · source
“If the international community wishes to see a return to dialogue and negotiation and the ultimate realization of the legitimate aspirations and needs of both parties through a peaceful process, it must insist that the Palestinians stop the violence, which they have initiated, and refrain from actions that may be construed as endorsing violence. Palestinians and Israelis working together: this is the only way to end the spiral of violence and move towards a more peaceful future. It is also worth reminding the Council that there is already an international delegation that will be arriving in the region next week.”
2001-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295 (2001) · source
“And, as I have already mentioned, the mere presence of international observers would, as has occurred in the past with regard to the international media, lead the Palestinians to provoke further confrontations. Indeed, the presence of United Nations personnel would create a significant incentive for the Palestinians to continue the violent struggle. More significantly, it would not succeed in ending the violence, since observers are unable to stop terrorism. Thus, peace and security would not be enhanced by an international force. A peace agreement would not be brought closer; it would be moved farther away. The Security Council, as the body charged with maintaining international peace and security, would be highly inspired if it would refrain from any action that would undermine this objective.”
2001-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295 (2001) · source
“Such a precedent would be disastrous since it would effectively send a message to the Palestinians - not to mention every other aggrieved people of the world 4 that violence and aggression will lead to sympathy and international protection. The Council must also recognize that sending United Nations personnel to the territories while the intifada continues has the potential to actually escalate the violence and further destabilize the region. The Palestinians have, at least for the time being, elected to pursue the path of confrontation as a means to achieve their political goals. An international presence would be interpreted as sanctioning this strategy, and would therefore solidify the Palestinians' refusal to put down their weapons, negotiate with Israel and reach a compromise agreement.”
2001-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295 (2001) · source
“The current Palestinian initiative requests that the Council send a mission of international observers to the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. This is an initiative that is completely unnecessary. Chairman Arafat has the ability to protect the lives of his people himself. All he needs to do, and indeed all we are asking of him, is to publicly call upon his people to stop the confrontation. Though he has promised us repeatedly that he would take such a step, he has ignored his many opportunities to do so. Moreover, the current Palestinian initiative represents a blatant attempt to obscure their strategic choice, and as such, the Security Council must not be a party to it. The United Nations cannot be called upon to put out fires on behalf of the same party that has kindled the flames.”
2001-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295 (2001) · source
“As such, any violation of the commitments contained in these letters undermines the very foundation of the peace process and imperils the achievement of its noble objectives. The new Israeli Government, under the leadership of Ariel Sharon, wants nothing more than to achieve a just and lasting peace settlement with the Palestinians. The Government has frozen settlement construction and has decided against any acts of collective punishment, not because it was forced to do so, but out of a real and genuine desire for peace. As Minister Peres said yesterday, peace is the chief objective of the present Government. To that end, we must quickly resume negotiations, though in an atmosphere of calm and tranquillity, not through a vicious cycle of violence.”
2001-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295 (2001) · source
“The PLO renounces the use of terrorism and other acts of violence and will assume responsibility over all PLO elements and personnel in order to assure their compliance, prevent violations and discipline violators." It was only in response to these cardinal undertakings that the Government of Israel recognized the PLO as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people and agreed to formally negotiate with it in the context of the Middle East peace process. These letters of mutual recognition, to which we have so often referred in past statements before the Council, and which were exchanged just prior to the signing of the Declaration of Principles in September 1993, constitute the underlying basis of the Israeli- Palestinian peace process and of all subsequent agreements concluded between the parties.”
2001-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295 (2001) · source
“The Oslo peace process was based on the fundamental commitment of the Palestinian leadership to renounce the use of violence and terrorism and to settle all outstanding claims through peaceful bilateral negotiations. This commitment was expressly stated in the letter of Chairman Arafat to the late Prime Minister of Israel, Yitzhak Rabin, on 9 September 1993. In the letter Mr. Arafat stated, "The PLO recognizes the right of the State of Israel to exist in peace and security The PLO commits itself to the Middle East peace process and to a peaceful resolution of the conflict between the two sides and declares that all outstanding issues relating to permanent status will be resolved through negotiations.”
2001-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295 (2001) · source
“The Palestinian daily newspaper Al-Ayyam, on 6 December 2000, quoted Imad Al-Falouji, the Palestinian Minister of Communications, as saying that the Palestinian Authority had begun preparations for the outbreak of the current intifada from the moment the Camp David talks concluded, in accordance with instructions given by Chairman Arafat himself. Mr. Al-Falouji went on to state that Mr. Arafat launched this intifada as the culminating stage of "Palestinian steadfastness" in the negotiations, according to Al-Ayyam, 6 December 2000. More recently, Mr. Falouji reiterated the involvement of the Palestinian leadership in orchestrating the violence in a statement quoted by Reuters on 4 March 2001.”
2001-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295 (2001) · source
“Besides being a blatant violation of signed agreements with Israel, these actions clearly demonstrate the central role of the Palestinian leadership in perpetuating the conflict, and they make it impossible to pursue a dialogue with our Palestinian partners under the current conditions. Fourthly, there are the statements of Palestinian officials themselves, who have admitted to the fact that the Palestinian leadership made active preparations for the outbreak of the hostilities as early as last July.”
2001-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295 (2001) · source
“His failure to issue such a call is a strong indication that the Chairman does not really wish to see the violence brought to a close. Thirdly, the Palestinian leadership has, over the course of the past few months, consistently acted to encourage rather than to quell the confrontations. In this regard, I must recall the continuing incitement to violence on television, on the radio, in newspapers and in the mosques, as well as the release of convicted terrorist prisoners from Palestinian Authority prisons- an action that directly contributed to the recent rise in terrorist attacks inside Israel.”
2001-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295 (2001) · source
“Secondly, despite Chairman Arafat's commitments to control terror and violence, as enshrined in his letter to Prime Minister Rabin of 9 September 1993, and despite the understanding reached at the Sharm el-Sheikh summit in October, Chairman Arafat has still not called upon his people to stop the intifada. Just this week, Chairman Arafat had such an opportunity when he spoke to the Palestinian Legislative Council in Gaza City, an address that was carried on Palestinian radio. Had Chairman Arafat issued such a call - as he had previously agreed - it would have been an important first step towards the immediate relief of the suffering of the Palestinian people and would have made today's meeting completely unnecessary.”
2001-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295 (2001) · source
“I should like to mention just a few brief points that serve to illustrate this assertion. First, it is important to ask, as did Cicero in ancient Rome, "Qui bono?" Who is benefiting? Without question, the Palestinians have benefited tremendously from the international attention that they have attracted. Since September, the international media have trained their lenses squarely on the Palestinians, and the Palestinians themselves have been enormously successful at manipulating that attention to their maximum advantage. Yesterday, Minister Peres described an intercepted message in which Palestinians were instructed not to begin throwing stones until CNN reporters, who were caught in traffic, could arrive on the scene.”
2001-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295 (2001) · source
“Not once, in a confrontation that is almost half a year old, has Chairman Arafat, as the leader of the Palestinians, called for an end to the violence. Are the Palestinians, by asking for an international protection force, now implying a renunciation of violence? The situation as it exists in the Palestinian territories today is not one of a threatened people who are in dire need of protection. Indeed, the only thing the Palestinians need protection from is the consequences oftheir own actions. Since the last time the Council met to discuss this issue, it has become widely acknowledged that the responsibility for the violence lies with the Palestinians. This has been Israel's contention all along, but developments in recent months have made this truth incontrovertible.”
2001-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295 (2001) · source
“Thus, we believe that the initiative under discussion today is part of a larger strategy. The Palestinians often speak - as my dear colleague, Ambassador Al-Kidwa, just did - of their strategic choice for peace. This, we believe, is a genuine Palestinian aspiration. Where we part ways, however, is in how we seek to achieve such a peace. Do we wish to make peace through dialogue and negotiation, or through violence and terror? A prominent European statesman put it this way: one cannot search for peace with a pen in one hand and a bomb in the other. Now the Palestinians want a pen in one hand, a bomb in the other, and an international shield in between. The Palestinian intifada, as it has existed for nearly six months now, is incompatible with international protection.”
2001-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295 (2001) · source
“At this point, I should like to recall a statement made by that late, great statesman, French President Francois Mitterrand, commenting, in a context that was not totally similar, on the need to enhance international intervention during the Bosnian conflict. He said, "Let us not add war to war". Today's meeting comes as no surprise to us. The recent actions of the Palestinians, including pronouncements in the media and documents circulated by the Permanent Observer of Palestine - my colleague, Ambassador Nasser Al-Kidwa - have made no secret of the fact that the Palestinians wish to see the Security Council intervene in this matter. This initiative was prepared weeks ago and has been undertaken without even giving the new Israeli Government a chance to reassess the situation.”
2001-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295 (2001) · source
“Peres articulated a vision of cooperation and coexistence between Israel and the Palestinians, one in which economic cooperation has transcended territorial conflict and facilitated its resolution. He spoke of the primary importance that the new Israeli Government attaches to the pursuit of peace. Indeed, he observed that the current crisis in the peace process is not exclusively territorial, but emotional as well. Though I do not wish to be redundant, I do wish to add my voice to Mr. Peres' voice in cautioning the Council, at this extremely sensitive time, when tensions and emotions are running high, not to add a new, complicating factor to an already difficult situation.”
2001-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295 (2001) · source
“Mr. President, at the outset, I wish to congratulate you on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council, and I wish you much success in this capacity. I wish also to thank your predecessor, the Ambassador of Tunisia, for his most able leadership. Yesterday, the Council heard a statement by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Israel, Mr. Shimon Peres. I believe that Minister Peres clearly described the position of the Israeli Government on all issues pertaining to the situation in the Middle East and specifically to the deliberations at hand, those regarding an international presence in the territories. I wish to thank the members of the Council for yesterday's constructive dialogue and for their obvious concern for peace and security for all the peoples of the region. Mr.”
2001-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295 (2001) · source
“The draft resolution before us today is a recipe for long-term instability in the region, and I therefore S/PV.4248 strongly urge the members of the Council not to support it.”
2000-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4248 (2000) · source