YouSaid · the spoken record

Prosor

lines on the record: 556
first: 2011-06-30
most recent: 2015-07-30
sittings or episodes: 50
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

“Yet there have been zero Human Rights Council condemnations and zero calls for commissions of inquiry. If the novelist Jane Austen were writing about the United Nations today, the book could be called Pride and Prejudice, but a more fitting title would be Hypocrisy and Double Standards. One would think that some of the Arab nations would demand justice. After all, the Saudi Ambassador was quick to stand at the side of the Palestinian representative during last summer's Gaza conflict and preach about the value of civilian life. The truth of the matter is that when Israel is at the heart ofa crisis, the Arabs do not miss a beat. But when fingers cannot be pointed at Israel, some Arab nations show themselves to be downright heartless. On Passover we ask what has changed.”
2015-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7430 (2015) · source
“Israel is the realization of those dreams, and Passover reminds us that we can never take those freedoms for granted. Since our last debate on this topic (see S/PV.7360), the chaos in our region has only grown worse. Another nation State has been overrun by radical extremists - first Syria, then Iraq, then Libya and now Yemen. The extreme elements in our region have displayed a level of barbarism that is shocking, even by Middle Eastern standards. The situation has become so dire that, in a rare display of unity, the Arab leaders have joined forces. It should come as no surprise that they have lashed out with little regard for the consequences. The Saudi-led air strikes in Yemen have hit humanitarian aid convoys, hospitals, schools and civilian neighbourhoods and left entire families dead.”
2015-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7430 (2015) · source
“Let me begin by thanking the Secretary-General for his briefing. I also want to thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Expatriate Affairs of Jordan for being here today to preside over this special meeting. Earlier this month, Jews throughout the world celebrated Passover, which commemorates the liberation of the ancient Jews from enslavement and the birth of the Jewish nation. The Seder begins with the youngest child in the family asking four questions, also known as Ma Nish'tana. The child asks "What has changed and why is this night different from all other nights?" We answer the questions by recounting the story of how freedom triumphed over oppression. Those lessons are as relevant today as they were 3,000 years ago. For centuries, the Jewish people longed for, prayed for and fought for the right to be free.”
2015-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7430 (2015) · source
“All of us - Governments, civil society and United Nations agencies - must work together to pass stronger laws, strengthen enforcement mechanisms and introduce tougher penalties for offenders. If a nation refuses to prosecute domestic sexual abuse, marital rape and honour killings in times of peace, then there is little hope for justice in times of war and conflict. Our sages teach us that "It is not what one says, but what one does, that makes all the difference in the world." We have heard the debates and adopted the resolutions, but we have yet to make the difference that we need to make. The time has come for meaningful action. The victims and survivors of sexual Violence deserve nothing less.”
2015-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7428 (2015) · source
“Women are raped numerous times a day. Young girls are forced to call their parents to detail being gang-raped by dozens of men. The captured women and girls are sold as wives to Islamic fighters for as little as $25, or given as "sabaya", a reward for fighters. ISIS is just one of the radical extremist groups seeking to subjugate women. There is also Boko Haram in Nigeria and in Chad, Al-Qaida in Yemen, as well as like-minded militias in Libya and Al-Shabaab in East Africa. Those groups seek to control every area of a woman's life, including how she dresses, how she spends her days, whom she marries and how many children she will have. Sexual violence as a tool in war is not a women's issue, it is a crime of humanity committed against humanity. Victims of sexual violence should not stand alone.”
2015-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7428 (2015) · source
“We cannot be silent when we are told that female genital mutilation and forced marriage are acceptable cultural norms. They are not. We cannot be silent when extremists misconstrue religion to permit sexual assault and slavery. There can be zero tolerance for barbaric acts that should have been relegated to the dark ages. Our family of nations is failing millions of families throughout the world, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa. With every passing day, ISIS militants brutalize and enslave scores of women. Last summer, ISIS advanced to the remote communities of northern Iraq, lining up men by the side of the road and shooting them into mass graves. They kidnapped thousands of Yazidi and Christian women and girls and herded them into Mosul's Badush prison. The reports from the prison are shocking.”
2015-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7428 (2015) · source
“The great injustice is that, in the aftermath of sexual violence, the women affected live in shame while the perpetrators live free. I look around the world today and see an epidemic of sexual violence. The number of victims is so large and so overwhelming that we often lose sight of the fact that we are speaking about individuals. We are speaking about Arwa, a 15-year-old Yazidi girl who was captured and raped by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) fighters and whose sisters are still in the hands of the Islamic State. We are speaking about Noora, an 11-year-old from Yemen, who was forced to marry a much older man, who abused her. Arwa and Noora have been robbed of their childhoods, families and dreams. Many other girls and women have also been robbed of their lives. They may have been silenced, but we cannot be silent.”
2015-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7428 (2015) · source
“I thank the Secretary-General for his report (S/2015/203) and Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict Zainab Bangura for her briefing. Sexual violence in conflict has become a weapon of choice because it is cheap, silent and effective. Instead of bullets or bombs, the perpetrators employ barbarism and brutality. Sexual Violence in conflict ruins lives, fuels conflict and causes lasting damage. The suffering caused by sexual Violence does not end even if the women are released or escape. Survivors are often stigmatized by their communities, rejected by their families and infected with sexually transmitted diseases, and they are at increased risk for committing suicide. For all of those reasons, sexual Violence is almost universally underreported. For each rape reported, it is estimated that 10 to 20 go unreported.”
2015-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7428 (2015) · source
“The same cannot be said for Christians living under the Palestinian leadership. Since Hamas took over Gaza in 2007, half the Christian community has fled Gaza. After the Palestinian Authority took control of Bethlehem in 1995, Palestinian gunmen seized Christian homes and looted the Church of the Nativity. Owing to this persecution, the city's Christian population has fallen by nearly 70 per cent. It does not matter where you come from, what faith you belong to, or what politics you preach. No decent human being can ignore the calamity facing minorities in the Middle East. Millions of people around the world put their faith in the United Nations. It is time for the Security Council to break its silence and give them a reason to believe.”
2015-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7419 (2015) · source
“Also in 2013, Ayatollah Khamenei issued a fatwa in which he branded the Baha'is as deviants. At his direction, Iranian Baha'is are regularly arrested, tortured and denied their most basic rights, including the right to study at university. There is only one place in the Middle East where minorities have the freedom to practice their faith, change faiths or practice no faith at all - and that is Israel. Israel is home to the Baha'i World Centre. It is the only place in the Middle East where Druze have reached the highest echelons of society. It is the only place where the Christian population is growing. Since Israel's establishment in 1948, its Christian communities have expanded more than 1,000 per cent. Israeli Christians have served in our Parliament and on our Supreme Court.”
2015-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7419 (2015) · source
“In December, Kurdish fighters broke the ISIS siege of Mount Sinjar, freeing thousands of Yazidis and Christians. The Kurds are the leading force in the fight against ISIS. They have shown tremendous courage and fortitude. The Kurds need the support of the international community and they deserve political independence. The persecution of minorities is not taking place just at the hands of extremist groups. Last year, Islamist police in Saudi Arabia stormed a Christian prayer meeting and arrested its entire congregation, including women and children. Arresting someone for praying is like arresting someone for having lunch - one is feeding his hunger and the other is feeding his faith. In 2013, three Iranian Christians caught selling Bibles were found guilty of "crimes against State security" and sentenced to 10 years in prison.”
2015-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7419 (2015) · source
“Having succeeded in driving the vast majority of Jews out of Arab lands, extremists have turned on the Christians. At the turn of the twentieth century, Christians comprised 26 per cent of the Middle East's population. Today, that figure is less than 10 per cent. The Nineveh plains in Iraq had been home to Christians since the first century. The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) tore through the region, desecrating churches and destroying artefacts. Christians were given the grim choice of converting to Islam or facing death by beheading, stoning or crucifixion. Fearing for their lives, tens of thousands of Christians have fled to northern Iraq and taken refuge in Kurdistan. Kurdish forces are fighting valiantly to defend their homes and push back the extremist threat.”
2015-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7419 (2015) · source
“Next week, Jewish people around the world will celebrate Passover, which commemorates the exodus story. In recent years, another exodus story has unfolded, but this one is driven by a plague of persecution aimed at the Christians, Kurds, Yazidis, Baha'is and, of course, the Jews. For more than 2,500 years, 1 million Jews lived peacefully in Arab lands. In 1947, the situation changed dramatically. Following the United Nations vote to establish a Jewish State (General Assembly resolution 181 (II)), Arab Governments turned on their Jewish citizens. From Baghdad to Sana'a to Tripoli, thousands of Jews were murdered in Violent riots and hundreds of thousands more were forced to run for their lives. Radical Islamists have a saying: "First the Saturday people, then the Sunday people".”
2015-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7419 (2015) · source
“It is only committed to tearing Israel down. Former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir said, "We will only have peace when our enemies love their children more than they hate ours". Across the Middle East, terrorists and extremists are poisoning the minds of the next generation, teaching them to hate, vilify and dehumanize Israelis and Jews. We have lost an entire generation to incitement. Enough is enough. Send the message that children should be sent to playgrounds and not battlegrounds, that they belong in schools and not on suicide missions and, most importantly, that they have infinite value as human beings and not human shields.”
2015-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7414 (2015) · source
“They are born in hospitals named after violent Palestinian groups, attend schools named after terrorists and taught from textbooks that describe Zionism as racism. In mosques, religious leaders are spreading vicious libel, accusing Jews of destroying Muslim holy sites. In their free time, Palestinian children play on sports teams named after murderers, watch television programmes that teach that Jews should be killed, and read cartoons urging them to commit terror attacks against Israelis. But the Council does not have to take my word for it. Senior Hamas official Fathi Hamad said that, "For the Palestinian people, death has become an industry This is why we have formed human shields of the women, the children, and the elderly." The evidence is overwhelming. Hamas has no interest in building its people up.”
2015-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7414 (2015) · source
“Hamas' terror tunnels opened at the doorsteps of Israeli communities, outside homes, kindergartens and playgrounds, with the deliberate intention of targeting and murdering Israeli children. The Palestinian leadership regularly turns to the international community for financial support, but when it comes to funding, training, arming and indoctrinating thousands of young Palestinian children, there is no shortage of money. In January, Hamas, which sits in the Palestinian unity Government, sent over 17,000 Palestinian youngsters to 18 new military training camps. The boys who attend those camps are trained to fire weapons, storm Israel Defense Forces (IDF) posts and abduct IDF soldiers. The indoctrination of Palestinian children is nothing new.”
2015-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7414 (2015) · source
“Hamas may claim to represent its people's well- being, but its actions reflect countless wrongdoings. The terrorist group deploys minors as suicide bombers and recruits them to carry out attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers. It uses children as human shields and places children in harm's way by using schools, hospitals and civilian neighbourhoods as a base for their terror activity. We saw abundant evidence of those crimes in summer 2014. Here in New York, the underground system is called the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. In Gaza, Hamas built a metropolitan terror authority - miles of dense terror tunnels that extended like tentacles into Israel. Those tunnels were built using Palestinian child labourers, many of whom were killed in the process.”
2015-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7414 (2015) · source
“We learned that terrorists will target an Israeli child making his way home from school. In August 2014, 4-year-old Daniel Tregerman was playing with his younger siblings when a mortar fired by Palestinian terrorists from Gaza struck his home and killed him. We learned that terrorists will target an Israeli child playing in his own home. In December 2014, Palestinian terrorists threw a firebomb at a car carrying ll-year-old Ayala Shapira. Flames engulfed the car, and Ayala suffered third-degree burns to her face and upper body. We learned that terrorists will even target an Israeli child sitting in the back seat of her parent's car. The Israeli people have learned too many painful lessons. Terrorists have robbed our children of their dreams, their childhood and their futures.”
2015-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7414 (2015) · source
“I raised my sons, Lior and Tourer, and my daughter, Oren, in Israel, and I know all too well the abnormal normality of raising a family in Israel. Our children go to schools with security guards stationed at the door, we walk through metal detectors to enter a mall, and our homes are built with reinforced concrete to protect our families from rockets. Like other Israeli parents, I want to see the day when our children can grow up and grow old without hearing the wail of a red- alert siren or the boom of rockets overhead. We want our children to enjoy a life free from acts of terrorism, but that day has not yet come. In June 2014, Israelis were numb with horror when they learned that Palestinian terrorists kidnapped and brutally murdered three Israeli teenagers, Eyal, Gilad and Naftali.”
2015-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7414 (2015) · source
“I thank you, Mr. President, for convening this meeting. Allow me to take this opportunity to thank today's speakers for sharing their expertise and insights. Around the world today, children are exploited in conflict, targeted with violence and used as instruments of war. The crimes are horrendous. In January, Boko Haram wrapped a young girl in explosives and sent her into a busy Nigerian market. The explosion killed 16 people and injured another 20. This is not a world we should accept - a world where lO-year-olds are used as weapons of war. When we fail to protect children, we fail to protect our future. I speak before the Council today as the Permanent Representative of the State oflsrael, but also as a father and grandfather.”
2015-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7414 (2015) · source
“President Franklin Roosevelt said, "We have always held to the hope, the belief, the conviction that there is a better life, a better world, beyond the horizon." I know that there is a better world beyond the horizon, and together we can make it a reality.”
2015-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7374 (2015) · source
“They have not merely broken the glass ceiling; they have shattered it. The protection of women is an issue that is close to my heart. I have a mother and a wife and a daughter and a sister, and I am expecting my first granddaughter to arrive in a few weeks. I want them all to live in a world where every nation and every person respects their intelligence and abilities. I want to live in a world where there is zero tolerance for the oppression and persecution of women. I want to live in a world where the perpetrators of violence against women are brought to justice. And I want to live in a world where women are afforded the dignity and respect they deserve. We are the ones who can create that world.”
2015-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7374 (2015) · source
“Israel understands that, when women participate as equal partners in the decision-making process, society benefits as a whole. Gender equality is enshrined in our 1948 Declaration of Independence. Golda Meir was elected Prime Minister more than 40 years ago. Israel was the third country in the world to elect a woman to its highest office. Today, Israel is the only country in the Middle East where women have presided over each of the three branches of Government. The opportunities and freedoms afforded to Israeli women transcend religion and ethnicity. An Arab woman living in Israel enjoys more rights and freedoms than a woman anywhere else in the Middle East. They are elected to our Parliament; they are leading physicians, respected academics, renowned lawyers, successful chief executive officers and esteemed scientists.”
2015-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7374 (2015) · source
“We must be the voice of Arwa, a 15-year-old Yazidi girl who was captured and raped by ISIS fighters and whose sisters are still in the hands of the Islamic State. We must be the voice of Laila, a woman from Myanmar who was dragged through the streets and then beheaded in Saudi Arabia. And we must be the voice of Noora from Yemen, who was just 11 when she was forced to marry a much older man, who raped and abused her. Those women need our attention, and they need the attention of our Governments and the United Nations - not tomorrow, but today. We must send the message that we will no longer tolerate such barbaric crimes, not now or ever. As a father who raised his daughter, Oren, in Israel, I can say that I cannot imagine raising my daughter in any other Middle Eastern country.”
2015-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7374 (2015) · source
“Growing up in Iran, Reyhaneh Jabbari faced every one of these injustices. Reyhaneh was just 19 when she was arrested for killing a man whom she said was trying to drug and rape her. Reyhaneh was placed in solitary confinement, denied access to a lawyer and tortured mercilessly. There was no proper investigation, no due process and no fair trial. Reyhaneh became another victim of an unjust system. She was sentenced to death and hanged in Tehran. Reyhaneh's story is a familiar one in the Middle East. Tyrants and extremists believe that by silencing women they can silence modernization and civilization. We must do everything in our power to oppose the extremists who want to drag us back to the Dark Ages. Every time they try to take away a woman's voice, we must give that woman a voice.”
2015-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7374 (2015) · source
“They are often intentionally targeted by extremist groups, caught in the crossfire between rival factions, and driven from their homes, where they face new threats such as being sold into slavery, raped or killed. Extremist groups like the Taliban, Boko Haram, Al-Qaida and the Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham (ISIS) deny women their most basic rights: the rights to get an education, to earn a living, to choose a marriage partner, and even to walk down the street unaccompanied. It is not just extremist groups subjugating women. In the most repressive nations, there is no sympathetic police force to investigate crimes against a woman, no honestjudiciary to hear her case, no independent media to give voice to her plight, and no free and fair elections to give her hope.”
2015-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7374 (2015) · source
“I want to thank you, Sir, for hosting this important meeting and today's speakers for their briefings to the Security Council and, more importantly, for the work they do to protect civilians. One of the founding fathers of this institution, President Franklin Roosevelt, envisioned a world committed to four freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. As the United Nations prepares to celebrate its seventieth anniversary, this vision should guide our efforts, particularly when it comes to women. Far too many women, from Syria and the Sudan to the Central African Republic, are living without freedoms and in great danger.”
2015-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7374 (2015) · source
“We must confront the extremists who sow the seeds of hatred. We must uproot radicalism and we must weed out the terrorists who seek to destroy our way of life. Working together, we are succeeding in doing what the United Nations was created to do, improving the lives of hundreds of millions of people. We are the first generation with a chance of eliminating extreme poverty. There is an African proverb that teaches that if you want to go fast go alone, but if you want to go far, go together. We have come so far and achieved so much that we cannot stop now. Together, we must struggle to break down the barriers that divide us. Together we must build more peaceful societies and together we must be united in achieving the common dream of all people, a better future for our children and a chance to live in peace and security.”
2015-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7361 (2015) · source
“Last year, Usaid was recruited by Sunni extremists from Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham who threatened to rape his Mother if he did not join them. Seeing no alternative, Usaid volunteered to be a suicide bomber. He strapped on a suicide vest and made his way to a Shiite mosque and revealed himself to the local guards. Usaid's story is not unique. Extremist groups thrive in regions with poor governance, weak rule of law, and a rampant social exclusion. It is no coincidence that so many of the countries that threaten global peace and stability are the very places where millions of people are deprived of their basic dignities and freedoms. Throughout the world radical Islamists are waging war against our way of life, our values and our freedoms. Development can lay the groundwork for stability, but it is not enough.”
2015-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7361 (2015) · source
“The prosperity and stability of societies also depend on enabling young people to play a meaningful role in shaping their future. The current generation of children and youth is the largest in human history. Of the 7 billion people living on the planet, nearly half are under the age of 25. These young people have hopes and dreams. When young people see a future devoid of jobs and opportunities, frustration sets in. If it is not addressed it is a ticking time bomb. Members may have read about a 14-year old Syrian boy named Usaid Barho. Like other boys of his age, Usaid dreamed of growing up and finding a job that would make his family proud. But there are no simple dreams for a boy growing up in Syria.”
2015-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7361 (2015) · source
“The pioneers who founded Israel's kibbutz movement built a society centred on cooperation and equality. Women contributed to every aspect of kibbutz society, from the agricultural fields to the political field. Gender equality is also enshrined in our 1948 Declaration of Independence. More than 40 years ago, when Golda Meir was elected Prime Minister, Israel was the third country in the world to elect a woman to its highest office. In fact, Israel is the only country in the Middle East where women have presided over each and every one of the three branches of Government. Today, we continue to invest in women. The Israeli Government funds a number of high-tech vocational training programmes to enable Arab, Bedouin and Jewish women to reach their full potential.”
2015-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7361 (2015) · source
“taught us that "Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle". The challenges to development - the hardship, the despair, the poverty - can seem overwhelming. The security challenges that we face are equally daunting. Nonetheless, I am optimistic because I have seen at first hand how inclusiveness enriches a society. From its earliest days, Israel opened its door to all people of all nationalities and faiths throughout the world. We championed an education system that teaches tolerance and a justice system that safeguards the rights of every person. Today one can find people of all colours, creeds and religions succeeding in every area of society. Israel also understands that empowering women is the foundation of thriving societies.”
2015-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7361 (2015) · source
“In many places they are barred from participating in political life, cannot work or attend school, or are victims of sexual violence that is often overlooked by local authorities. Societies that oppress women are doing a double disservice. First, they are committing an injustice against half the population, and secondly they are obstructing development. We know that when half of the population is sidelined, the path to development is blocked. We also know that women promote peace and reconciliation in these societies. As an example, in Rwanda women have been the driving force in post- conflict reconstruction and peacebuilding. Today, Rwanda is ranked seventh in gender equality and women are fully engaged in the country's economic and political leadership. Martin Luther King Jr.”
2015-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7361 (2015) · source
“It is our duty to ensure that it is truly transformative and can serve as the key to unlocking a better future for millions of people throughout the world. We must create an enabling environment for inclusive and peaceful societies by promoting good governance, supporting strong institutions, and advancing the rule of law at both the national and international levels. Fifteen years ago, the Council adopted resolution 1325 (2000), which recognizes the critical role that women play in promoting and maintaining peaceful societies. The situation on the ground in many nations has yet to match the Council's aspirations. Throughout the world, too many women continue to be treated as second-class citizens. From Nigeria to Syria, from Pakistan to the Sudan, women are subjected to unspeakable violence and discrimination.”
2015-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7361 (2015) · source
“It was a great honour to have President Bachelet here earlier today. Allow me to thank and congratulate Chile on bringing this important subject to the attention of the Council. It is fitting that a debate on inclusive development falls on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Dr. King was a champion of human rights and human dignity. He taught the world that strong societies do not succumb to division. They teach tolerance and embrace diversity. He also taught us that we must commit ourselves wholeheartedly to the values that we believe in. He said: "The ultimate measure ofa man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge". The challenge before us is immense. In the coming year, the United Nations will unveil a new development agenda.”
2015-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7361 (2015) · source
“Israel is on the right side of the moral divide. The question is, which side will the Security Council stand on? If it opposes terrorism and oppression, it must stand with the Middle East's only democracy. Tell the Palestinians that while we might have a territorial dispute, Israel's right to live in security is beyond dispute. Make it clear that unilateral actions are no substitute for meaningful dialogue. And send the message to the Palestinian leadership that they must say yes to the recognition of Israel as the nation State of the Jewish people, yes to direct negotiations and through that, yes to peace.”
2015-01-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7360 (2015) · source
“Hizbullah has the capabilities and it has made its intentions very clear. The threat to our region is real and it is imminent. The international community can no longer afford to ignore the warning signs. Israel will not stand idly by as Iran continues to arm its terrorist proxies. We will act to defend our citizens. Winston Churchill once said that all the greatest things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word, such as "freedom", "honour" and "hope". Israel stands for freedom and honour and hope. It is the only State in the Middle East that defends the right of all people to practice their religion as they choose. It is the only country in the region with a free press, free elections and free speech. It is the only country in the Middle East where women have presided over each of the three branches of Government.”
2015-01-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7360 (2015) · source
“Last month a senior United Nations official declared that the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon had "seen no evidence of unauthorized weapons or weapons transfers in its area of operations". Really? Clearly the United Nations has tuned out, because if it were tuned in to the news it would know that Hassan Nasrallah and other senior officials regularly boast about the size and sophistication of Hizbullah's arsenal. Hizbullah's Deputy Secretary General, Naim Qassem, was quoted in an Iranian newspaper as saying that Hizbullah was in possession of missiles with pinpoint accuracy, and that with the Islamic Republic's support it would be ready for any future war. The terror group even published a map showing the locations of their Fateh missiles in Lebanon and made the threat that they can strike anywhere in Israel.”
2015-01-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7360 (2015) · source
“It is time for the nations that believe in liberty and democracy to stand with the only liberal democracy in the Middle East. The results of unchecked extremism may have just arrived at Europe's doorstep, but we have been combatting radical groups since our establishment. Every day we confront Hamas in Gaza, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in the north, Jihadi groups in the Sinai, and Hizbullah in southern Lebanon. Iran is bankrolling Hizbullah with $200 million a year to wage war on its behalf. It is training terrorists and smuggling weapons in blatant violation of resolutions 1701 (2006) and 1747 (2007). Hizbullah has amassed well over 100,000 sophisticated missiles and rockets and senior Hizbullah officials regularly threaten to use them.”
2015-01-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7360 (2015) · source
“European nations claim to stand for human rights and civil liberties, but with every passing day I am given more reason to be a Euro-skeptic. Every European Union parliament that voted to prematurely recognize the Palestinian State was rewarding terrorism, and the decision by the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg to remove Hamas from its list of terrorist organizations was a victory for terrorism. The Court claimed the decision was simply a technical matter. Really? Well, I can tell you that there was nothing technical about the thousands of rockets that Hamas fired into Israel, or the innocent civilians that the group kidnapped and killed. No amount of Swiss chocolate, Belgian waffles or fine French wine can mask the unpleasant taste this leaves in our mouths.”
2015-01-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7360 (2015) · source
“It has tested and fired dozens of rockets, it is aggressively taxing its people to fund its terror enterprise, and it is stealing cement - I will repeat that; stealing cement - intended for humanitarian purposes to rebuild its terror tunnels. I find it curious that many of those facts - not alleged facts, not reported facts, but real facts - were omitted from this morning's report. The great American statesman Daniel Patrick Moynihan once said, "Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts". This Council would be better served if it would be presented with more facts and fewer opinions in the monthly reports. What has been the response from the international community? The more the Palestinian leadership says "no", the more "yes" votes it seems to garner in this institution.”
2015-01-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7360 (2015) · source
“At the celebration, Hamas military spokesman Abu Obeida publicly thanked Iran and Qatar for supplying the group with arms and support. Those rogue regimes have enabled Hamas and Fatah to commit countless war crimes. Over the summer, Hamas and Fatah terrorists fired rockets from mosques, stored weapons in schools run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, used Gaza hospitals as military headquarters and sent children to rooftops as human shields. The evidence is overwhelming, yet the international community has failed to hold the Palestinians to account. Hamas is once again preparing to go on the offensive by rearming, rebuilding its terror infrastructure and reaffirming its commitment to waging war against Israel.”
2015-01-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7360 (2015) · source
“Israel, on the other hand, is taking meaningful steps to rebuild Gaza. The Palestinian Authority is missing in action. Its leadership could not even find the time to visit Gaza. They have left their people to suffer under the tyranny of Hamas. That terrorist organization sends teenagers to terrorist training camps, condones honour killings, punishes homosexuality with death and encourages public executions. Instead of condemning Hamas for its crimes, the Palestinian leadership formed a Government with a terrorist group that is more interested in tearing Israel down than building the Palestinian people up. In December, Hamas celebrated its twenty- seventh anniversary by burning effigies of Jews and parading trucks carrying long-range rockets through the streets of Gaza.”
2015-01-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7360 (2015) · source
“Forging a lasting peace requires courage and political capital, and the Palestinian leadership is in short supply of both. The Palestinian Authority has no authority over the Gaza Strip. Hence it has no authority over nearly half of the territory and 40 per cent of the population it claims to represent, and it certainly has not demonstrated a willingness to assist the people of Gaza. When this Council tried to pass a resolution to speed up the delivery of construction materials into Gaza, the Palestinian President dragged his feet, obstructed the process and eventually abandoned the proposition altogether. The Palestinian Authority agreed to take responsibility for monitoring the crossings and then never showed up. What about the Arab nations? The oil-rich Arab nations pledge funds, but the pipelines seem to have run dry.”
2015-01-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7360 (2015) · source
“The international community must demand more from the Palestinians. Make it clear that fostering a culture of hatred is unacceptable. Make it clear that there is no impunity for intolerance and send the message that the path to peace begins with the recognition of Israel as the nation-State of the Jewish people. The Palestinian leadership has said "no", to peace. Israel is committed to peace. No one understands what is at stake more than we do, It is our cities and our citizens that terrorists are targeting. At Camp David in 2000 and again at Annapolis in 2008, Israeli leaders made far-reaching offers that could have led to the creation of a Palestinian State. Those offers were met by deliberate evasion, outright rejection and waves of terrorism. Israel has made concession after concession and received nothing in return.”
2015-01-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7360 (2015) · source
“Instead, it is giving them a free pass and sending a message that they can incite violence that leads to terrorist attacks with impunity. The international community is literally letting them get away with murder. President Abbas's hateful speeches have sparked dozens of violent riots. Palestinian terrorists have shot and stabbed our citizens and driven their cars into crowds of pedestrians. The wave of terrorism shows no sign of abating. Just a few weeks ago, Palestinian terrorists threw a firebomb at a car carrying 11 year-old Ayala Shapira. The little girl suffered third-degree burns over much of her body and face. As we speak she is fighting for her life in hospital. Does that disgusting attack on a child not merit condemnation? Because I have not heard one - not from the Palestinian leadership nor from this Council.”
2015-01-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7360 (2015) · source
“President Mahmoud Abbas is currently in his tenth year ofa five year presidential term. He is willing to say anything and do anything to cling to power. Last year, the Palestinian Authority committed every form of diplomatic treachery. It abandoned peace talks, formed a Government with the Hamas terrorist group, awarded honours to convicted terrorists and broke its word by signing dozens of international conventions. Its leadership delivered a hate-fuelled speech against Israel here in the General Assembly, called for violent "Days of Rage" and urged Palestinians to prevent Jews from visiting the Temple Mount using "all means necessary". The international community has not challenged the Palestinian leadership on any of these crimes.”
2015-01-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7360 (2015) · source
“The Palestinian leadership has said, "no" to the recognition of Israel as the nation-State of the Jewish people. Israel is our historical homeland. When I walk the streets of Jerusalem, I am walking in the footsteps of our forefathers: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. When I stand at the Western Wall, I can feel thousands of years of Jewish prayers and dreams. When I traverse our small State, history comes alive. I see the valley where David battled Goliath, the hills where Isaiah prophesized about beating our swords into plowshares and the mountains where Elijah saw a vision of peace. Israel has been our land for 3,800 years, and we are here to stay. Nothing can change the historical facts. Yet the Palestinian Authority has made a career of denying the facts. Here is a fact the Council members may not know.”
2015-01-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7360 (2015) · source
“They are looking for shortcuts and quick fixes where none exists, and in the process, they are politicizing another international body. It is extremely convenient that the Palestinian Authority has asked that the Court's jurisdiction to extend back to June 13, 2014. That is, surprisingly, the day after three Israeli teenagers were kidnapped and murdered by Palestinian terrorists. By choosing to go to the ICC, the Palestinians have reinforced the message that they are not interested in negotiating and they are not willing to compromise. The international community must stop encouraging this march of folly. It must tell the Palestinians that the claim of return is a nonstarter, make it clear that peace requires compromise and insist that they return to direct negotiations.”
2015-01-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7360 (2015) · source
“Aside from being deeply biased, the Council is indulging their delusions. Every nation that voted in favour of the Palestinian one-sided resolution encouraged them to continue what I would describe as a diplomatic triathlon: running away from negotiations, placing hurdles in the peace process, and cycling towards protracted conflict. Some nations on this Council claim that they voted for the Palestinian resolution to encourage Israelis and Palestinians to resume peace negotiations. One Government even explained that it was trying to prevent the Palestinians from joining the International Criminal Court (ICC). Really? You do not have to be Inspector Clouseau to know that this is what the Palestinians wanted all along. The international community endorsed a road map to peace, but the Palestinians have found every off-ramp and detour.”
2015-01-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7360 (2015) · source