YouSaid · the spoken record

Schonmann

lines on the record

22

first

2010-07-07

most recent

2012-11-19

sittings or episodes

3

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

1. “We have one objective, namely, to target and destroy the terrorist infrastructure of Hamas, which fires rockets from civilian population centres into Israeli communities, day after day. That is Israel's right and duty. No nation would allow such attacks against its civilians, and no nation should defend an internationally recognized terrorist organization that is targeting Israeli civilians as we speak.”

   2012-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6865Resumption1 (2012) · source

2. “Israel will continue to play an active role in the global fight against piracy and maritime terrorism, and welcomes this opportunity to exchange ideas in order to address the problem more effectively. As I come to the end of my statement, I must add that it is most unfortunate, yet not surprising, that certain delegations, which clearly have nothing to contribute to this professional-level debate on piracy, have chosen to hijack it by linking Israel to an unrelated discussion. I do not intend to be dragged into pointless trading of accusations or to waste the Council's limited time. Let me just briefly say that we did not seek the conflict in Gaza; in fact, we did everything we could to avoid it.”

   2012-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6865Resumption1 (2012) · source

3. “In that exercise, drawing on the lessons learned in countering terrorism may prove to be a valuable tool in the fight against piracy. International and regional cooperation is key to addressing piracy, including through State capacity-building. Continued cooperation among all stakeholders, including through information-sharing, prompt reporting, responding to real-time maritime incidents, and providing assistance to developing countries, is critical to ensuring an effective response. In that regard, we note the important roles played by the Contact Group on Piracy offthe Coast ofSomalia and the International Maritime Organization, which regularly publishes guidelines to assist in the investigation of piracy crimes and armed robbery.”

   2012-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6865Resumption1 (2012) · source

4. “In particular, we cannot help noticing the striking resemblance between the threat of piracy and the threat of terrorism. Both represent overarching threats that affect the international community as a whole; both draw on similar weaknesses in the socioeconomic fabric of societies; and both take advantage ofa lack of orderly governance and gaps in legal frameworks. A coordinated international response should be based on identifying positive elements at the regional level and adapting them to the global effort. It requires the creation of broad multilateral coalitions and adequate legal standards, mechanisms and capacities. Those who seek to address the global threat of piracy successfully should study those parallels.”

   2012-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6865Resumption1 (2012) · source

5. “In line with the relevant Security Council resolutions, Israel works in collaboration with local shipping industries and continues to develop and implement best practices for prevention, precautionary measures and defence against attacks. The relevant Israeli authorities stay in close contact with local crews whenever violent incidents occur on the high seas, advise them on measures to take in emergency situations, and ensure that ships flying the Israeli flag request assistance in the event of an emergency. In addition to piracy, numerous transnational criminal acts are carried out on the high seas, such as smuggling and trafficking in weapons, narcotics and people, as well as terrorism. Today those threats are converging, as we see piracy increasingly being used as a platform for carrying out other criminal activities.”

   2012-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6865Resumption1 (2012) · source

6. “Our legislation also fully implements the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation and its Protocol relating to fixed maritime platforms on the continental shelf, which provide effective tools for combating piracy. Our legislation also prohibits the laundering of funds obtained through or derived from piracy. The importance ofwell-functioning judicial and law enforcement mechanisms must not be understated. Without proper investigations, indictments, trials and penalties for the convicted, interception will surely be in vain. The recent report of the Secretary-General on specialized anti-piracy courts (S/2012/50) has shown that strengthening national jurisdictions and enhancing their capacities are important steps towards a sustainable long-term solution, and we welcome that approach.”

   2012-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6865Resumption1 (2012) · source

7. “What originated as individual responses by States has now become a concerted global effort undertaken to the growing threat of piracy. Israel commends the multilayered, multi-stakeholder approach inspired by resolution 1816 (2008), and recognizes that it has resulted in a significant drop in pirate activity off the coast of Somalia. We note, however, that while the attention of the Security Council has been primarily focused on Somali pirates, and more recently on the Gulf of Guinea, there has been an increase in the incidence of piracy in other areas, including the South China Sea, the Indian Ocean, West Africa, South America and the Caribbean. Israel's domestic legislation explicitly criminalizes acts of piracy as offences punishable by 20 years of imprisonment.”

   2012-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6865Resumption1 (2012) · source

8. “In order to effectively combat piracy, those core issues must be addressed in a comprehensive and holistic manner, as also suggested in the concept paper circulated for today's debate (S/2012/814, annex). Piracy raises many acute challenges for the international community, which range from securing maritime safety and addressing the plight of the victims of piracy to ensuring that proper law enforcement and judicial mechanisms are in place. The rise in pirate attacks in recent years has also prompted questions relating to the hiring of private security personnel and their rules of engagement. Of vital interest to all is ensuring free use of the high seas in accordance with customary international principles such as freedom of navigation, innocent passage and transit passage.”

   2012-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6865Resumption1 (2012) · source

9. “Our shipping companies have faced attempts by pirates to hijack our ships in the past, and freedom of navigation is therefore of vital interest to Israel. Piracy is born on shore and perpetrated at sea. That connection is especially clear in areas where safe havens are in close proximity to the shipping lanes where pirates prey and in places where the rule of law is weak or dormant. As long as organized crime syndicates, financiers and supporters can sustain piracy as a lucrative business enterprise, they will find seas in which to sail. As long as underdevelopment and political instability on land persist, transnational criminal enterprises will enjoy an endless supply of labour.”

   2012-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6865Resumption1 (2012) · source

10. “At the outset, allow me to express my delegation's appreciation to you, Mr. President, for convening today's important debate and to the Deputy Secretary-General for his presentation this morning. Maritime piracy and armed robbery at sea have been issues of global concern for centuries. In this age of globalization, maritime trade offers countries unprecedented opportunities for growth. Indeed, 90 per cent of the world's commerce is conducted through the oceans, and piracy poses a profound threat to that trade. Moreover, maritime commerce is conducted by seafarers, and we must be mindful of the human dimension of piracy and the constant threat to their lives and well-being. Israel is not immune to those threats; 99 per cent of our trade is conducted through maritime passageways. The sea is our lifeline.”

    2012-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6865Resumption1 (2012) · source

11. “While in Israel there is an open and vibrant press, freedom of speech and a pluralist democratic society, the Syrian people continue to be oppressed, only dreaming of living in a democracy. Indeed, whenever a Syrian representative speaks about terrorism, we should all appreciate the unique opportunity to gain some insight into the mind of a State sponsor of terrorism.”

    2011-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6658 (2011) · source

12. “The previous speaker is deaf to the cries of freedom that continue to come from the Syrian people in the streets, in broad daylight and even as we speak. Listening to him just now brings to mind George Orwell's 1984, where war is peace, freedom is slavery, and ignorance is strength. That Syria continues to gun down and terrorize its own people is well known and well documented. That Syria is one of the world's primary sanctuaries for terrorist organizations is no secret either. It is common knowledge that it continues to support, finance and provide safe haven for terrorist organizations, and that Damascus is the global headquarters of numerous terrorist organizations.”

    2011-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6658 (2011) · source

13. “In seeking a balance between competing security and humanitarian considerations, the protection of civilians resurfaces throughout the Court's extensive jurisprudence on this matter, shedding light on the dilemmas involved in finding an appropriate balance within the framework of the rule of law. Israel, for its part, will continue to engage in this critical debate and share its experience as part of its commitment to ensuring the protection of civilians amid hostilities and warfare and as part of its commitment to the rule of law.”

    2010-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6354Resumption1 (2010) · source

14. “Ultimately, any candid assessment of the challenges and dilemmas involved in the protection of civilians in contemporary battlefields as well as the applicable rules of the laws of armed conflict must properly address and balance between several key concepts and principles, including military necessity, humanity, distinction and proportionality, as well as the recognition that civilians too have the responsibility not to abuse their protected status to take direct part in hostilities. Israel's Supreme Court has had to address such real and practical challenges during active warfare and combat activities, at times even at the expense of suspending military operations.”

    2010-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6354Resumption1 (2010) · source

15. “However, we must not ignore the fact that terrorists often abuse access privileges, which greatly endangers humanitarian workers and obstructs the movement of aid. Under international humanitarian law, the right to free movement of humanitarian personnel is subject to military necessities and security considerations, among them the safety of the humanitarian personnel themselves and the need to prevent the abuse of humanitarian channels.”

    2010-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6354Resumption1 (2010) · source

16. “Israel expects that these incidents will be addressed in the upcoming briefing to the Security Council on the implementation of resolution 1701 (2006), which is scheduled for next week. Israel also wishes to pay tribute to, and express its continuing support for, the work of humanitarian agencies that provide essential services on the ground. Israel's continued efforts to facilitate humanitarian assistance to Gaza, including, most recently, the expanded opening of crossing points and the lifting of restrictions on products, are indicative of its genuine efforts to alleviate the hardship of the civilian population subjected to the control and manipulation of the hostile terrorist entity.”

    2010-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6354Resumption1 (2010) · source

17. “In the Gaza Strip, Palestinian terrorists use similar tactics to launch rockets and mortars from densely populated areas, while turning the civilians' homes from which they operate into a battlefield. In Lebanon, Hizbullah, just as Hamas in Gaza, maintains its military activity within the fabric of civilian life. Only a few days ago, Hizbullah yet again demonstrated its disregard of civilians when its operatives organized and actively encouraged Lebanese residents and Hizbullah activists to stage seemingly spontaneous violent riots of protest against the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, to be followed by numerous incidents directed at these forces, which consequently took place on 3 July. Those orchestrated incidents by Hizbullah against United Nations peacekeepers violates resolution 1701 (2006).”

    2010-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6354Resumption1 (2010) · source

18. “Although asymmetric warfare has unfortunately become characteristic of the challenges facing Israel in its fight against terrorism in Gaza, it features in many other situations around the world, with similar modus operandi and warfare tactics employed by terrorists, including the deliberate placement of civilians in the vicinity of military targets, turning residential neighbourhoods into combat zones, firing rockets and mortar shells from within civilian population centres and using mosques, hospitals and educational institutions as locations for storing weapons and terrorist infrastructure, to mention but a few. From our own experience, the blatant disregard by terrorists of the sanctity of human life is not restricted to civilians of their adversary, but is also extended to their own populations.”

    2010-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6354Resumption1 (2010) · source

19. “The dilemmas inherent in asymmetric warfare, especially in a situation where terrorists intentionally draw civilians into armed conflict, using them as human shields, warrants close, candid and serious consideration by the Council, taking into account that there are no easy answers, no simple formulas, nor any mathematical certainty in calculating the tragic toll on civilian lives in any given armed conflict. It further requires international lawyers and policymakers to grapple with the reality on the ground, intricate and complex as it may be.”

    2010-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6354Resumption1 (2010) · source

20. “In the face of asymmetric warfare, which is a new and complex phenomenon that the international community has yet to address, regular armies increasingly find themselves fighting paramilitary terrorists or guerrilla organizations that deliberately operate in the vicinity of civilians in densely populated urban settings. While the principle of distinction between combatants and civilians under the laws of armed conflict remain of paramount importance, it has been challenged time and again by developments in modern warfare.”

    2010-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6354Resumption1 (2010) · source

21. “Since last November's debate in the Council (see S/PV.62]6) - which marked the anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1265 (1999) on the protection of civilians in armed conflict - and the adoption of resolution 1894 (2009) as well as last week's debate on the protection of children in armed conflict (see S/PV.634I), it has become evident that, alongside the considerable progress that has been made, including the recent appointment of a Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, key challenges and difficult operational, humanitarian and moral dilemmas still remain.”

    2010-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6354Resumption1 (2010) · source

22. “I would like to thank you, Madam President, for convening this important debate. I also wish to thank Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Holmes for his informative briefing, as well as High Commissioner for Human Rights Pillay. Israel considers the protection of civilians in armed conflict to be of the utmost importance. We are encouraged by the continued efforts of the Security Council, the Secretary-General and his staff in this area. Israel works closely with the United Nations here at Headquarters and on the ground to ensure humanitarian access to civilians in need in times of armed conflict, and will continue to do so.”

    2010-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6354Resumption1 (2010) · source