YouSaid · the spoken record

Shalev

lines on the record: 171
first: 2008-09-26
most recent: 2010-07-21
sittings or episodes: 21
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

“Among the notable achievements is the pressure exerted on armed groups to desist from child recruitment and to release youths who have already been conscripted into armed groups. Indeed, several armed groups have been de-listed from the annexes of the Secretary-General's reports, and the first trial initiated by the International Criminal Court earlier this year in The Hague is a milestone in the issue of child soldiers. In addition to encouraging the release of child soldiers, placing the spotlight on these violations and on those who commit them has the significant effect of discouraging future abuse by others. Another area that warrants greater attention is rape and other grave forms of sexual violence in situations of armed conflict - in this case, violence of the most despicable kind: violence perpetrated against children.”
2009-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6114Resumption1 (2009) · source
“Grace Akallo, as well as for her courage in surviving the horrors she faced and her willingness to share her experience with us. We wish to commend the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict for its vital work in raising the profile of this issue and for working to protect children living in difficult circumstances caused by armed conflict. There can be no doubt that, since the Council unanimously adopted resolution 1612 (2005), establishing the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict and the monitoring and reporting mechanism, the increased international focus on this issue has resulted in improved protection for many of the estimated 300,000 child soldiers around the world.”
2009-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6114Resumption1 (2009) · source
“I thank you, Mr. President, for convening this very important debate and for your leadership of the Security Council during this month. As some may know, we are celebrating today the sixty-first anniversary of the independence of the modern State of Israel, the homeland of the Jewish people. Nevertheless, in the light of the importance of this debate and the issue at hand, I have decided to participate. Let me thank the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Ms. Coomaraswamy, for her great help and for her introduction of the report of the Secretary-General (S/2009/158). Also, I would like to thank the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Mr. Alain Le Roy, and the Executive Director of UNICEF, Ms. Ann Veneman, for their briefings. I am also very grateful for the moving testimony given this morning by Ms.”
2009-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6114Resumption1 (2009) · source
“Thus, Israel joins the international community in its call for robust action against arms smuggling along the Syrian-Lebanese border, in accordance with the recommendations set out in the report of the Lebanon Independent Border Assessment Team II, transmitted by the Secretary-General in document S/2008/5 82. This is a time of great flux in the Middle East. Radicals are competing with moderates for domination. There is no better time than today for the international community to show its support for moderate voices and to assert its resolute opposition to terrorists and those who support them. We ask Member States to add their vocal and tangible support in the quest for a durable peace in the Middle East.”
2009-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6100 (2009) · source
“During the past several months, UNIFIL and the LAF have discovered a number of other rockets, preventing them from also being launched against my country. These developments should be cause for great concern to States that desire regional tranquillity. For years, Israel has been alerting the Security Council to Hizbullah's ongoing military build-up in southern Lebanon. This terrorist organization, backed and supported by Iran and Syria, continues to increase its presence and strength in the area, using private homes and other civilian property for its activities.”
2009-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6100 (2009) · source
“More than 140,000 tons of humanitarian supplies and 13.5 million litres of fuel for Gaza's power station have been delivered into the Gaza Strip since 18 January. That amounts to an average of 140 trucks per day entering Gaza. However, let me state clearly Israel's position: expanded activity at the crossings will be discussed upon the release of Gilad Shalit. Turning to the situation in Lebanon, while we recognize the work of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) in southern Lebanon, more needs to be done to ensure the continued stability of the area. Israel recently witnessed the most serious violations of resolution 1701 (2006) since it was adopted. Rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israel, wounding civilians.”
2009-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6100 (2009) · source
“Defying all standards of decency and humanity, Hamas has been attempting to cruelly manipulate the hearts and minds of the Israeli people, raising the price of his release during negotiations. Hamas is exploiting in a most cynical way Israel's sensitivity for human life and the moral values demonstrated throughout the years by the Government of Israel and its people. It is worth remembering that in the military operation that ended in January, the true targets of Israeli actions were Hamas terrorists, not the citizens of Gaza. Ordinary Gazans were used as human shields by Hamas, who deliberately staged attacks from, and hid in, heavily populated civilian areas. In spite of the ongoing attacks from Gaza, and despite Israel's commitment to its crucial security needs, we are not indifferent to the humanitarian situation of Gaza's population.”
2009-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6100 (2009) · source
“The use of tunnels under Gaza's southern border is ongoing. The danger remains. While we are encouraged by the willingness of members of the international community to tackle the smuggling of military capabilities, as witnessed at the recent London conference, tangible measures must immediately be taken against smuggling, as only concrete action will help to stabilize the region. Let me remind this important Council that Corporal Gilad Shalit continues to be held hostage by terrorists. This is a dire humanitarian problem. Four days ago we marked 1,000 days and nights since his unlawful, criminal detention in June 2006. During this time, all access to him has been denied.”
2009-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6100 (2009) · source
“I could tell the story of the children of Sderot, Ashkelon and Ashdot, who are also asking themselves and their parents why more than 1,000 rockets were fired at them, preventing them from living a normal life - and this, after Israel fully withdrew from Gaza. For example, the child Osher Tuito, who was a successful football player and lost his leg from a Qassam, is asking those questions every day after he had to move from Ashdot to Ashkelon, where he is still exposed to Qassam rockets. Indeed, each side has stories to tell. Let us not use those stories - except only to advance and try to unite in order to achieve peace for our peoples. Unfortunately, some actors in the region continue to give direct support to Hamas in Gaza, by various attempts and through various venues, providing it with offensive capabilities.”
2009-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6100 (2009) · source
“Since 18 January, over 100 rockets and 60 mortars have been launched into Israel from Gaza, including a Qassam rocket that landed near the coastal city of Asheklon just yesterday. As we have stated before, Israel will not tolerate a return to the status quo ante, with continued terrorist attacks jeopardizing civilians throughout the southern part of my country. Israel's obligation was, is and will continue to be to safeguard the security of its citizens. Let me turn for a minute to the Palestinian Permanent Observer. I would like to say that, indeed, civilians on both sides, including children, unfortunately bear the burden of the conflict.”
2009-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6100 (2009) · source
“Among these, one particular road, from which a roadblock was removed just recently, remains open in spite of the ruthless murder by terrorists, nine days ago, of two Israeli police officers. As mentioned already, a few days ago, an extremely dangerous car bomb was found and defused at the entrance to a shopping mall in the city of Haifa, preventing catastrophic consequences and the loss of many lives. Meanwhile, the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority have increased their security cooperation in an effort to improve the lives of both Israelis and Palestinians. These positive developments, and others, are proof that confidence-building steps, taken by those who cherish a genuine desire for progress, can bring the parties closer to their common goal. In contrast, the situation in Gaza remains problematic.”
2009-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6100 (2009) · source
“Lasting peace can be forged only on solid foundations of mutual respect and recognition between leaders, peoples and societies. Relations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority continue to advance in real terms and in a number of areas. In the economic realm, overall domestic production in the West Bank increased by 5 per cent in 2008 and trade with Israel increased by over a third. In addition, over $1.76 billion in aid was distributed in the West Bank in 2008 - an increase of 74 per cent over the previous year - showing an increase in international confidence in the management of the Palestinian economy. Israel recently removed about 10 roadblocks and 130 temporary barriers in the West Bank.”
2009-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6100 (2009) · source
“Iran continues to threaten to wipe Israel off the map, and its development of nuclear capabilities should sound alarms across the globe. Iran is indeed the real danger to our region, the world and the future. Let me state in no uncertain terms that Israel is committed to the peace process. However, the peace process must be based, among other things, on the three clear principles set out by the Quartet and the international community: recognition of the State of Israel, renunciation of terrorism and violence, and adherence to previous agreements between Israel and the Palestinians. Any future Palestinian Government must therefore abide by the same basic conditions, which are fundamental to any relationship between peoples.”
2009-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6100 (2009) · source
“I would like to acknowledge the presence of Under-Secretary-General Pascoe and thank him for his informative briefing. Our region is at an important juncture that may determine the future of the Middle East for some time to come. There is much reason for optimism, but also cause for concern. In the Middle East, moderates are working towards peace. These are the true partners in building a secure future for the region. In contrast, there are also extremists who use every opportunity to sabotage progress made and seek to destroy good will, hopes and aspirations on all sides. Among these are the Hamas and Hizbollah terrorist organizations, led, supported, harboured, financed and trained by their Iranian and Syrian patrons. Many would agree.”
2009-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6100 (2009) · source
“When terrorists look at children, they see targets and human shields. The Security Council must offer no refuge to those who drag civilians into armed conflicts.”
2009-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6066Resumption1 (2009) · source
“It is Hamas and terrorists like it that view civilians not as a population to be avoided in an armed conflict but as a population to be exploited in an armed conflict. We must use today's debate to ensure that we denounce the harm that terrorism inflicts on civilians. In recent years, more civilians were killed, maimed and injured by terrorists than by legitimate armed forces. And we must act against terrorists and their inhumane methods. Failure to act simply because terrorists are using civilians as cover would broadcast an invitation to every terrorist group in the world to set up shop inside a hospital or a kindergarten. Hamas's despicable and cynical use of targeting civilians is an appalling example of the toll that terrorism takes on all civilians. When civilized people look at children, they see the future.”
2009-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6066Resumption1 (2009) · source
“Hamas commanders and leaders set up shop in the basement of Gaza's largest hospital, the Shifa hospital. Hamas fighters and members have entered hospitals and donned doctors' coats in an effort to blend into the civilians of Gaza. What kind of person, we must ask, uses hospitals to cower behind injured civilians? The answer is the same: Hamas terrorists. As Israel has facilitated the movement of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip - more than 800 trucks totalling over 25,000 tons of aid - there are repeated and horrifying reports that Hamas terrorists have seized aid, distributing it to its own members and supporters and selling what is left to the impoverished civilians. What kind of person, we must ask, confiscates humanitarian supplies from civilians in a conflict zone? The answer is the same again: Hamas terrorists.”
2009-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6066Resumption1 (2009) · source
“These attacks kill and maim Israelis, creating a living nightmare, a nightmare that forced Israel to act in self-defence. As Hamas launches those attacks, they cower behind Palestinian civilians, knowing full well the danger they invite. Civilian casualties in Gaza, as a result, are the heartbreaking consequence and sole responsibility of Hamas's terrorist actions. Hamas hides weapons and explosives in mosques and uses minarets to launch attacks. What kind of person, we must ask, uses a house of prayer as a weapons depot? The answer is Hamas terrorists. Evidence against Hamas abounds. Hamas terrorists launched rockets from school yards and rigged Palestinian schools with explosives as booby traps. What kind of person, we must ask, uses schools - places where children gather - as a battlefield? The answer is Hamas terrorists.”
2009-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6066Resumption1 (2009) · source
“"Acts, methods and practices of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations are activities aimed at the destruction of human rights" (A/CONFJ57/23, attachment, part 1, para. 13: so stated the United Nations in clear and unambiguous terms. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Hamas's terrorist war against Israeli civilians and the Palestinian people. It is on Israeli civilians that Hamas rockets rained down for eight long years. For more than one million Israelis, daily life included rocket and mortar attacks against houses, schools, kindergartens, markets and all forms of civilian life. These are not indiscriminate attacks as some like to classify them. Hamas's attacks are very discriminate: directed deliberately at civilians - men, women and children.”
2009-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6066Resumption1 (2009) · source
“This month has proven to be a complicated one. Allow me to thank you, Mr. President, for convening this debate. I further wish to thank Under- Secretary-General John Holmes for his informative briefing and to thank him and his team for their important and ongoing humanitarian work, in particular in our region at the present difficult time. This debate is, to be sure, considering a wide range of issues related to the protection of civilians in armed conflict. All of them are important. Yet there exists one major threat, one distinct danger to civilians, that the Security Council must not and cannot ignore: terrorism. Terrorism causes enormous harm to civilians in armed conflict. Terrorism turns civilians into targets, shields and weapons.”
2009-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6066Resumption1 (2009) · source
“In 2005, when Israel left Gaza, we hoped that we would never have to return. But eight years of continuous rocket attacks by the Hamas terrorist organization, Hamas' refusal to extend the period of calm and its smuggling of weapons during that period left Israel with no choice but to act in self-defence. Responsibility for the current hostilities lies squarely with Hamas. The international community must focus its attention on the cessation of Hamas' terrorist activity and make it clear that a terrorist organization can never be a legitimate leadership. The past eight years of terror and the period of so-called calm have taught us that any arrangement must be fully respected and secured, including the total cessation of rocket fire and smuggling, in order to be durable and to allow the possibility of lasting peace.”
2009-01-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6063 (2009) · source
“But it is not enough to support peace; we have to confront those who work to destroy it. For that reason, the current military operation is not an obstacle to peace; it is a prerequisite for peace. We, the people of Israel, listened to the international community when you told us to withdraw from Gaza and promised that that would give us the credibility to respond forcefully should Gaza turn into a launching pad for terrorism. We listened when you promised us that acting with restraint during the period of calm would give us the credibility to fight back should the rocket attacks resume. Now is the time for you to make good on those promises. In the clash between life and death, between building societies and destroying them, Hamas has taken its side. Now there is no choice but for the international community to take a side itself.”
2009-01-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6061 (2009) · source
“This conflict will end not when terrorism is appeased or accommodated, but when the international community stands determined and united against it. Anything less than that will only embolden Hamas, lengthening this round of the conflict and accelerating the next. Anything less will reward Iran, the coward's coward, which hides behind terrorists as they hide behind civilians, and encourage its worldwide efforts to use Hamas and other terrorist groups to fight its wars on the cheap. And anything less will be a major setback for hopes for peace and prosperity for the Palestinians. As long as Hamas rules Gaza, rejecting the Quartet principles and seeking Israel's destruction, Gaza can never be part of a Palestinian State. There are many in this Council who speak in favour of peace.”
2009-01-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6061 (2009) · source
“No doubt, there will be much discussion today about the credibility of the Council and the need for a resolution. But the credibility of this Council is measured not by the pieces of paper it issues, but by the values it upholds. Is the Council's credibility strengthened when it calls for a ceasefire that effectively equates a terrorist group with a State defending itself against it? Does anyone here truly believe that Hamas will heed the words of this Council? This is not about a "ceasefire" with terrorism or a mutual cessation of hostilities. It is about ensuring the end of terrorism from Gaza and the end of smuggling weapons into Gaza, so that there is no longer a need for Israeli defensive operations.”
2009-01-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6061 (2009) · source
“For that reason, there is - and can be - no equivalence between Israel and the Hamas terrorists we are confronting. There is no equivalence between a State that equips civilian homes with bomb shelters and a terrorist regime that fills them with missiles. There is no equivalence between military commanders who struggle daily to ensure that their operations are conducted in accordance with the requirements of international humanitarian law and the terrorists who flout that law by keeping Corporal Gilad Shalit captive, without even allowing the International Committee of the Red Cross access to see him - for 930 days. There is no equivalence between a State using force in exercise of its right to self-defence and a terrorist organization for which the very resort to violence is unlawful.”
2009-01-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6061 (2009) · source
“It is time for the international community to place responsibility for the humanitarian situation in Gaza where it lies: on the shoulders of the terrorists who have chosen violence over peace. It lies on the shoulders of those Hamas leaders who, from their bunkers and luxury hotels in Damascus, have abandoned the people of Gaza and have chosen to endanger and exploit them rather than protect them. This conflict is a fundamental clash between two world views, between moderates and extremists, between those who seek to preserve life and humanity and those who glorify death and destruction. As Hamas spokesman Fathi Hamad was proud to announce on Al-Aqsa Television, "Palestinians have created a human shield of women, children the elderly and the jihad fighters, as if to say to the Zionist enemy, 'We 77, desire death as you desire life .”
2009-01-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6061 (2009) · source
“Unlike the Hamas regime, which has targeted crossing points to prevent the entry of aid and has prevented Palestinians from boarding ambulances, Israel respects its humanitarian responsibilities. It has permitted Palestinians in need of medical aid to enter Israel for treatment and has set up a special humanitarian situation room to coordinate with the aid organizations working in Gaza. Since the start of the fighting, Israel has facilitated the entry into Gaza of more than 540 trucks, delivering more than 10,000 tons of humanitarian assistance. In fact, just a few days ago, Israel was asked by the World Food Programme to halt supplies of food shipments since the warehouses were full.”
2009-01-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6061 (2009) · source
“In responding to terrorist attacks that show no respect for human life, either Israeli or Palestinian, Israel takes steps to protect both. It takes every possible measure to limit civilian casualties, even where those measures endanger the lives of our soldiers or the effectiveness of their operations. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have dropped tens of thousands of leaflets and made thousands of phone calls to Palestinian civilians, beseeching them to leave the areas of terrorist operation to avoid harm. But let this be clear: failing to respond to terrorists simply because they are using civilians as cover is not and cannot be an option. To do so would simply broadcast an invitation to every terrorist group in the world to set up shop inside a hospital or a kindergarten.”
2009-01-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6061 (2009) · source
“Some have called these attacks "indiscriminate", but that is not the case. Hamas attacks are very discriminate, directed deliberately at innocent men, women and children. In the past week alone, Hamas rockets have landed on a school and on a kindergarten. Hamas shows a similar disdain for the lives of Palestinians. It has adopted the terrorist tactic - the coward's tactic - of using civilians as shields while its leaders themselves flee from combat with Israel's soldiers and make pathetic demonstrations of bravado from their bunkers. It hides its missiles and terrorist bases in homes, hospitals and mosques, and, as we saw earlier today, deliberately launches attacks from in and around schools and United Nations facilities, with tragic results. For Israel, every civilian death - Israeli or Palestinian - is a tragedy.”
2009-01-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6061 (2009) · source
“We have to defend ourselves, not from the Palestinian people, but from the terrorists who have taken them hostage; not to gain territory or power, but to demonstrate that our restraint was not weakness and to give our citizens the basic right of a normal life. In this campaign, Israel has dealt the Hamas infrastructure a major blow. Dozens of its terrorist factories and training bases have been destroyed, its stockpiles of rockets have been significantly depleted and many of the tunnels used to smuggle weapons have been put out of action. But we have not only sought to change reality for our citizens; we have also sought to uphold the values that set us apart from the terrorists. Hamas rejects every core humanitarian principle. Instead of waging its battle openly between combatants, it directs its attacks against civilians.”
2009-01-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6061 (2009) · source
“But then, Hamas unilaterally announced the end of the tahadiya and began to wage a new campaign of rocket attacks against Israel's citizens with the weapons it had smuggled into Gaza during the calm. Then, we could not restrain ourselves any longer. With its new Iranian-made missiles, Hamas is now able to reach as far as the cities of Ashdod and Beer Sheva, placing over one million Israelis in the shadow of its terror. Many in this Chamber have condemned Hamas's terrorist attacks, and we welcome this statement of basic principle. But the families at home in the city of Sderot and the children at school in Kibbutz Netiv Ha'asara will not be protected by these condemnations. In the face of such terrorism we have no choice.”
2009-01-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6061 (2009) · source
“Hamas likes to tell the Palestinians that it was terrorism that brought Israel to withdraw from Gaza in 2005. But the truth is plain to see: it was the hope for peace that led us to withdraw from Gaza, and the terrorism of Hamas that compelled us to re-enter. In our efforts to avoid confrontation, we also agreed six months ago to an Egyptian-brokered tahadiya - a situation of calm. Hamas violated this arrangement on a daily basis. Over 365 rockets and mortar shells were fired during this period. And all the while it used the so-called calm to build up its supplies of weapons and rockets, smuggled through tunnels into the Gaza Strip. Yet still we restrained ourselves.”
2009-01-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6061 (2009) · source
“In 2005 Israel removed from Gaza every one of its soldiers and every one of its 8,000 civilians, along with their homes and schools, their synagogues and cemeteries. We did this to try to create an opening for peace, and for Palestinians to build a prosperous society. But the Hamas regime that brutally seized control of Gaza, murdering scores of fellow Palestinians, has no interest in peace and prosperity. It is vehemently opposed to negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. It rejects the Annapolis process which was commended by this Council last month in resolution 1850 (2008). Hamas has no interest in making peace with the enemy. For Hamas, peace is the enemy. Its only interest is in establishing a regime of tyranny for Gazans and of terror for Israelis.”
2009-01-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6061 (2009) · source
“I thank the Secretary- General for honouring this meeting with his presence. Eight years: For eight years the citizens of southern Israel have suffered the trauma of almost daily missile attacks from Gaza. For eight years more than 8,000 rockets and mortar shells have targeted Israeli towns and villages. For eight years the residents of these towns have had a bare 15 seconds to hurry, with their children and their elderly, to find cover before rockets and missiles land on their houses and schools. Fifteen seconds would not give the members of this Council time to leave this room. No State would permit such attacks on its citizens; nor should it. But Israel sought every way to avoid the current conflict.”
2009-01-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6061 (2009) · source
“The international community must reject the agenda of the extremists and support that of the moderates calling for coexistence and the realization of two States living side by side in peace and security. Only two weeks ago, the Security Council adopted resolution 1850 (2008), reaffirming the Annapolis process. Israel, for its part, will continue its efforts to pursue peace with the Palestinian people and its moderate leadership, while taking all necessary measures to protect its citizens from terrorism.”
2008-12-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6060 (2008) · source
“While determined to protect the lives of its citizens, Israel continues to ensure passage of humanitarian goods and supplies to the people of Gaza. As Prime Minister Olmert emphasized at the outset of the military operation, we will make every possible effort to avoid any humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The people of Gaza do not deserve to suffer because of the killers and murderers of the terrorist organizations. Since the operation commenced, more than 350 trucks loaded with food and medical supplies have entered Gaza. As we speak, supplies and donations continue to flow into Gaza from international organizations and State donors. At the same time, Hamas continues to target crossings and to obstruct the provision of humanitarian relief to the Palestinian people. Our region is facing crucial times that will shape its future.”
2008-12-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6060 (2008) · source
“It stands against any peaceful solution for the conflicts in our region. Let me be very clear. The targets of this operation are the terrorists and their infrastructure alone. We are not at war with the Palestinian people, but with Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza. As such, we are doing our utmost to minimize civilian casualties. Hamas, on the other hand, places civilians in the line of fire, carrying out its activities from densely populated areas, and directs its attacks towards Israeli civilian targets. The current operation has exposed once again the fact that Hamas stores weapons and explosives in homes, schools, mosques and hospitals. It is Hamas that bears the sole responsibility for the current escalation and for any civilian casualties, Israelis and Palestinians alike.”
2008-12-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6060 (2008) · source
“It is supported financially and militarily by Iran and other extreme forces in our region. Ideologically, is tightly connected to Al-Qaida. It does not recognize Israel and calls in its charter for Israel's destruction. Hamas rejects peace in the Middle East. Like other terrorist organizations, Hamas strives to achieve its political goals by targeting innocent men, women and children, without hesitating to use its own population as a human shield. Hamas controls Gaza not through democratic means, but through violence and force against its political rivals. It is regrettable that the Palestinian observer failed to mention Hamas, an organization that declared war on its own people and that holds them hostage. Hamas stands against the very principles and purposes which the United Nations was founded upon and seeks to promote.”
2008-12-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6060 (2008) · source
“No construction worker should fear dying while earning his living, as we witnessed just two days ago. Israel cannot, and will not, allow its citizens to be sitting ducks for terrorist attacks. Israel will continue to take all necessary measures to protect its citizens and stop terrorism. Members of the Council must ask themselves what they would do in the same situation if their citizens were terrorized on a daily basis. Protecting the lives and well-being of one's citizens is not only a right, but also a responsibility of every sovereign State. With its military operation, the State of Israel is fulfilling that responsibility. Let us all remind ourselves what Hamas is all about. Hamas is a terrorist organization that promotes a radical agenda of hatred and violence.”
2008-12-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6060 (2008) · source
“Israel has been subjected to more than 300 rockets and mortar shells, which were launched indiscriminately, striking cities and towns, schools and playgrounds, commercial centres and synagogues. In its military operation Israel has exercised its inherent right to self-defence, which is enshrined in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. Any other State would have acted in the same manner when faced with similar terrorist threats. N0 sovereign State would allow more than half a million people to constantly be held hostage by a terrorist organization. No sovereign State would allow its citizens to become the target of thousands of rockets and mortar shells. A mother sending her children to school must know that they will come back safely. No person should fear leaving his house because he may have to scramble for cover.”
2008-12-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6060 (2008) · source
“Last Saturday, Israel launched a military operation aimed at protecting Israelis living in southern Israel from the incessant barrage of rocket and mortar shell fire. Israel was compelled to resort to a military operation after many weeks - indeed, months and years - during which its civilians were subjected to deliberate terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist organizations operating from the Gaza Strip. Israel demonstrated the utmost restraint before launching that operation, but there comes a time when a sovereign and responsible Government must take decisive action to protect its citizens and send a clear message to the Hamas terrorists: enough is enough. In the past two weeks, prior to Israel's reaction, we witnessed a steep escalation in Hamas attacks against Israel.”
2008-12-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6060 (2008) · source
“Iran, like Syria, actively trains, funds, and equips Hamas, as well as Hizbullah to our north, and many other radicals in the region. Israel also remains deeply concerned by the rearmament and redeployment of Hizbullah in Lebanon - both north and south of the Litani River - in violation of relevant Security Council resolutions. Israel is fully committed to the peace process. We hope that 2009 will enable us to further the cause of peace in our region. Peace remains the salient goal for the State of Israel. To all of my colleagues at the United Nations, I would like to offer my delegation's sincere wishes for the holiday season and a fruitful New Year.”
2008-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6049 (2008) · source
“Nevertheless, Israel acknowledges the need to provide humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, and we do our utmost to facilitate the work of the international community. At this very moment, Corporal Gilad Shalit has remained in Hamas captivity for 910 days and nights. As a human being and as a mother, I was appalled to hear about a rally that took place in the centre of Gaza City celebrating 21 years of the establishment of Hamas. 150,000 people gathered and cheered for a show that mocked the misery of Gilad Shalit, the suffering of his family and the compassion of the people of Israel and people around the world. We expect the international community to do its utmost to bring Gilad Shalit home safely. The Hamas terrorists of Gaza who relentlessly attack Israel do not act alone. Iran remains the epicentre of Hamas' ongoing terrorist work.”
2008-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6049 (2008) · source
“While the efforts of Israel and the Palestinian Authority have led to some important accomplishments, serious and dangerous challenges and obstacles remain. This month has witnessed yet another onslaught of rockets and mortars fired at civilians in Israeli towns and cities. This year my country has been the target of a record number of attacks; over 2,900 rockets and mortars were fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel. The same day on which the Security Council adopted resolution 1850 (2008), 11 rockets were fired at Israel. Yesterday alone, 25 rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel, one of which landed at the entrance of a busy supermarket. The incessant attacks by Hamas also target border crossings, fuel depots and other vital routes that normally enable the flow of goods and humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.”
2008-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6049 (2008) · source
“In honour of Eid al-Adha and as a confidence-building measure towards the Palestinian Authority and its leadership - Mahmoud Abbas and Salam Fayyad - the Israeli Government has released, this week, 230 convicted Palestinian prisoners. Through this latest gesture, Israel seeks to intensify its continuing dialogue with partners who are both committed to negotiations and diplomacy and opposed to terrorism. But confidence-building measures by Israel must be met by the Palestinians, as well as by the wider Arab world. The Arab world has a responsibility, namely, to engage in measures that will facilitate the negotiations between the parties, including a clear message against any incitement of and support for terrorism.”
2008-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6049 (2008) · source
“The United States, the European Union, and certain Arab States play an important role in this regard. In the past year alone, Palestinian wages in the West Bank have increased almost 25 per cent; trade and commerce between Israel and the West Bank have jumped 35 per cent. All of these developments are important. However, much work remains to be done to build the effective Palestinian capacity to fully implement Palestinian responsibilities. Ongoing terrorist activity in the West Bank remains a threat to Israel and requires us to act accordingly. Israel remains committed to doing its part to create a positive environment on the ground, one that encourages moderates in the region.”
2008-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6049 (2008) · source
“In spite of the efforts by those who promote incitement, fear and terror, Israelis and Palestinians in the region have demonstrated increasing courage during the past twelve months of negotiations. These negotiations have resulted in important changes on the ground. Let me mention several key developments. There exists growing cooperation between Israeli and Palestinian security forces. In this regard, Israel has facilitated the deployment of Palestinian police forces in Jenin and the area around Hebron, as well as the opening of 20 additional Palestinian police stations. The city of Jenin - once a breeding ground for suicide terrorism - is now a model for security cooperation in the West Bank. That progress is important but must be considered in the wider context of the capacity-building of the Palestinian security forces.”
2008-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6049 (2008) · source
“The resolution rightly notes that lasting peace can only be based on ending terror and incitement and on a commitment to the two-State solution. Additionally, resolution 1850 (2008) calls for the States of the Middle East to create an environment conducive to bilateral negotiations. That includes promoting mutual recognition and peaceful coexistence in the region, in parallel with progress in the bilateral process. The real test now lies with the parties on the ground. Let us not forget that Israel is operating on two major tracks. On the one hand, Israel is trying to promote peace with the moderate, responsible leadership on the Palestinian side. On the other hand, Israel is fighting the extremist Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip.”
2008-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6049 (2008) · source
“According to the principles agreed by the parties themselves and presented to the Quartet, any agreement will be subject to implementation of the Road Map, first and foremost to the principle requiring the dismantling of the terrorist infrastructure. Further, resolution 1850 (2008) includes additional important principles. The resolution endorses - for the first time - the three Quartet principles as the basis for international legitimacy and support for any Palestinian Government. In so doing, the international community has delivered a clear message to Hamas in Gaza. The resolution supports the moderate elements in the region. We must not let radicals in the region hijack the agenda for their extremist purposes.”
2008-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6049 (2008) · source
“At the outset, I wish to congratulate you, Mr. President, on your leadership of the Council for this month, which has been demanding and complicated. I also wish to thank Mr. Robert Serry for his informative and important briefing. As we approach the end of 2008, we look back on a year that has witnessed substantial progress in the framework of the Annapolis process. In fact, this year has been a most constructive year for the peace process. Allow me to begin by congratulating the Security Council on its adoption of resolution 1850 (2008) just two days ago. This resolution expresses unequivocal support for the direct bilateral negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians in the framework of the Annapolis process.”
2008-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6049 (2008) · source