YouSaid · the spoken record

Shalev

lines on the record
171
first
2008-09-26
most recent
2010-07-21
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21
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un-security-council

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  1. “No State member of this Council, nor any other Member of the United Nations, would allow a shipment originating from a hostile State to reach a territory that serves as a launching pad for terrorist attacks against its civilians. To conclude, I would like to address directly the representative of Libya. If Libya truly desires to provide humanitarian support to the civilians in the Gaza Strip, there are ways and means to do so. Many States, including those without diplomatic relations with Israel, and international organizations use these mechanisms to provide humanitarian relief for the Gaza Strip. Let me emphasize that such mechanisms exist. They are coordinated with the international community. They are well known and do not necessitate media events and provocations like the one we are currently engaged in.”

    2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6030 (2008) · source

  2. “In fact, Libya has not provided any constructive contribution to support the bilateral peace process between Israel and the Palestinians. Moreover, Libya does not recognize the State of Israel and uses rhetoric and terminology that reflect a world view rooted in the past. The most evident proof of this is Libya's reference in its letter to my country Israel as the "Zionist entity". By using that term, Libya joins other extremist elements that deny Israel's legitimacy - Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Al-Qaida, Hizbollah, Iran and the Sudan. We should all ask ourselves whether it is a coincidence that Libya's current provocation was launched in close proximity to the meeting of the Council regarding the situation in Darfur. Like any other State, the State of Israel has the right - in fact, the duty - to defend its citizens from terrorist attacks.”

    2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6030 (2008) · source

  3. “It is a provocative abuse of procedure, nothing more. If Libya was genuinely interested in supporting peace and security in the Middle East, it would have condemned 3 Hamas when it brutally took control of the Gaza Strip in a violent coup against the moderate Palestinian Authority. It would have condemned the constant barrage of thousands of rockets and mortars on Israeli towns and villages by terrorists. It would have condemned Iran and Syria for harbouring, supporting and training terrorists in our region. It would have condemned the ongoing transfer of sophisticated weapons and financial resources to terrorist groups. But Libya did not. Peace and security in the Middle East can be achieved only by supporting the moderates in our region and denouncing extremist elements. Yet Libya does the opposite.”

    2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6030 (2008) · source

  4. “The Libyan Arab Jamahiriya knows no such responsibility. When Israeli students were murdered in Jerusalem last March by a Palestinian terrorist, it was Libya that opposed the unanimous will of the members of the Council to condemn the attack. Fourteen members of the Security Council understood their responsibility. Libya did not. Since its election to the Council, Libya has prevented any initiative on Middle Eastern issues that contradicts its narrow political agenda. Libya even refused to participate in briefings by the Israeli mission on various topics relevant to the work of the Security Council. Those examples are a clear demonstration that Libya does not understand its role in this Council, its obligations or its responsibilities. This meeting of the Security Council has nothing to do with threats to international peace and security.”

    2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6030 (2008) · source

  5. “Today is a sad day for the Security Council, for today the Council that we all appreciate so much has been outrageously compelled to meet in order to promote the particular agenda of a certain member State of the Council. That certain member State intentionally chose to abuse the procedures of the Security Council in order to distract it from addressing the dire problems of the international community. Serving as a member of the Security Council entails a serious and solemn responsibility. That is why the Charter of the United Nations establishes clear demands for the non-permanent members, noting that, "due regard [should be] specially paid, in the first instance to the contribution of Members of the United Nations to the maintenance of international peace and security and to the other purposes of the Organization".”

    2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6030 (2008) · source

  6. “It is my hope that our words and our actions will offer hope to women around the globe. Today's discussion reflects our common vision for a better world and our commitment to the noble founding principles of the United Nations.”

    2008-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6005Resumption1 (2008) · source

  7. “While resolution 1325 (2000) addresses women's participation in public life, the issue of violence against women remains a critical component of any such debate regarding women and peace and security. Israel co-sponsored Council resolution 1820 (2008), which signalled that acts of violence against women, in particular rape and sexual violence as instruments of warfare, are not only despicable acts but should be classified as war crimes and crimes against humanity. Sadly, across certain parts of the world we witness violence and continuing discrimination against women. In some countries, women and girls are subject to stoning, rape and violent repression. The international community should always, and consistently, confront and condemn such violations of basic human rights.”

    2008-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6005Resumption1 (2008) · source

  8. “Israel amended its women's equal rights law in the spirit of that resolution, mandating that the Israeli Government include women in any group appointed to peacebuilding negotiations. On a regional level, and just as the resolution calls for, Israel is proud that Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is leading our peace negotiations with the Palestinians. As part of our engagement on an international level, Israel contributed its first peacekeeper, a female police officer, to the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Georgia. In addition, Israel's international aid agency offers courses around the world in women's leadership as well as capacity-building for women's organizations across the developing world. Those are only a few examples of Israel's commitment to the implementation of the Security Council resolution.”

    2008-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6005Resumption1 (2008) · source

  9. “The United Nations and its various entities have an important and leading role to play in the protection of women's rights worldwide and in the promotion of women in national and international public affairs. However, the commitment of the United Nations on this issue does not diminish the primary responsibility of national Governments and institutions to protect women, promote their equality and ensure their participation in all spheres of society. On a local and national level, Israel remains committed to the principles of the landmark Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), which calls for an increase in the participation of women at decision- making levels in conflict resolution and in peace processes.”

    2008-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6005Resumption1 (2008) · source

  10. “I come from a country that has had many women actively involved in the political process and public affairs from its establishment to the present day. Today, Israel features women in significant and meaningful positions of influence and authority, including the Foreign Minister and Vice-Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the Speaker of the Knesset, to name just a few. In Israel we continue to witness increasing numbers of women in all walks of public life, including in peace negotiations and diplomacy. All over the world, much more needs to be done. A recent presentation by the Special Rapporteur on violence against women stated that such violence persists in every country as a pervasive and universal violation of human rights.”

    2008-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6005Resumption1 (2008) · source

  11. “Allow me to congratulate you, Sir, on your able stewardship of the Council this month and to thank you for convening this open debate on woman and peace and security. It is an important debate that reflects our commitment to the United Nations founding ideals of peace and security for men and women alike. As for myself, it is both a privilege and an honour to address this body on behalf of my Government as Israel's first female Ambassador to the United Nations. This year we mark the sixtieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a document that set out a noble vision for the world and reaffirmed the equality of men and women. The past 60 years have witnessed substantial progress for women around the world.”

    2008-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6005Resumption1 (2008) · source

  12. “In contrast, I would like to draw the attention of the Council to the bilateral talks that have taken place in recent weeks between Prime Minister Olmert, Foreign Minister Livni and their Palestinian counterparts on all substantive issues. What could be more symbolic, in further contrast to today's Council meeting, than the meeting that took place a short while ago in this very building, two floors below us, between President Shimon Peres and President Mahmoud Abbas. True progress is made through such bilateral meetings. That is the only way to move forward, the only way to achieve peace.”

    2008-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5983 (2008) · source

  13. “We all must choose the second. In his remarks to the General Assembly two days ago, Israeli President Shimon Peres extended yet another olive branch to the Arab world, stating that Israel invites "all leaders to come to discuss peace in Jerusalem, which is holy to all of us Israel shall gladly accept an Arab invitation to designate a venue where meaningful dialogue may take place" (A/63/PVD. Today, we echo that call and urge our Arab neighbours to reciprocate President Peres' offer. Calling politically motivated meetings, such as today's at the Security Council, serves no such goal. The initiative to hold today's discussion in the Council and the presentation we have seen and heard here today do not promote peace. Only bilateral negotiations will help us achieve a just and lasting peace.”

    2008-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5983 (2008) · source

  14. “Some in this Chamber might find comfort in the mantra that Israeli settlements are the primary impediment to peace, yet that belief is utterly wrong and blind to the historical realities. Let me take us back to the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt signed 30 years ago. Let me take us back to Gaza in 2005. Time and time again, Israel has demonstrated to itself and to the world that settlements, no matter how sensitive an issue, are not the obstacle to peace when the conditions are ripe. The Middle East is at a critical juncture and the moderate Arab States have two paths before them. One leads us down a road of excuses and false alibis, as the peace process stumbles. The other path is one that creates the foundations for a just and lasting peace. Today's meeting comes dangerously close to choosing the first option.”

    2008-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5983 (2008) · source

  15. “To the representatives from the Arab world, I say: Israel understands its responsibilities for peace. Faced with today's Council discussion, we cannot but wonder whether the Arab leaders really understand their responsibilities. Those who initiated this Council discussion in the belief that it will contribute to the promotion of peace are wrong. Efforts should be made on the ground by confronting all obstacles to peace and by establishing confidence-building measures with Israel. As I said before, our region is facing many threats. International terrorism, to name but one, is the black plague of the twenty-first century. May I ask how many times this Council has initiated a serious debate on the threat of terrorism in the Middle East?”

    2008-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5983 (2008) · source

  16. “First and foremost, it is about the commitment to prepare the people of the region for the price of peace, to accept the true meaning of peace and to teach all children of the Middle East the values of tolerance and the blessings of coexistence, not the values of incitement and hatred. The Arab world is a pivotal player in any effort to strengthen elements within the Palestinian leadership. The Council has a critical responsibility to support the moderate Palestinian Authority and denounce Hamas. It must condemn terrorism and incitement. It must reject extremism, such as the toxic anti-Israel and anti- Semitic provocations of Iranian President Ahmadinejad. It must accept Israel's existence and the Jewish people's right of self-determination in our homeland.”

    2008-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5983 (2008) · source

  17. “It begins with the release of Israeli hostage Corporal Gilad Shalit and an end to all terrorist attacks. It begins with a renewal of everyone's commitment to the two-State solution and an acceptance of the basic principle that the rights of each people are to be realized in their own homeland. It begins by overcoming all threats to the realization of peace. While the peace process between us and the Palestinians is essentially a bilateral one, the rest of the Arab world has an important, vital role indeed, since that peace will bind together Israelis, Palestinians and all moderates in the region. There is much that those in the region can do to support the process, but it is not about more United Nations meetings.”

    2008-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5983 (2008) · source

  18. “I wish to state, without any ambiguity whatsoever, that Israel is prepared, if the conditions are ripe, to make painful concessions in the pursuit of peace. Israel has done so in the past because Israel desires peace. Let me also state clearly that settlements are not an obstacle to peace. Yes, we understand the sensitivity of the issue of settlements in the eyes of our neighbours. Yes, there is also parallel sensitivity on our side due to the historic bond of the Jewish people to this biblical land. However, while settlements remain a delicate issue, they are not the principal one. They have been used here as another instrument to bash Israel instead of addressing the realities on the ground. Any progress begins with a genuine dialogue among those committed to peace.”

    2008-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5983 (2008) · source

  19. “But we are no strangers to the realities on the ground and to the mutual attempts to try to reach a real solution to the Arab-Israeli dispute - a solution through negotiations on the ground, not with words in the Security Council. We in Israel remain committed to achieving a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East. We in Israel are committed to a two-State solution with our Palestinian neighbours. For us in Israel, the question is not whether to achieve a two-State solution but how to do so. Israel understands its responsibilities as the peace process moves forward. We continue to negotiate with the legitimate Palestinian leadership despite the complicated situation, which includes, unfortunately, many threats and obstacles. We are willing to discuss all aspects related to the conflict.”

    2008-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5983 (2008) · source

  20. “To that stranger, President Ahmadinejad's despicable calls for the destruction of Israel are just words. To that stranger, the transfer of weapons from Iran and Syria into northern and southern Lebanon and the rearmament of Hizbullah do not merit discussion. With the same logic, books filled with hatred and anti-Israel incitement have nothing to do with the badly needed culture of peace. Had the stranger arrived in these halls without any prior knowledge of the situation in the Middle East, he would not have known that those dangers and problems prevail in our region. Mysteriously, all previous speakers failed to mention those facts. Israel's settlements, however, falsely appear to be the principal issue. Something seems strangely amiss.”

    2008-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5983 (2008) · source

  21. “I wish to thank you, Mr. President, for your stewardship of this Council. As your presidency comes to an end, please accept my congratulations. If a stranger was seated among us today, he would be under the impression that the Israeli settlements in the West Bank are the primary and single obstacle to peace in the region. It would appear to that stranger that Hamas' violent coup in Gaza, its enormous smuggling of weapons, its constant missile attacks on Israeli towns and cities are not a problem. To that stranger, the phenomenon of terrorism against Israel and its citizens, including the attacks in Jerusalem this week, is a fact of life. To that stranger, Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons and its support of Hizbullah and Hamas are irrelevant details.”

    2008-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5983 (2008) · source