NEW YORK, September 27, 2014 –
(WAFA) – A geographically and socio-politically diverse group of leaders and
heads of states convened Friday in
the UN General Assembly to debate the unprecedented mix of challenges facing
the Middle East.
Those leaders
tackled the Palestinians cause and the plight of the Palestinian people
suffering under the yoke of Israeli occupation. Following are excerpts from
their original speeches compiled by the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s
Negotiations Affairs Department from the UN’s website, noting that the
department was unable to include some other speeches due to technical problems.
Following
are excerpts on Palestine taken from speeches delivered in the morning session
on second day of the UN General Assembly session:
- President Mahamadou Issoufou, Niger
“In
this regard (solving terrorism), a just solution to the Palestinian question
will certainly help.”
- President John Dramani Mahama, Ghana
“When
I hear reports about Israel and Gaza, it is 2005 again and Israel has launched
Operation Summer Rain, immediately followed by Operation Autumn Clouds. The
resulting death toll in the Gaza Strip is in the hundreds. Many are
children (…) we call upon Israel to stop settlement expansion, we support a
two-state solution.”
- President Hassan Rouhani, Iran (Islamic Republic of)
“Had we had greater cooperation and
coordination in the Middle East, thousands of innocent Palestinians in Gaza
would not have been fallen victim to Zionist regime's aggression.”
- President Mohamed Moncef Marzouki, Tunisia
“We call upon Israel to lift the siege over Gaza, to
allow the building of an airport and a seaport, not only to open the border
crossings. We call for the creation of an independent, contiguous and sovereign
Palestinian State, living in peace and security. Gaza must be rebuilt now.”
- President Juan Manuel Santos Calderón, Columbia
“We
are not indifferent to the suffering of so many families in Palestine and
Israel, victims of armed confrontations.”
- President Ivo Josipović, Croatia
·
“Also,
although it is a difficult task, a stable and sustainable peace agreement
between Israelis and Palestinians is an imperative. We hope that honest and
serious efforts will be brought back to negotiate a comprehensive and
sustainable peace agreement. The one that will establish ground for two state
solution living in peace and security, mutually recognizing and respecting each
other, gradually transforming the entire Middle East into a region of peace and
cooperation.”
- Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah, Sultan, Brunei
Darussalam
“On
Palestine, freedom and justice is long overdue. The endless suffering
experienced by our Palestinian brothers and sisters is a stark example of how
little our development goals mean if there is no peace and stability. They must
be granted their basic rights to live in dignity and enjoy economic
development. We are encouraged by the observance of the current ceasefire by
the parties involved. I much appreciate the efforts of many countries, which
have made this possible.”
- President Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe
“We
continue to witness the suffering and persecution of the people of Palestine at
the hands of Israel. We have witnessed the callous murder of women and children
in shelters where they seek refuge from Israel's bombs. We have witnessed the
brutal and random destruction of infrastructure in the Gaza strip, and while
these heinous acts were being perpetrated by Israel, the so-called civilized
world maintained a deafening silence. Lasting peace in the Middle East can only
be achieved through a two state solution based on the 1967 borders. Any other
maneuvers to change demographic realities through settlements or use of force
will only prolong the suffering of the Palestinians.”
- President Ollanta Humala Tasso, Peru
“The
Security Council's capacity to respond to the different crises in different
parts of producing world reflects the need for reforming its work methodology,
including those related to the use of veto is necessary for the Security
Council to respond to these situations in an effective way, through a
comprehensive reform including increasing the number of its permanent and
non-permanent members, making such body more efficient, democratic, clear, and
representative.
Specifically,
on the Palestine issue, my government confirms the need to address the root
causes of such conflict through negotiation. This in order to achieve a viable
and lasting solution to overcome the status quo, hence enabling Palestinians and
Israelis to live in peace and to prosper in the two states with secure and
recognized borders.”
- Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japan
“As
early as the mid-198o's, Japan launched cooperation in Gaza to foster human
resources. A total of more than 400 administrative officials and technical
experts have come to Japan to receive intensive training. After being educated
in Japan for a month, Najjar Osama brought solar power technology back to his
hometown, to be attached to the facility in greatest need of a stand-alone
power system.”
“The
equipment that he and his colleagues introduced to the largest hospital in the
Gaza Strip has endured the unrest and kept the lights on in the hospital's
emergency room. One of them is Mr. Najjar Osama, a young man serving as an
official with the Palestinian Energy and Natural Resources Authority. He said,
'Gaza has no natural resources whatsoever. The only thing we have is
people, a situation the same as Japan's. What I learned in Japan is the spirit
of never ever giving up.””
- President of the Council Herman Van Rompuym, Europian Union
“What is needed is a comprehensive regional solution; it must
include as this summer’s tragiv events in Gaza underline once again, a
two-state solution with an independent, democratic, viable Palestinian state,
living side by side in peace with Israel its other neighbors.”
- Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-mubarak
Al-hamad Al Sabah, Kuwait
“Currently, several countries in the Middle East region,
face tremendous security, political and humanitarian challenges, and an
exceptional situation due to the inability of the Security Council to carry out
its functions which, has led to the aggravation and deterioration of the
situations in many states of the region. The latest Israeli military aggression
on the Gaza Strip, which lasted for 50 consecutive days, during which the
non-stop killing and destruction machine kept targeting all that relates to
humanity, harvesting the lives of thousands of unarmed civilians, the majority
of whom were elderly, children and women, in an apparent embodiment of the
landmarks of the series of Israeli violations of the most basic riles of
international law, and international humanitarian law, in a new addition to its
historic bloody record, that rejects all regional and international initiatives
to lay down the foundations of a just and lasting peace (…) in this regard, the
State of Kuwait welcomes the “cease-fire” agreement signed on 26 August 2014,
as awll as the international and regional endeavours and efforts that were
exerted to put an end to this crisis and aggression; foremost among which, were
those exerted by the sisterly Arab Republic of Egypt (…) In this connection we
renew our call for the need of the Security Council to assume its
responsibility, to provide international protection to the Palestinian people
and territory, according to the 4thGeneva Convention of 1949, and
compel Israel, the occupying power, to halt its unilateral practices and
policies that aim to impose a policy of “faits accompli”, such as the illegal
settlement and the unlawful siege on the Gaza Strip, in addition to its attempts
to change the demographic nature of Jerusalem, by its judaization. Israel must
be compelled to return to the negotiations table, with a view to end its
occupation of all Palestinian and Arab lands, as well as the establishment of
the Palestinian State, with East Jerusalem as its capital, according to the
relevant Security Council resolutions, the principle of land for peace, the
Roadmap, and the Arab Peace Initiative.”
Following are excerpts taken from speeches that were
delivered in the afternoon sessions.
- President Alhaji Yahya Jammeh, Gambia
“Third,
the situation in the Middle East remains highly volatile, and the UN has been
watching the cycle of violence in the region rather helplessly. in the most
recent conflict between the Palestinians and Israelis, about more than 2000
people from Gaza, mostly women and children died at the hands of Israel and
about 70 Israelis all of them soldiers except for 3 children lost their lives.
Despite repeated calls for restraint by the international community, the
continuing expansion of Israeli settlements on Palestinian land undermines any
prospects for a two-state solution. The US government has been playing very
strategic and useful mediating role in the past, but the UN must take up its
commanding role in seeking a peaceful settlement that is just and durable and
acceptable to the members of the United Nations.”
- President Bronislaw Komorowski, Republic of Poland
“We
express our concern and pain caused by the conflicts and tragedies suffered by
civilians in Syria, Libya, Israel, and the Gaza Strip, and in many African
states. All these conflicts, and to an even greater degree the civil wars in
some African countries, are accompanied by humanitarian catastrophes. The
United Nations, and especially the superpowers that can influence the
participating parties, should do everything to stop them.”
- President Andris Bērziņš, Latvia
“In
addition, the security situation in the wider Middle East is very fragile. A
solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is paramount in order to establish
lasting stability in the region.
Following
the escalation of violence in the past months, the Latvia, has international
helped to community, address including emergency humanitarian needs of the
people of Gaza. We hope the current ceasefire will be fully respected by both
sides.
However,
only an agreement on a two-state solution, achieved through direct
negotiations, will accomplish these goals.”
- President Ali Bongo Ondimba, Gabon (in French)
“S'agissant
du conflit israelo-palestinien, je salue la signature, sous la mediation de
l'Egypte, du cessez-le-feu entre Israel et le Hamas. Je forme le vceu que cette
trove dure et favorise la reprise des negociations directes en vue de la
realisation de la vision largement partagee de la creation d'un Etat
palestinien viable, existant en bonne intelligence aux cotes d'Israel, dans la
paix et la securite, a l'interieur de frontieres sures et internationalement
reconnues.”
- President Rosen Plevneliev Republic of Bulgaria
“We
stand for a just and lasting settlement of the Israeli - Palestinian conflict
based on the 'two-state solution' formula. This is only possible
through direct negotiations, with no preconditions and in conformity with the
relevant international obligations. Any durable ceasefire should address both
Israeli security concerns and Palestinian demands of lifting the Gaza closure
regime.”
- Baron Divavesi Waqa President of Nauru
“I
take this opportunity to also express my country's deep appreciation to our
friends and partners who continue to support our sustainable development
priorities including; Australia, Russia, New Zealand, European Union,
Cuba, Israel and Turkey to mention a few.”
- President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete Tanzania (United Republic
of)
“Situation
in Palestine
Mr.
President;
The
horrifying scenes of bombing and death of innocent women, children as well as
men in the recent hostilities between Israel and Palestine is heartbreaking.
Unfortunately, this conflict has been going on for far too long while the
lasting solution is known: two states living side by side harmoniously. This
solution has been elusive for far too long. Time has come for the United
Nations, the United States of America, Russia, Europe and other global and
regional powers to come together in concerted efforts to make it happen. We
shouldn't wait any longer.”
- Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Netherlands
“(Beginning
of speech) On17July, in a summer already marked by alarming reports
from Syria, Iraq and Gaza, our country was confronted with stark international
reality. The 298 passengers of flight MH17 would be alive today if not for the
Crimea conflict and the destabilisation of eastern Ukraine. 196 of the victims
were Dutch nationals.”
- Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, Timor-Leste
“The
war in Iraq, which has destroyed the legacy of a centuries-old civilisation, as
well as the bloody conflicts in Afghanistan, Libya, Syria and the Ukraine,
should make the international community draw its conclusions about the
international standards applied in these contexts.
The uncertainty and the bloody anguish that surround Israel and
Palestine, with those two peoples destined to live side by side, should alert
us once and for all to the fact that fear and insecurity for the future lead to
hate, which is the root of all evils.”
- Prime Minister Erna Solberg, Norway
“Early
this year, Norway hosted a humanitarian donor conference for South Sudan and we
will shortly co-host a donor conference to address the aftermath of the
conflict in Gaza.”
K.F.
/T.R.
