A/36/PV.84 General Assembly

Statements will be limited to ex- planations of vote. The positions of delegations with re- spect to the recommendations contaii"~d in the reports of the Second Committee are reflected in the relevant sum- mary records. 3. May I in this connection remind members of decision 34/401, by which the Assembly agreed that when the same draft resolution is considered in a Main Committee and in plenary meeting. a delegation sh~:mld~ as ~ar as possible, explain its vote only once, that IS, either I~ the Committee or in plenary meeting unless that delegatIOn's vote in plenary meeting is different from its vote in the Committee. 4. I now invite the Assembly to turn its attention to part II of the report of the Second Committee on agenda item 12 [A/36/69//Add.1]. 5. The Assembly will now take a vote on the draft reso- lution entitled ''Assistance to the Palestinian people" rec- ommended to the Assembly by the Second Committee in paragraph 11 of its report.

I call on the representative of Yemen, who wishes to explain his vote. 8. We state categorically that the Palestinian people de- serves our assistance until it returns to its own country. The solution to the Palestinian problem lies not in offer- ing gifts but in implementing the resolutions of the Gen- eral Assembly and the Security Council.

We turn now to part III of the report of the Second Committee on agenda item 69 [A/36/694/Add.2]. 10. In paragraph 3 of that report, the Second Committee recommends the adoption of a draft decision entitled "World development fund". May I take it that the Gen- eral Assembly wishes to adopt that draft decision? I I. The PRESIDENT: The General Assembly will now consider the report of the Second Committee on subitem (k) of agenda item 69 [A/36/694/Add.lO]. 12. The Chairman of the fourth session of the Commis- sion on Human Settlements, Mrs. Imelda Romualdez Marcos, First Lady of the Philippines and Minister for Human Settlements, has requested to be allowed to make a statement pursuant to paragraph 6 of Commission reso- lution 4/1 of 6 May 1981, entitled •.Manila Communique on a Human Settlements Movement".' 13. Mrs. MARCOS: I should like'to begin by gratefully acknowledging the distinct honour and privilege bestowed upon me by the Governments whose delegations partici- pated in the fourth session of the Commission on Human Settlements at Manila, which adopted the Manila Com- munique and instructed its Chairman to convey to the General Assembly the report on the subject of human set- tlements. I submit this report within the larger context of what we call the new human order. 14. There is in the Book of Proverbs an ancient truth so often lost in today's flux of events: "Where there is no vision, the people perish". Allow me to paraphrase that statement by saying that where there is no global vision for humankind, then all men perish. We must think out an entirely new framework for humankind. That paradigm is basically and essentially a moral framework that con- siders the welfare of man not only for today's generations but for generations yet unborn. This was stressed by Pres- ident Marcos at the International Meeting on Co-operation and Development, held at Cancun in October 198I. 15. When I speak of this moral order, I do not refer to the sense of morality as defined, for example, by orga- nized religion or religious institutions. I speak of the over- whelming mass of humanity through the centuries that, whatever its faith or beliefs, demonstrates as individuals or as communities that sense of values, that touch of con- science, which makes the individual person ~"l human being, superior to other living beings of this planet. 16. Many confusing and complex issues become dearer when we know where we want to go. If we are guided by 17. We tend to limit our perceptions of development to its physical manifestations, which are measurable. But a purely materialistic approach to development will inevita- bly reach its limits. On what is the new plan based? It is based on a positive feeling or love, not on the roman- ticism of emotional and physical excitement and attrac- tion, but on the larger dimension of engagement or in- volvement. Man evolves into a superior form of humanity because he gives of himself to others. This he can achieve only through contact and involvement with people. This is not a new doctrine. 18. It has been observed time and again that emphasis upon the exclusively materialistic aspect of development has fragmented man and sacrificed his humanity at the iron altar of growth. What we need to do now is to make growth human, to balance the "macho" image and the father domination of human endeavour and to inaugurate with this the return of the mother to the family of man. This is no mere poetic metaphor but a recognition, pre- scribed by modern philosophers, of the restoration of the wholeness of human beings. 19. In a practical way, the return of the mother is the re- enshrinement of love as a disciplining force. When we speak of the new planning we mean this precise force, without which there can be no life, only existence. How can we be blind to it in our most fundamental need, the need to live with one another? This, then, is the economy of man. 20. We seek a world less volatile and dramatic than the one we have today, and certainly more interrelated. The goal is harmony with oneself, with others and with nature; it is not dominance but equity, solidarity, par- ticipation, integration. Development goals must encom- pass man in his total reality of body, mind and spirit or feelings, one and indivisible. 21. To allude once again to this is to postulate a car- dinal point in the making of society. By your leave, let me give an account of the Philippine experience in this perspective. 22. In the Philippines we have classified basic needs into 11 services. These are water, power, food, clothing, medical services, education, ecological balance, sports and recreation, livelihood, shelter and land use, and mobility, including communications and transportation-roads and the like. 23. At the risk of redundancy, may I say that their plan- ning, management and control must be approached, it is true, in terms of service to man but so that man serves himself. Livelihood is not just habitation and government services, but becomes the core of the human settlement. 24. In the Philippines the creation of the new Ministry of Human Settlements brings to life a development strat- egy inspired by the time-revered ideology of self..produc- tion, participation and involvement. This is a novel con- cept of development which is in tune with the needs of 25. On the basis of our experience as a people respond- ing to crisis and to actual continuing problems, we evolve and effect this ideology of the new society-a basic ori- entation and a basic thrust. Certainly the Ministry and the various agencies involved in human settlements develop- ment have been advocating this self-perpetuating, dignify- ing and humanistic approach to development. 26. It is significant that while the rural poor had been virtually forgotten by previous Governments, which launched programmes which at best provided palliatives for the continuing problems of poverty and lack of ade- quate services in rural areas, today the poor are more di- rectly involved in bringing development into their lives through the same self-help and co-operative efforts, and with only minimal Government support and expenses. Opportunity structures or ways and means are hence being set up to make them feel that they belong; they are part of the total programme directed at ennoblement of the ordinary man. 27. The goal of the Ministry of Human Settlements is to meet, through this scheme, all the 11 basic needs in human settlements at adequate levels and degrees for all people in all villages, towns and cities of the Philippines. 28. We are beginning to move in these 11 directions si- multaneously, for we realize that unless we develop totally we shall succumb to congestion, to rapid decline and fi- nal destruction. We realize that if we do not make a total effort for each and every single man we shall never attain our goals. 29. We have set up institutions to increase our ca- pability to produce food and have laid the ground for the establishment of industries that will turn every human being into a dignified and proud unit of production of basic commodities, raw materials for defence, construc- tion materials and basic human services. We thus seek to reduce our dependence on foreign supplies and resources. 30. We now think of the immediate, effective, continu- ing and cumulative satisfaction of the needs and aspira- tions of man in the community where he live's in every city, in every town, in every human settlement. We now think of the construction of houses. the local supply of water, schooi and medical services. sports and recreational facilities not only as projects being randomly handed down to the people but as components of the total and full realization of the being of man-the satisfaction of his inner yearnings for the good, the true and the beau- tiful. We now think in terms of power and water. upgrad- ing and increasing the number of schools and medical services. sports and recreational facilities. transportation and job opportunities and maintaining the ecological bal- 32. While we do not abandon large-scale efforts to pro- duce food and develop large-scale industries, we now dis- perse laterally all job opportunities for the residents of every town, through the setting up of small-scale agro- industrial and .cottage industries in every village and lo- cality, covering mixed agriculture and forestry for the mountainsides, livestock for the uplands, agriculture for the lowlands, and aqua-culture for the rivers, the ocean and the seas. Thus livelihood becomes the centre of ac- tivity of any group of human beings. 33. I think it is crucial at this point to crystallize the Manila Communique on a Human Settlements Movement. It was my privilege to chair the fourth session of the Commission, and it is the Commission's task to promote the integral concept of human settlements problems in all countries. We were deeply concerned by the deterioration of the quality of life in human settlements measured against basic aspirations for human dignity for a great proportion of the world population. We voiced anxiety over the likely worsening of the situation. 34. This is critical to our concept of human settlements. We see man as the beginning, the means and the objec- tive of development, because man occupies the centre of human settlements concern. It is our position that the method of approach to human settlements can be a power- ful force in the improvement of the human condition. It must receive co-ordinated sectoral activities involving multi-disciplinary experts working within a comprehen- sive and integrated framework. In practical terms, human settlements development does not mean just building houses for the poor or providing socialized housing. More importantly, it involves the co-ordination of all efforts in both the public and private sectors to improve the quality of life by satisfying the basic needs of the people, both in the visibles and the invisibles. 35. So we see this cascade of concerted action brought to this United Nations forum. Human settlements is the shared vision of humankind, the global movement for the betterment of the human condition. This movement is op- erationalized into global programmes of action on the 11 basic needs applying modem management techniques and, finally. specific and concrete demonstration projects in different environments in the world showing these con- cepts in application. 36. The Manila Communique therefore calls upon Gov- ernments and international organizations· concerned to join, as appropriate, in a comprehensive and effective human settlements movement designed to bring about the full development of man as a tangible demonstration of the spirit of co-operation and understanding that animated the fourth session of the Commission on Human Settle- ments. 37. Perhaps it is in the human settlements movement that we have the answer to the North-South dilemma. The less industrialized nations are truly grateful for the histor- ically unprecedented assistance they have received from 38. In this context and in that of our experience in my country, we offered to the fourth session of the Commis- sion on Human Settlements for examination a modest pro- posal to all in the United Nations system, particularly those engaged in development work in the areas of basic human needs, for the undertaking of demonstration proj- ects on human settlements in a number of geographically significant developing countries. Basically, we suggest that the various development agencies in the United Na- tions system work together by transforming selected de- pressed communities in Asia, Africa and Latin America into authentic human settlements provided with the basic needs and vitalized by the vision of a new global human order. Through these projects, we propose to bring down from the conceptual to the operational plane the meaning of human settlements by making it work in everyday terms among everyday people in everyday situations. They may just provide starting-points for transforming what is n0'v. only a creed into a living movement. 39. Human settlements are the cradles of humanity, the generators and repositories of human values. Humanity's last stand in its battle for survival will be established in the fortresses of families, communities and human settle- ments. These are the sanctuaries of. the spirit of man. In the human settlements of the world, this spirit will be nurtured and protected until its reawakening into a mighty force. For if we look around us, th~ casualty of our times is IPan. His institutions have turned against him. Govern- ment has reduced him to statistics. Industries dehumanize him, armaments terrorize him, machines depreciate him, financial institutions enslave him, monetary systems be- tray him. Even development aid looks down upon him as an incorrigible burden who must somehow be recast in a superior mould. His feelings and values have been rele- gated to irrelevance and unimportance. 40. Let us build our human settlements on the basis of a new human order. God gave this world to man so that we may discover Him in all the things He has created. Let us now give the world back to man. 41. I be~an with a quotation from the Book ofProverbs; I should lIke to end with a message painfully evocative of what may lay in store for us and humanity if we are not able to induce an awareness of how vulnerable our hu- manism is. The graffiti, found written on a wall in a run" down co~munity ~hich apparentlr had given up both hope and Its humamsm, read: "Owmg to lack of interest, tomorrow has been cancelled." The message was signed "God". 42. Let us bring back tomorrow today.

I thank the Chairman of the fourth session of the Commission on Human Settlements for her statement. 45. Draft resolution I, entitled .,International Year of Shelter for the Homeless", was adopted by the Second Committee without a vote. May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to do the same?

Draft resolution 11, entitled "Human Settlements", comprises three parts: A, .. Re- port of the Commission on Human Settlements"; B, "Re- newable sources of energy for human settlements"; and C, "Mobilization of financial resources for the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (HABITAT)". 47. The Second Committee adopted draft resolution 11 without a vote. May I take it that the General Assembly wishes to do the same?

We come next to draft resolution Ill, entitled "Living conditions of the Palestinian peo- pIe". The administrative and financial implications of that draft resolution are contained in the report of the Fifth Committee [A/36/713]. A recorded vote has been re- quested.

We turn now to the report of the Second Committee on subitems (/), (m) and (n) of agenda item 69 [A/36/694/Add./ /l. 52. The Assembly will now take action on the draft res- olution and draft decisions recommended by the Second Committee. 53. In paragraph 15 of its report the Second Committee recommends to· the General Assembly the adoption of a draft resolution entitled "Comprehensive outline of a world survey on the role of women in development". Since the Second Committee adopted that draft resolution without a vote, may I take it that the General Assembly also wishes to do so?

We turn now to the draft deci- sions recommended by the Second Committee in para- graph 16 of its report. Draft decision I is entitled "Effec- tive mobilization and integration of women in development". The Second Committee adopted that deci- sion without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do so also?

Draft decision 11, entitled "Long-term trends in economic development", was also adopted by the Second Committee without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?

Draft decision Ill, entitled "United Nations Special Fund", was adopted by the Committee without a vote. May I take it that the Assem- bly also wishes to do so?

I now invite the Assembly to turn its attention to the report of the Second Committee on agenda item 71 (a) [A/36/693/Add./]. 58. The Second Committee adopted the draft resolution recommended in paragraph 9, entitled "United Nations Institute for Training and Research", without a yote. May I take it that the Assembly also wishes to do so? The draft resolution was iulopted (resolution 36/75).

The question of Palestine is the heart of the Middle East problem. It is an issue whose solution will govern the future peace in the region and also reflect upon the maintenanc.e of peace and security in the world. 64. The question of Palestine has been the subject of an intensive debate for the last 36 years in the United Na- tions. In that period numeroUs nations have emerged from the shackles of colonialism and dependence and attained freedom and independence, and yet the people of Pal- estine continue to languish under oppression and occupa- . tion. 66. Any examination of the question of Palestine must be based on the following basic elements. First, the ques- tion of Palestine is the core of the problem of the Middle East, and consequently it is not possible to envisage a solution to the problem of the Middle East unless the rights of the Palestinian people are taken into account. Secondly, there must be implementation of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to return to their homes and to achieve self-determination, independence and na- tional sovereignty. Thirdly, the participation of the Pal- estine Liberation Organization [PW] , the representative of the Palestinian people, on an equal footing with all the other parties, on the basis of relevant Assembly resolu- tions, is indispensable. Fourthly, the acquisition of territo- ries by force is inadmissible, and Israel must withdraw totally from all occupied Arab territories, including Jeru- salem. Fifthly, a greater understanding of the just cause of the Palestinian people is essential. 67. The United Nations has repeatedly tried, through the Security Council and the General Assembly, to bring jus- tice to the suffering Palestinian Arab community. The Government of Israel, unfortunately, has each time taken measures in violation of General Assembly and Security Council resolutions, thus frustrating all efforts of the in- ternational community to resolve this explosive issue. Is- rael has, in defiance of international law and the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949,4 continued illegally to establish Israeli settlements in the occupied territories and to expropriate and annex vast areas of land belonging to the Arabs. According to recent statistics, the Israeli authorities are reported to have seized in various ways more than 370,000 acres of West Bank land. The thrust of Israeli policy since 1967 has been to swallow up the West Bank as an integral Israeli territory. Israel has also con- tinued to attack savagely Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, causing the death of hundreds of Palestinian ci- viiians. They also plan to build a canal which would link the Dead Sea with the Mediterranean. They continue to threaten Christian and Islamic holy and historic places. 68. Israel is deliberately trying to undermine the basis of Arab communal life. Arab communities find them- selves systematically isolated by the establishment of more than 100 strategically situated settlements. It is a preconceived Israeli policy to frustrate any attempts to create territorial and political continuity in the occupied territories. 69. Such a policy on the part of Israel is not only mor- ally wrong but also legally untenable. Israel's attempt to impose and perpetuate colonial rule on I million Palesti- nians must be stopped. The sufferings and despair caused by Israel must cease, and her brutal oppression must be stopped forthwith. If the major causes of conflict are, to be removed and if the security and the future of the .re- gion are to be guaranteed. this is the absolute prerequi- site. 70. The central problem in the establishment of a global peace is in the Middle East. and the solution resides in the solution of the Palestinian problem and in the as- surance of the conditions necessary to enable the Palesti- nian people to realize their aspirations to develop. freely and without let or hindrance. The full participation of the PLO in efforts undertaken on an international level is of 71. No discussion of Palestine would be complete with- out consideration of the humanitarian aspect of the Pal- estine refugee problem. We must emphasize again that the refugee problem is totally political in origin. No amount of humanitarian measures, however effective, will be ade- quate to eliminate the refugee problem until a just and lasting solution is found for the overall question of Pal- estine. The refugees must be settled in their own home- land. In the meantime, the United Nations and its spe- cialized agencies should provide the economic and technical assistance necessary for the consolidation of the Palestinian entity. 72. In conclusion, I should like to re-emphasize that Bangladesh will continue to support and encourage all just and moral initiatives aimed at the full exercise of the inalienable rights of the people of Palestine. We will con- tinue to encourage any initiative that has the support and provides for the participation of the Palestinians and their representative, the PLO. Peace in the region must be achieved through coliective effort on a realistic basis. 73. As the President of Bangladesh, Justice Abdus Sat- tar, said in his message on the occasion of the commem- oration of the International Day of Solidarity with the Pal- estinian People: "The Palestinian situation continues to challenge the international community as a major test of the cred- ibility and capacity of the United Nations in the fulfil- ment of its fundamental responsibility for preserving peace and security in the world. No other problem has provoked so much thought, unleashed so much indig- nation or so polarized the emotions of nations and indi- viduals alike. It is our duty to promote a lasting and durable peace. If peace is.to endure it must be based on justice, and justice demands the redressing of all wrongs done contrary to international law, adherence to the norms and principles enshrined in the United Na- tions Charter and the establishment of the fundamental human rights. "There cannot be any doubt that the people of Pal- estine are a definite political entity. To ignore their presence is to discount a reality recognized by the over- whelming majority of States and, indeed, all mankind. Thus the fundamental element of a durable and perma- nent Middle East peace revolves around the recognition of the inalienable rights of the P.dlestinian people to self-determination and to a State of their own in their homeland. " 74. The Bangladesh delegation would like to become a sponsor of draft resolution A/36/L.33 on the question of Palestine.

While not entering at this moment into an evaluation of the deterioration of the Middle East situation-which is a consequence of Is- raeli aggression and expansion, on which we shall have an opportunity to speak in a later debate on the Middle East-I should, however, like to point out some factors which are equally relevant today and which characterize the situation in this sensitive region. Those irrefutable factors carry dramatic messages for the whole interna- tional community and cannot be overlooked by anyone. --------::::-:--:::.----'-'::-- ---------------, - -----.----------------- 77. Secondly, if anything has become clear in this crisis, .it is the fact that the PLO is the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, which has the right to decide on its destiny. The sooner this verified fact is accepted, th~ faster will be dissipated the dangerous illusion that peace in the Middle East can be negotiated behind the back of the Palestinian people. The PLO has on several occasions proved its constructive character, contributing to the search for the peaceful solution of the Middle East crisis. It has therefore been integrated into international life as an observer at the United Nations, a member of the non-aligned movement and a full member of a number of bodies and agencies within the United Nations system, and it has thus become a responsible in- ternational, legal and political subject with which an ever greater number of States are establishing relations with the characteristics of relations between sovereign States. 78. The third irrefutable fact is that the Israeli policy of expansion and domination is an obstacle to the solution of this question and of the crisis in the Middle East in gen- eral. For this reason, the responsibility of all international elements which actively or passively support such a pol- icy has become even greater. 79. A consensus has been reached on these undeniable facts, and an ever smaller number of Governments tries to deny them. Through decisions and measures adopted by its organs and through the declarations of statesmen or the stands taken by political forces, the international commu- nity has clearly pronounced itself on this issue. These facts, which were reaffirmed in 1980 at the seventh emer- gency special session, on Palestine, are encouraging. No one should diHegard them or remain lulled by the illusion that force or separate solutions will yield lasting results. The neglect of this truth can only exacerbate the problem to an even greater degree and lead to further exposure of the Palestinian people and the neighboring Arab countries to permanent aggression, thus jeopardizing peace in the region and in the world. 80. The exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palesti- nian people is not only an ethical or humanitarian ques- tion, although it concerns the violation of humap and so- cial rights of Palestinians as a people and as individuals. It is first of all a political issue concerning the right to self-determination and the right to one's own State. There- fore the United Nations should strive even more strongly for such solutions as would enable the Palestinian people to regain its rights and would terminate the Calvary of this people, which has been suffering as have few peoples in cOJ:ltemporary history. Not only has its right to exis- tence been'questioned, but it has been driven out of its country and denatlOmilized, and its cultural, historical and religious identity has been threatened. The faits accomplis of such a policy have pever been accepted, nor can its 81. More than 30 years ago the world Organization took responsibility for the solution of the Palestinian question, the acute character of which imposes itself upon us today as a test of conscience. It cannot be evaded any longer under any pretext, particularly not at a time when the ide- als of self-determination, national independence and human rights have become the basic inspiration and sup- port of the struggle for a new, more stable world, where everybody would have access to them. 82. Therefore we consider that the solution of the ques- tion of Palestine should be urgently tackled. First of all, this should be done through a comprehensive and active approach by the United Nations in launching a process that would lead te an overall solution of the Middle East crisis. This means recognition of the inalienable national, social and human rights of the Palestinian people in its own State, which will create the conditions necessary to ensure realization of the right of all peopl~s and countries in the region to free and undisturbed life and develop- ment. 83. The positions of Yugoslavia regarding the question of Palestine are well known. They proceed from, first, the indispensability of the withdrawal of Israel from all ter- ritories occupied since 5 June 1967, including Jerusalem; secondly, the realization of the right of the Palestinian people to create its own State; thirdly, the recognition of the PLO as the sol~ legitimate representative of the Pal- estinian people; and fourthly, the recognition of the right of all peoples and States in the Middle East region to secure and independent national and social development. 84. Non-aligned countries, whose policy has always been an expression of the aspirations and needs of all peoples and countries for free development and which have thus become the firmest supporters of their indepen- dence, have always and consistently endeavoured to achieve a solution ef the Middle East crisis under which all countries and peoples can realize their legitimate inter- ests. This was reaffirmed at the Conference of Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Non-Aligned Countries, held at New Delhi from 9 to 13 February 1981, which stressed the need for a more active commitment of the United Na- tions to the implementation of its own decisions. 85. We have carefully studied this year's report of th... Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People [A/36/35]. In our assessment this important United Nations organ has again successfully fulfilled its assigned task, since its report identifies all the crucial elements of the question and offers concrete sug- gestions for its solution. We fully support the recommen- dations contained in the report [ibid.. paras. 49-53] and consider that at present it is most important to proceed urgently with their implementation. 86. Yugoslavia, which has always been constantly en- gaged in the effort to eliminate all negative trends in in- ternational relations, will continue, together with other non-aligned countries, to support all endeavours, concrete actions and measures leading to the realization of the na- tional aspirations of the Palestinian people. The liberation of this heroic people and the creation of its free and inde- pendent State would contribute to the freedom and inde- pendence of all countries and peoples and to peace in the '. . 87.. ,.Mr. KARRAN (Guyana): Our debate this year on the question {)f Palestine occurs at a particularly troubled moment. in relations among nations. There has been a marked deterioration -in the climate- of. international inter- course, 'linked primarily to a renewed jockeying for strate- gic' advantages .and military superiority..The language of reasoned discourse and the search for mutually acceptable bases for collaboration between the major Powers have given way to postures of belligerence and the rhetoric of confrontation. . There are now deliberate attempts to globalize local situations of conflict in order to have them serve narrow strategic interests. 88~ Aga:llst that backdrop, it is important that the inter- national community maintain the question of Palestine in its proper perspective-a story of the dispossession of an entire people, of a proud nation chased from its land and reduced to the status ·ofrefugees, and the story of the struggle of that people to regain its inalienable rights, in- cluding the right to its own independent Palestinian State. In view of the full and unequivocal commitment to the promotion ofthe rights of the Palestinian people, my del- egation is particularly grateful for this opportunity to make a contribution to our current debate. 89. The consideration of the Palestinian issue at this thirty-sixth session is once again facilitated by the com- prehensive report prepared by the Committee on the Exer- cise of the Inalienable 'Rights of the Palestinian People. Since its establishment in 1975 that Committee has worked assiduously, particularly in the intersessional pe- riod, to sensitize international public opinion to the tragic dispossession and the wide-scale injustices that are the daily lot of ,the. Palestinian people. _ 90. My delegation wishes to record its continuing appre- ciation of the valuable work performed by the Committee, under the wise leadership of Mr. Sarre of Senegal. 91. Various aspects of the Palestinian problem have al- ready exercised the attention of the Assembly at this ses- sion. The Special Political Committee has considered two related items: the report· of the Special Committee to In- vestigate. Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the;·Population of the Occupied Territories [item 64], and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palesti- nian Refugees in the Near East [item 60]. The debate on those items has provided new evidence of the deliberate policies and practices of the Israeli authorities aimed at the complete subjugation 'and dispossession of the Palesti- nian people and at suppressing all nationalistic sentiment withiri them and even at -depriving them of their identity. 98. The Palestiniau people have certain inalienable rights which must be (,aken into account if there is to be a 92. My delegation wishes to reiterate its strong condem- lasting peace in the Middle East. The Palestinian people nation of those Israeli policies and practices in the oc- must be allowed to participate in any negotiations con- cupied territories that create further hardships for an al- cerning their future, and my pelegation is pleased to note ready brutalized people. In arrogant disregard of United the increased political recognition which the PLO is gain- Nations resolutions and international opinion, Israel not ing as the representative of the Palestinian people. We only continues its settlement programme in the occupied join our voice to that of. other progressive forces in. insist- L territories, but also has undertaken a systematic process ing that the Pill, as the representative of the Palestinian of..destruction of Palestinian homes, deportation and ex- people, be included in any negotiations for a secure ~d 93. My delegation sees all these acts as coherently inter- linked. They are part of a process of creepingcoloniza- tion put into motion by the Israeli occupiers. They repre- sent a short-sighted attempt by Israel to seek security through a policy of colonial domination and the dispersal of the Palestinians from their homeland. 94. Ironically, these policies have their own self-destruc- tive dynamics. Security for Israel cannot be founded on the insecurity of its neighbours or on the subordination of the Palestinians. Conscious acts of terror and disposses- sion against a victimized people cannot produce the peace and. stability that Israel claims it wishes. They will only widen and intensify the cycle of violence, for the Palesti- nian people will not allow themselves to be sacrificed to Israel's aggressive behaviour. The self-perceived insecurity of Israel is a clear outgrowth of its own aggressive expan- sionism and indiscriminate violence. 95. The systematic terror practised by Israel in the oc- cupied' territories does not stop there. This State-spon- sored violence touches even those Palestinians who have been forced to flee the horrors and deprivation of Israeli occupation. An already desperate existence in refugee camps has constantly to reckon with the threat of massive and indiscriminate Israeli attacks against those camps. The Assembly has only to recall the brutal incursions into southern Lebanon in July that wreaked such wide-spread devastation on life and property. 96. Israel's contemptuous flouting of international opin- ion and United Nations resolutiQns on the question of Pal- estine and its continued display .of arrogant confidence in its military capabilities are made possible only by the tol- erant acquiescence of its main supporter. Israel is un- doubtedly bolstered by any policy which indiscriminately prescribes military solutions to every conflict situation, whether of local, regional or global dimensions. 97. We must not allow the search for an internationally acceptable solution to the Palestinian problem to be com- plicated by the approach that argues for the building of a so-called strategic consensus in the Middle East. Such an approach seeks to introduce considerations which depart from what is almost universally recognized to be the es- sence of the problem of the Middle East and naturally takes us farther away from a solution to that problem. We must strongly resist any attempt to marginalize the Pal- estinians' problem or to sur-""rimpose the determinants of super-Power rivalry on the situation in the Middle East as a whole. 99. The cause of Palestine cannot be divorced from the Middle East conflict. Repeated United Nations resolutions have recognized the centrality of the question of Palestine to the situation of conflict that continues to prevail in the Middle East. The search for a just and lasting peace must therefore involve all the affected parties and must encom- pass all the causes of the conflict. Partial solutions can never restore peace in the Middle East. lOO. The widening international consensus supportive of the exercise by the Palestinian people of their inalienable rights emphasizes the overriding justice of their cause. My delegation, finally, hopes that the uecessary political ,-,.:tl will be exercised by those concerned in order to bring an early end to the tragedy which is the Palestinian question.

At the outset, I should like to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude to Mr. Massamba Sane of Senegal, Chair- man of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, to Mr. Gauci of Malta, Rapporteur, and to the other officers of the Committee for their diligent and untiring efforts, their excellent work and their contribution to the just cause of the Palestinian people. The dedication of the Committee, of which , Cyprus is proud to be a member, gives courage and pro- vides ample proof of the determination of the international community to strive for the freedom and dignity of man and the fundamental rights of the oppressed, whether in Palestine or elsewhere. 102. The position of my Government on the question of Palestine is well known and has been stated time and again before the Assembly and in other international fo- rums. In addition to their geographical proximity, the Middle East and Cyprus are facing problems that have many points in common. The Government and people of Cyprus have always whole-heartedly supported and de- fended the just struggle of the Palestinian people to return to its homeland, preserve its national identity and its exis- tence as a nation and establish its own independent sov- ereign State in Palestine. 103. Our position is based on the following principles. First, it is our firm belief that the question of Palestine constitutes the heart of the whole Middle East problem. There can be no comprehensive, just and durable solution that would restore and preserve peace in the Middle East without taking into account the legitimate national aspira- tions of the Palestinian people. Secondly, we firmly rec- ognize the inalienable right of the Palestinians to self-de- termination, national independence and sovereignty and the right of all refugees and displaced persons to return to their homes and properties. The right and the longing of the refugee and the displaced person to return to his an- ceslt~i home has a deep meaning fOl" the Cypriots, and we consider that no passage of time can affect or alienate it, whether in Palestine or elsewhere. Thirdly, we strongly believe that the Palestinian people has the inalienable right to establish its own independent and sovereign State in Palestine. Fourthly, Cyprus strongly adheres to the fun- 104. Lastly, we are of the view that belligerency must come to an end and the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of every State in the region, including the Palestinian State the establishment of which is envisaged, must be recognized and respected, as should the right of all States to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries. 105. It is within the framework of these principles that the Government of Cyprus placed the question of Pal- estine, and it therefore once again fully endorses the rec- ommendations of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. 106. Concerning the grave developments that have re- cr.:ntiy taken place in Lebanon as a consequence of the Israeli acts of aggression against civilian targets in Beirut and Palestinian refugee camps in southern Lebanon, Cypms deplores and has strongly condemned those ac- tions, which constitute a blatant violation of all norms of internationa; law. Once again we wish to reaffirm our total commitment to the sovereignty, territorial integrity, unity and independence of our neighbour and friend; Lebanon. 107. The international community has the legal and moral obligation to protest and restore the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, just as it has the obliga- tion to protect the oppressed and victimized wh~rever they may live. 108. In conclusion, I wish to stress that the case before us constitutes a serious breach of the fundamental norms and principles embod::d in the Charter, which should at all times govern the conduct of Member States. The ques- tion of Palestine i3 among the most serious international problems that gravely threaten peace and security in that 109. Cyprus, for its part, will continue to support all international efforts aimed at the full recognition and res- toration of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. The Government and people of Cyprus will stand firmly and whole-heartedly by the dispossessed and oppressed people of Palestine until their struggle is rewarded and they return to their homes and properties and establish their own State in Palestine. 1l0. Mr. MRANI ZENTAR (Morocco) (interpretation from French): The General Assembly, at its thirty-sixth session, is for the thirty-sixth time discussing the question of Palestine and the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, which Israel continues to ignore with implacable steadfastness, without the Organization having been able to find a way or take measures to put an end to that obstinate defiance, which is so tragic for the region and represents an increasing threat to international peace, which is daily pushed closer to the edge of the abyss. Ill. The sole cause of the crisis in the Middle East is the Palestinian problem, and a return to peace in one of the most sensitive regions of the world is closely bound to the solution of that problem, which is the core of that crisis, as has heen generally recognized by the interna- tional community. ll2. It is remarkable that African decisions, those of the non-aligned countries and the Organization of the Islamic Conference, the most recent initiatives of the West Euro- pean countries and the resolutions'of the United Nations all agree on the fundamental nature of the need to recog- nize the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to re- turn to its homeland and to create an independent State in Palestine. 113. The long march of the Palestinian people, a march marked by acts of unequalled bravery and by self-abnega- tion, patience and infinite faith in the inevitable success of that legitimate struggle which has aroused the admira- tion of peoples throughout the world and has won the respect due to causes whose defenders never doubt the final victory. 114. In the face of the courage and determination of the Palestinian people, which is confident of the justice of its cause, Israel is committing the tragic error of shutting it- self up in a negative attitude the persistence of which only serves to accentuate tension in the Middle East and encourage the rivalries of foreign Powers, which find in the Middle East an opportunity for the struggle for influ- ence, clearly at the expense of the interests of the peoples of the region and increasing the risks of a major interna- tional conflict. - U5. The behaviour of Israel in Palestine and -the oc- cupied Arab territories and towards neighbouring Arab countries is characterized by blind acts of aggression and oppressive administrative measures, which huve been con- demned by the international community. 116. In Palestine and in the occupied Arab territories, once again this year we have witnessed a series of arbi- 117. In addition, during the past year Israeli violations in the occupied territories have increased considerably. No fewer than 200 settlements have been established at gun- point, and ;epression has reached new levels against mu- nicipal authorities, students and even school children, as well as anonymous inhabitants whose houses have been dynamited as part of collective reprisals. ll8. There has been an escalation of murderous actions against the fraternal people of Lebanon, made martyrs so many times over, particularly by the systematic bombings of densely populated areas of Beirut, in which men, women and children have been innocent victims of these blind acts of vengeance. ll9. This aggressive action, accelerated by an intoxica- tion with power, has allOWed Israel to reach out as far as the peaceful nuclear installations at Tamuz, near Baghdad, and has taken place in d;.:fiance ef condemnatory deci- sions of the General Assembly and the Security Council, which forcefully call for israel to abandon a policy which so flagrantly violates international resolutions that have been confirmed several times over and the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations. - 120. The Holy City of Jerusalem, a city of tolerance and the meeting point of the three revealed religions, a city which contains the Holy Places of Islam venerated by hundreds of millions of Moslems, has been the victim this year, more than in the past, of inadmissible and defiant measures, condemned unanimously by the international community. 121. The unilateral decision of the Knesset to make Je- rusalem the indivisibl6 and eternal capital of Israel, to the detriment of the inalienable Arab rights over the city and of Islamic religious feelings towards a city where the deepest mysteries of the faith were revealed, has given rise to a very legitimate reaction throughout the world, as illustrated by the resolution in which the Security Council rejected that annexation and ordered the withdrawal of all diplomatic representation from the city of Al Quds. How- ever, that forceful decision did not dissuade the Israeli authorities from continuing in the Holy City their debase- ment of Jerusalem from the historic, physical and human standpoints, their destruction of the Holy Places in the guise of archaeological excavations, particularly around the holy mosque of Al Aqsa and in the El Maghariba quarter, in a futile search for illusory lost remains. 122. The Palestinian people, which is suffering for its national feelings and for its faith, has never shown the least sign of weakness or discouragement in the face of all these trials. 123. The resurgence of the Palestinian people, often re- pressed, is now stronger than ever and deserves our admi- ration for its tenacious resistance, under the leadership of its sole legitimate representative, the PLO, 125. At the invitation of His Majesty King Hassan lI, the Twelfth Arab Summit Conference was held at Fez to consider anew the situation in the Middle East in the light of important developments in the crisis in the region. The Conference was called upon to give particular attention to the Saudi proposal for a peaceful solution to the crisis, a proposal which constitutes the most remarkable contribu- tion to. the cause of peace that the region has seen in a long time. 126. His Majesty King Hassan lI, who presided over the summit conference, said that the plan proposed by Prince Pahd5 was not addressed only to some, to the ex- clusion of others, that on the contrary, the plan was ad- dressed to the whole world in order to show that the Arab countries, as a result of their civilization and history, are capable of mapping out a future for civilization in which all men, whatever their religion or colour, can in peace make their contribution to the \'vell-being of mankind. 127. That first phase of the Arab Summit Conference at Fez made it possible for the participants to gain a better awareness of the facts of the new situation, to interpret them correctly and to make the necessary detailed prepa- rations for the second phase of the Conference, which will take place in the near future. The Arab Summit Con- ference at Fez was thus suspended to enable the partici- , pants to carry out consultations to reach a correct attitude and adopt measures that can be immediately imple- mented. 128. The second phase of the Conference will take place at Fez on the date to be agreed by the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the League of Arab States. 129. There will be no solution of the Middle East prob- lem until the Palestinian people is allowed to establish its own independent and sovereign State on its own national territory, including the Arab capital of Jerusalem. It is not being obsessive to repeat that self-evident truth. 130. It must be agreed that, however one approaches the problem, if peace and security, justice and equity are really our objectives, there can be no solution but the rec- ognition of the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to live in freedom in a sovereign State, in an independent Arab Palestine.

The General As- sembly is once again debating another annual report on the question of Palestine. It is very unfortunate that this same question has been on the agenda of the General As- sembly for the past 3";' consecutive years and has not been treated in its proper perspective. This is because Israel, which owes its ov n creation to a United Nations resolu- tion, has unwisely chosen to treat with contempt all the United Nations resolutions demanding its withdrawal from all the occupied territories, including Jerusalem, and its recognition of the legitimate right of the Palestinian peo- ple to a homeland. 132. The unacceptable behaviour of the Israeli au- thorities in their ill-heatment of the Palestinians and the 133. My delegation affirms its full support for the Com- mittee's conclusions and recommendations, and in this re- gard we pay a tribute to Mr. Massamba Sarre of Senegal, who has made commendable efforts in directing the work under the Committee's mandate with objectivity and vis- Ion. 134. My delegation once again reaffirms that the ques- tion of Palestine is at the very heart of the problem of the Middle East and that consequently any solution that does not take into consideration the inalienable rights of the Palestinian People will certainly be doomed to failure. 135. Thirty-four years have elapsed since the inception of the State of Israel as a Jewish State in the land of Palestine, through General Assembly resolution 181 (lI) of 29 November 1947. Those 34 years have passed with- out an Arab State being set up, even in the remaining part of Palestine, in spite of the affirmative declaration, in the same resolution, of the formation of an Arab State the same year. As a result, the Palestinian people have experi- enced 34 tragic years of horror and cold-blooded murder, of indignation in exile and of dispersal to alien and other lands, where they obviously experience the apprehensions and anxieties of the homeless and stateless. It should be recalled that while the General Assembly and the Security Council have been wrestling with the question of the in- alienable rights of the Palestinian people, the world has throughout these years experienced the tragic incidents of four destructive wars in the Middle East region as a con- sequence of the Palestinian tragedy. In each of those wars the world came to the brink of another world war. The dangers that have arisen as a result of Israel's intransi- gence have been enormous. Through the years the inter- national community has been deeply disturbed by the es- calation of tension and the creation of further hotbeds of tension in the region through Israel's intransigent be- haviour and its evil schemes aimed at annihilating the Arab nation. 136. The international community-at the United Na- tions and in the forums of the non-aligned nations, the Org,mization of the Islamic Conference and the Organiza- tion of African Unity-has made the strongest protest against Israel's acts of aggression against the Palestinians and other Arab peoples. In all these forums the interna- tional community has reaffirmed its support for the legiti- mate Arab caw;e and accordingly called upon Israel to desist from its aggression against the Arabs and their ter- ritories and to come to terms with the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people as affirmed in the relevant United Nations resolutions. 137. The whole world has now become cognizant of the fact that the daily developments resulting from the Israeli Government's practices and policies in the occupied ter- ritories have beco'J.l.c intolerable. 138. The new illegal Israeli settlements, which replace the indigenous populations in the occupied territories with alien settlers, the expropriation by the ISlaeli authorities of vasi. areas of Arab-owned land and other violations of 139. Other causes of grave international concern are the Israeli legislation affecting the status of Jerusalem, the es- tablishment of new Israeli settlements and the enlarge- ment of previously established ones, the construction of a canal across the Gaza Strip to link the Dead Sea with the Mediterranean, the excavation of tunnels under AI-Haram AI-Sharif in the Holy City of Jerusalem, which endangers the historic Islamic buildings, and the destruction of ar- chaeological and cultural buildings and properties. While we declare all legislation in this regard null and void, we add our voice to that of the international majority to reject all measures taken by the Israeli authorities in disregard of th.: tights of the Palestinian people and in defiance of United Nations resolutions and t:he t repeated appeals of world public opinion. We also reaffirm the right of the Arab nations to sovereignty over Arab Jerusalem. 140. Israel, in a policy that leaves it isolated, continues its illegal measures to change the legal status, geographic nature and demographic composition of the occupied Arab territories. This persistent action by Israel is part of a premeditated design to annex Arab lands. It is an act whose sole aim is to create confusion round the core issue ir. that region, divert international attention and place obstacles in the way of the continued efforts of the inter- national community to promote a just and lasting peace in the Middle East. 141. Despite the feverish refusal of the Israeli Zionist regime, the international consenS4~ supports the exercise of the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to return to their homeland and to self-determination, independence and national sovereignty. We believe that this would con- tribute to the solution of the crisis in the Middle East. We also believe that the ongoing international efforts to achieve successful results in the peace negotiations on the question of Palestine should take into consideration the inclusion, on an equal footing, of the PLO, the sole legiti- mate representative of the Palestinian people and their leader in the struggle for the achievement of all their rights, including the right to self-determination and to es- tablish an independent State on the territory of Palestine. We condemn any separate treaty, agreement or accord which violates the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. 142. International public opinion has become aware of the fact that the Arab nations, including the Palestinian people, have demonstrated to the whole world that they want peace and security to prevail in the region. The Is- raelis, on the contrary, have continually shown utter dis- regard of all moral values, international laws and treaties and have refused to come to terms with the Palestinian people and the Arab nation. 143. We note with satisfaction that the countries of the European Community have joined the popular trend to- wards a change of opinion in favour of the Palestinian and Arab world. We hope that their attempt to contribute to the restoration of the inalienable rights of the Pale.stinian people will put pressure Gil the Israeli authorities and seal the fate of their intransigence.

Once again the present debate is emphasizing the importance that the in- ternational community attaches to the question of Pal- estine. Once again the consideration of this item is dem- onstrating the utmost urgency of resolving the problem. This point of view stems both from the assessment of the current situation in the region and from the growing awareness that there is only one road to peace in the Mid- dle East and that it leads through the solution of the ques- tion of Palestine. 146. Since the question of Palestine is the crux of the problem of the Middle East, as long as it remains unre- solved it contributes greatly to the maintenance of one of the most dangerous hotbeds of tension in the world and therefore poses a serious threat to international peace and security. Its repercussions on the situation in the region are far-reaching. For more than three decades the Palesti- nian people have been exposed to enormous human suf- fering, exile and oppression. They are facing a policy of aggression and creeping annexation of their homeland. They are experiencing escalating harassment, expulsions, expropriations and the sealing and demolition of habita- tions. They are witnessing the expanded construction of new Israeli settlements. They are subjected to curfews, forcible transfers and other methods of terror applied by the military occupation authorities. All this is done in flagrant violation of international law, in defiance of the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations and in disregard of the numerous relevant resolutions adopted by 'the Assembly. There is no need to stress that these pol- icies can only add to existing tensiQns. 147. Poland has always unfailingly supported the just aspirations of the Arab people of Palestine to the attain- ment of their inalienable rights. We have always consid- ered that full implementation of those rights leading to- wards the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian State on the territories liberated from the Israeli occupier and the guaranteeing of the existence and security of all States and peoples in the region are an objective necessity deter- mined also by the interests of international security and world peace at large. 148. This position of ours has been reflected in many statements and documents, including the records of the United Nations. 149. Only recently, in his message sent to Mr. Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Pal- estine Liberation Organization, on the occasion of the In- ternational Day of Sohdarity with the Palestinian People. Mr. Henryk Jabl6nski, President of the Council of State of the Polish People's Republic and Chairman of the All- Poland Committee of the National Unity Front, stated, in inter alia: "The struggle waged by the Palestinian people against the Israeli policy of aggression and expansion is particularly close to us Poles, who in our history have many times had to face aggression and militarism, pay- ing a tremendous price in blood and sacrifice in de- fence of freedom and independence. This is. why we constantly and invariably reaffirm our profound soli- darity with the striving and aspirations of the Palesti- 150. We have consistently stressed that a comprehen- sive, just and lasting settlement of the Middle East prob- lem requires the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all Arab territories occupied in 1967, the restoration of the right of the Arab people of Palestine to self-determination, including the establishment of its own independent State, and the safeguarding of the sovereignty and security of all States of the r~gion. 151. Recent developments closely related to the situa- tion in the Middle East confirm once again very clearly that ignoring the rights of the Palestinian people can leaf ~ nowhere. The participation of the PLO as an equal partr.er is a prerequisite, a sine qua non, for successful negotia- tions. No avenue to a lasting peace in the Middle East can possibly be opened 0Y. attempts to deal with the prob- lem on a piecemeal basis. There can be no partial solu- tion to the Middle East situation. 152. This year's annual observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People clearly con- firnled the international community's concern with the overriding importance of the question of Palestine. It tes- .v tified once again to the necessity of focusing our attention on that question and intensifying genuine efforts to ensure settlement. 153. In the search for peace in the Middle East there is an important role for the United Nations to play, notwith- standing the cOI~tinuous non-compliance with its numer- ous resolutions calling for a complete withdrawal by the Israeli occupation forces from the areas occupied in 1967 and the cessation of the policy of annexation and the vio- lation of the human rights of the population of those ter- ritories. That important role is both to inform world pub- lic opinion about the explosiveness of the situation and its grave consequences for international peace and security and to continue efforts for the attainment of the rights of the Palestinian people. 154. In this context I should like to take the opportunity to pay a special tribute to the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People for its important and dedicated work. 155. The present debate is solid proof of the· sentiment among the members of the Organization, today stronger than ever, that if we do not embark upon the course of recognition and implem~ntation of the inalienable rights of the Arab people of Palestine the situation in the Middle East will remain, as it is today, one of central concern and will continue to endanger world peace. The present debate also emphasizes the contrary, that taking the legiti- mate aspirations of the Arab people of Palestine fully into account will not only bring about the real solution of the Middle East problem but also contribute to the betterment of the international climate and the consolidation of peace and international security.

Some delegations, including that of Is- rael, are behaving in the present debate as though the fate of the Palestinian people were not a subject of legitimate concern to the international community, as though by rec- ognizing the inalienable national rights of the Palestinian people, by reaffirming them year after year and by pro- moting their implementation, the General Assembly were in some way acting unlawfully, exceeding its powers or violating the Charter. 158. Those delegations would be only too happy to con- fine us to the limits of Security Council resolution 242 (1967), the terms of which should be considered as gos- pel, sacred and immutable, even though that text spoke of refugees instead of Palestinian people, and interests in- stead of Palestinian rights. 159. Those delegations, which prevented the Geneva :onference from meeting, would if they could gladly de- clare the United Nations incompetent and prevent the ma- jority of Member States expressing their views on the ap- propriate way to resolve the question of Palestine and to guarantee the Palestinian people enjoyment of its rights. 160. In all of this we see manoeuvres to divert attention from a problem whose duration and political and moral implications demand that the international community act promptly and with resolve. We see in this an intention to exclude the United Nations from efforts to resolve the question of Palestine on the basis of internationally recog- n:zed principles. 161. It is true that there can be no people without rights, whether it be the Palestinian people or any other people. We believe that the question of Palestine has been, is and will be the history of Israel's desire to deny, disregard, usurp and restrict the national rights of the Pal- estinian people; it will only be resolved when the inevita- ble happens-that is, full recognition and strict respect of those rights by everyone, beginning with Israel. 162. The United Nations, which is quite rightly proud of its role in decolonization and the liberation of peoples, would therefore be betraying its mission and its obliga- tions if it were not to demand the cessation of Israel's machinations, which obstruct the exercise by the Palesti- nian people of its rights, which include the right to self- detem'1ination and to national independence and sov- ereignty in Palestine, the right .to establish its own inde- pendent sovereign State in Palestine, the right of the Pal- estinians to return to their ancestral homes from which they were displaced and uprooted and to recover the be- longings of which they were stripped, and finally, the right of the Palestinian people to permanent sovereignty over the natural resources of the occupied Palestinian ter- ritories. 163. Israel is certainly doing a disservice to its true in- terests by persisting in acting like a conquerer vis-a.-vis the Palestinian people. The experience of the former colo- nial Powers, models for the Zionist authorities, do, how- ever, teach that such an attitude is at best a policy without a future. The injustices, brutalities, exactions, individual and collective sanctions-the inevitable events of military occupation-cannot render that occupation acceptable. The annexation of Jerusalem, the proliferation of settle- 164. The main consequence of three decades of Israeli policies involving persecution of the Palestinians, dis- regard of the Arab countries and defiance of the interna- tional community has been-in addition to the ravages of war and other forms of armed confrontation-to make it impossible to restore badly needed peace and security to the region. 165. The tragedy is that the Zionist entity is not show- ing any sign of a desire to draw a lesson from that nega- tive policy and is stubbornly trying to impose its will on the Palestinian people and their Arab neighbours by force and violence. 166. Not only do the Israeli authorities engage in politi- cal assassinations, arbitrary arrests, deportations, acts of torture and other violations of human rights to restrain opposition within the occupied territories, they also attack Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. They have invaded the southern part of that country and bombed its capital, Beirut. They have attacked the Iraqi nuclear plant at Tamu.z and on many occasions violated Saudi Arabian air space. 167. In the face of thQse- examples it is difficult not to draw the conclusion that force is the principal, if not the sole, instrument of Israeli policies in the Middle East. This affirmation, which weakens any possibility of a peaceful settlement, becomes even more disturbing in the light of the growing militarization of the region, in which the Zionist entity is playing an increasingly important role. Israel's inclusion in a strategic arrangement based on strengthening the military presence of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO] in the Middle East and in the Indian Ocean region gives a new dimension to the mili- tary fa_ctor that the Zionist entity represents in the Middle East. To say the l~ast, (his new dimension complicates rather than simplifies the regional equilibrium. 168. My delegation shares the concerns which stem from the fear of seeing considerations linked to the East- West confrontation hinder the search for a solution to the problem of Palestine, which is the central element of the Middle East conflict. We understand the logic of those who see in the strengthening of the Israeli military appa- ratus and in the strategic guarantees from which it bene- fits encouragement for intransigence, arrogance and mili- tary adventurism. 169. My delegation sees in recent events the main rea- son which should impel the Security Council to strengthen its authority and take decisions consistent w~th the recommendations submitted to it since 1976 by the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. In so doing, the Council would be working for the elimination of the injustice of which the Palestinian people is a victim and would contribute to placing the search for a solution to the question on the only valid course, that leading to the realization of the sovereign equality of peoples in the Middle East. 171. The participants in the third United Nations Semi- nar on the Question of Palestine, held at Colombo from 10. to 14 August, noted that a persistent characteristic of Israel's policy was its resolve to eliminate almost all man- ifestations of Palestine national existence. They expressed the opinion that in occupied Palestine the negation of human rights was only one aspect of a broader negation, that is, the very negation of the Palestinian nation. In our view, this justifies emergency action by the Security Council to guarantee that the rights of the Palestinian peo- ple will not become simply a subject of academic discus- sion, an hypothesis accepted or tolerated by no one. We must immediately do all in our power to eliminate such a possibility. 172. I cannot conclude without reiterating the un- equivocal support of the Government and people of Madagascar for the Palestinian cause. We are proud and pleased to maintain with the PLO, the representative of the Palestinian people, consistent relations of confidence, both on the bilateral level and on the level of international and regional organizations concerned with the Palestine ques- tion. 173. My delegation would also like to associate itself with all those delegatipns that have preceded us in paying a well-deserved tribute to Mr. Sarre of Senegal, Chairman of the Committee, for his constant efforts to defend and promote the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. NarES 2 The delegations of Iran and Zimbabwe subsequently informed the Secretariat that they had intended to vote in favour of the draft resolu- tion. 4 lLnited Nations. Treaty Series. vol. 75, No. 973, p. 287. 5 EXPoundeif in a radio interview broadcast by Riyadh Domestic Service on 7 August 1981. For a transcription of the interview, see For- eign Broadcast Information Service, Daily Report, FBIS-MEA-153, of IQ August 1981, vol. V, No. 153, p. C 3.