A/39/PV.75 General Assembly

The international community calls on us today to continue our steadfast and serious search for a settlement of the conflict in the Middle East and to set our sights on a future free from all fanaticism and hegemony. We must cease to enumerate past events from this rostrum and seize the opportunities of moving towards peace. 2. The causes at the heart of the Middle East problem are well known to the international commu- nity. There is no need to revert to controversy over well-established facts. Let us rather examine the chances of peace which have eluded us year after year, and realize that our negligence has cost the peoples of the Middle East dearly. It has frustrated their hopes and aspirations and transformed the region from a land of convergence, an area of confluence, into an arena of violence which has forced its peoples to flee. 3. The international community is unanimous to- day in recognizing that this conflict must be settled by peaceful means, that the peace that is sought must be based on justice and that we should look towards the future. 4. Springi~g froD;! this international will and fully aware of Its natlo.l1al responsibilities, Egypt put forward its historic initiative, which its Minister for Foreign Affairs described as follows in his statement before the General Assembly on 28 September 1984: "Egypt . . . was prompted to launch its historic peace initiative in the hope that a just and honourable peace encompassing the whole region might be achieved, a peace that would usher in a new era of coexistence in accordance with the principles embodied in the Charter of the United Nations, the framework for civilized relations between States and people" [12th meeting, para. 105]. 5. The events which buffeted the Middle East region in 1982 and 1983, both in Lebanon and in the occupied Arab territories, are excellent proof, if proof is needed, that stark force, whatever level it may reach in wantonness and ferociousness, in destruc- tion and massacres, is unable to quell the will for life and the national spirit, nor can it stifle the aspira- tions of the Palestinian people for their own State NEW YORK and their attachment to their land, Palestine. Wheth- er they live in exile, in the lands of imposed diaspora, ~r in the occupied territories of the West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza, the Palestinian people are prompted by undying nationalist motivations; they want to return to their homeland and to recover their legitimate rights. 6. The occupied Arab territories are the scene every day of inexcusable developments which block the path towards the achievement of peace based on justice and obstruct the serious efforts made towards reconciliation and coexistence. This is manifested in the perpetuation of military occupation as a system ofgovernment and by the multiplication ofeconomic and population measures aimed at establishing settle- ments and installing new settlers. 7. The tragic events in Lebanon have unmasked not only the failure of a policy based on militaristic conceptions but have confirmed by bloody experi- ence that the solution of the Middle East problem does not lie in military action but must be based rather on a peaceful political solution, founded on justice, the principles of the Charter and resolutions of the United Nations, and the will of the interna- tional community, which can no longer ignore the fact that the Palestinian problem is the core of the Arab-Israeli conflict. 8. Lebanon, in spite of war, violence and occupa- tion, continues to regroup its energies and to unify its ranks, in realization that a unified Lebanon will be a stronger and more lasting Lebanon. Everyone today must respect the will of the Lebanese people and their legitimate authorities that the defiling of their territory must cease and they must be given the chance to achieve reconciliation and to start the 'l"A.t"""..."t..n"'..; .....1t'tI rt.~ tho~ "'.f"'\1I'fttr1.1 C!.i"'\ that' OhQ"ftn", """0" I. ~"'V"I."I.I.u,",,,.av..1. V.I. '"&.I."' ",vu••".3' ..:JV " ...y.," .a...AI'..,.....&v••••&"".1 once again contribute. as it has throughout history, towards the prosperity of the region which will once again. become an oasis of security, liberty and learnmg. 9. Egypt follows closely the role Cl the United Nations, which is one of the manifestations of the international will in providing assistance to Lebanon with a view to bringing about the withdrawal of the Israeli occupying forces. We support the role played by the Secretary-General. We support the people and Government of Lebanon in their steadfast efforts to attain their just and legitimate objectives. 10. The success of the international and regional efforts made within the framework of the United Nations, guided by its Charter and pertinent resolu- tions, depends on the will of all the parties con- cerned, international and regional, to accept the challenge of peace, fully aware of the disastrous nature of any alternative and the critical time element. [P~l?]; theIr absol~te rIght freely to c~oose .the with an opportunity to learn the positions of those poht~cal syste~ which they. deem apP~oprIate, wlth- parties and also emphasized the international com- ou~ mterventlon or. coer~lOn; the. rI&ht. of. all to mitment to overcome the obstacles in order to revive e~ls~en~e and securIty without dlscrImmatlOn or the dialogue and negotiations, in accordance with the dlstmctlOn. Charter of the United Nations and its resolutions. 12..Egyp~, full~ aware ~f .the true. nature of the 20. The Secretary-General explains how the Arab- relatl~nshl~s which prevaIl In thC? Mld4le East and Israeli conflict has continued for 37 years, how a the dlII!enslons of the Arab-Isr~ehconf}lct and ~f!er vicious circle of destructive wars has accompanied eyaluatmg care~ully ~he pre~ent .mte~atlonal~qU1hb- peace etTorts, which stem from a consciousness of the flum and the historIcal, perI~d II?- which .we hv~,. ~as danger of continued deadlock, and how all of this r~spo~ded t~ all cons~ructlve. mte~~~I0J?al Im~la- affects the future of the region. We share the view of tlves, I~cludm& the Umted NatIons mItlatlve c~lhng the Secretary-General, expressed in his report, that it for an mternatlOnal peace conference on the Middle is necessary to attain a comprehensive peaceful East. settlement that meets the following conditions: the 13. Egypt has responded to and supports this withdrawal of Israeli forces from occupied territories; invitation. The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Egypt respect for and acknowledgement of the sovereignty, stated in his address before the General Assembly, territorial integrity and political independence of "We wonder why such a call should be rejected or every State in the region and their right to live in ignored. All of us should reflect deeply on the peace within secure and recognized boundaries, free implications of the positive response by the PLO in from the threat or use of force; and, finally, a just accepting this initiative." [Ibid., para. 116.] This settlement of the Palestinian problem based on position, as described by the Foreign Minister of recognition of the legitimate rights of the, Palestinian Egypt in the General Assembly, "constitutes a great people, including its right to self-determination. In step forward towards peace." this context, the question of Jerusalem also remains 14. Egypt has clearly explained its position concern- of primary importance. ing the proposal to hold this international conference 21. We fully accept the framework put forward by and this position is reflected in the Secretary-Gener- the Secretary-General for we see in it a practical aI's report [A/39//30 and Add.I]. approach to reaching a comprehensive peaceful set- 15. We believe that the methods applied by the tlement. United Nations must be borne in mind. In the final 22. We also applaud the constructive ideas put analysis, they provide every chance for the major forward by the Secretary-General to give effect to the Powers to fulfil their collective responsibility for the international consensus on the necessity of finding a maintenance of international peace and security, as peaceful settlement through negotiations, with the defined in the Charter of the United Nations, and participation of all the parties concerned within the give the regional parties, on an equal footing, the framework of the Security Council as the negotiating chance to respond to the appeals and challenges of organ. peac.e.in the Middle East. This is the key !o peace a~d 23. There is no doubt that we are in favour of the stabIhty, so that the human. and materIal potentIal various elements or conditions of the settlement m~v hp. clp.vntp.cI tn thp. ~thunnlpnt nf nrnorp~~ ~nrl G 1 A h . ----J _... _... _...- .- ..... _••_••••••_••• -': l'--C--~~ ---- proposed by the Secretary- enera. t t e same time, prosperIty for .the peoples of the r~gl~n.. .,. and as recommended by the Secretary-qeI?-eral, we 16. Egypt beheves that Arab securIty .IS !nd!v!s!ble, should incorporate the common characterIstics of the Arab right is indivisible, Arab peace IS IndiVISible. various initiatives and proposals submitted in previ- On that premise, Egypt remains d~te~ined to ous years. pur~ue a path towards a compr~henslve, Just a~d 24. The Secretary-General has summed up the lastll~g peace settlement of the ~Id:dle East ~onfllct situation in the Middle East in a succinct and and Its core problem, the PalestmIan questIon. effective manner. We hope that all will understand its 17. An in-depth reading of the Sec~etary-gen.eral's long-term effects. He states, inter alia, that: report [A/39/~OO] reve~ls the care wlt~ which It has "The history of the Arab-Israeli conflict in the been ~raft~d; It. sheds h~t on the van~us aspects of Middle East and -of the Palestinian question has th~. situation m the Middle East, mcludmg !he thus been a long record of missed opportunities milItary develop~ent~ as. regards the 'peace-~eep~ng punctuated by wars and violence that have only operatlon~, ~he sltua~lOn !n the o~cuple~.ternton~s, served to complicate the situation further and to the Pal~stl~lan questl(~n, m both Its pohtlcal and Its create new misery and new obstacles to·' peace. humamtanan dimenSions, and the search for a . peaceful settlement of the conflict. "It seems clear to me that none of the parties to 18. Among the most important aspects of the ~his his~oric and tragic c~nflict c~n hope to obtain Secretary-General's report is the serious and precise Its maXImt;tm demaJ?ds !! th~re IS to be a state of manner in which he puts forward a political, proce- real peace m the regIon. [Ibid., paras. 42 a~d 43.] dural and organizational framework for breaking th.e The Secretary:Ge~eralgoes.on to say: "In the hght of deadlock and paving the way for senous and practI- the deep tensIOn In t~e Mld~le ~ast and t.he emer.. cal dialogue between the parties concerned, tbro~gh gence of n~w.factors In the sltuat!On, no~hIng c<?utd the Security Council, as the appropriate negotiatmg be less reahstIc than to expect the mdefimte contInU- cons(1~idation and expansion of their zones of influ- American imperialists try at the same time to give ence has made the situation more turbulent and has the impression of an intervention undertaken in turned the Middle East into a permanent hotbed of common by the West. tension. The super-Powers cannot hide their wicked 34. On the other hand, the Soviet social-imperial- envy by publicly proclaiming this region as "a zone ists are doing their utmost to exploit the situation of their vital interests", for whose defence they do created in the region to achieve their own aims, to not hesitate to resort to threats, including the use of gain ~round and to torpedo to the maximum the force. By treating the entire region, which includes American initiatives. Under these circumstances, various slJvereign countries and peoples, as their own they proposed the convening of an international preserve, the super-Powers are overtly and arrogantly conference that would allegedly solve the crisis in the showing their aggressive nature. Middle East [see A/39/368]. But it is quite clear that 30. It has now become standard behaviour for them the Soviet proposal has nothing new, either in form to take the position that only the super-Powers can or in content. Its principal aim is to consolidate the expe~lence has proved. that whenever: Its mterests support ofthe just cause ofthe fraternal Arab peoples requ1f~, the Soviet UnIon has not he~ltate? to stab is to be found in the following extract from Reflec- them m the back. The ~o-c~lled S~vlet aid to the tions on the Middle East. 2 a book written by the Arab people~ a~d ~ountnes IS noth~ng bu;t a means leader of the Albanian people, Comrade Enver for accomphshmg Its enslavement mtentlOns. Hoxha, and published recently: 35. The continuation of the fratricidal war between "We have defended and will continue to defend Iran and Iraq for more than four years now has the just anti-imperialist cause of the Arab peoples, aggravated the situation in the region..It !S t~e super- who have seen, are seeing and will see that small Powers that, to promote their expansIOnIst mterests, socialist Albania is not afraid of the imperialists instigated and provoked this war-which i~ causing and revisionists and that it wiii always be a sincere heavy losstes to the peoples of both countnes-and and loyal friend of the Arab countries, in good now try to keep it alive. times or bad." 36. All this hostile activity against the Arab peoples 41. Mr. ALATAS (Indonesia): While unresolved has created numerous difficulties and caused great tensions and crises are rampant in various regions of suffering, in particular for the Palestinian people. our world today, nowhere but in the Middle East has Nobody can be indifferent to the brutal genocide protracted conflict carried with it such a palpable being practised against them, which is often charac- threat to international peace and security. terized by the physical liquidation of people en 42. The Arab-Israeli conflict has remained unre- mass,e. N~ matter how I?any years. pass, Sabra and solved for almost 40 years now. The search for Shattla Will always re!D~m ~m IJ.ld~hble black blot of durable peace in that volatile region has become wa~tonness on Isr~e.h ZIOnIsm m ItS bloody crusade locked into a most depressing pattern-moving from agaInst the PalestinIan people. one crisis to the next, from war to frenzied peace 37. The massacred-old men or women, adults or initiative, to war and back again-without ever children-the mountains of victims, are and will budging significantly from the impasse that has remain a vivid accusation of the Israeli Zionists. persisted, or has been allowed to persist, over this Nothing can justify the deportation ofthe Palestinian problem. In the meantime, far from yielding new people from their homeland where for thousands of opportunities towards a solution, continued delay years generations of them have been living. History has brought added complications and even more has hardly known any other such practice of geno- dangerous dimensions to the conflict. cide. !'levertheless, such things. do not attract. the 43. The United Nations, which since its inception attentIOn at all of those who claim to be champIOns has btien seized of this problem in all its multifarious of the defence of human rights. aspects, cannot, however, be held accountable for 38. The Palestinian people have become a target of this stalemate. 9ver the y~ars, the General Assembly the imperialist-Zionist policy because the struggle of and th.e Secunty C~)l~nctl ~ave adopted scores of that people is one of the main obstacles preventing resolutions anq ,deCISions In eff0t1s to create the them from accomplishing their plans. The eftemies of !lecessary c~ndltlons for and t~ pomt the way to a the Palestinian people would like them to lay down Just and lastmg peace m the regIOn. But they have all • • • 1.. • ...I 1..... 1... ft"'~t u,,;th T~..a41'C! h ...o.,o," : ........,f:JI .... o.nnul',.I"II'O nnA ....++0.- tnclf arms, give up tlleif anneu stru.~e anu SUuject ••~"'.. -...... ..:II~"""& LJ V~(,I£."".. 1•• ".ul.~.6""~."'."'. QIIU U&.I.'"1 themselves to the tragic fate dictated by the super- ~Isregard of mternatlOnal norms of CIVIlIzed behav- Powers and zionism. They have always attempted to lour. sow discord within the Palestinian liberation move- 44. Encouraged by the almost unquestioning sup- ment and create aJ;ltagonism between it and various port extended to it by its powerful friends and Arab countries. But the brave and heroic Arab protectors, Israel has habitually flouted the cardinal peoples which have been fighting for centuries will principles and rulings of the United Nations. As never abandon their struggle until they win their events during the past year have again shown, Israel legitimate rights. They know how to avoid falling persists in its efforts to impose on the region by force into the traps and the misleading and disruptive plots of arms its own aggressive and expansionist designs, ofthe super-Powers, the United States and the Soviet in arrogant defiance of world censure. Union, a.s well ~s those ofIsrael. The.strengthening.of 45. Two and a halfyears after the brutal invasion of the genume UnIty aml?ng themselves m order to resl~t Lebanon, Israeli troops are still occupying parts of and ~verc~m~ the UnIted ~orces ~f I~rael, ~ht: Amen- Lebanese territory. Indeed, their prolonged illegal can IJ!1perlah~ts, the. SOVlt:t soclal-111.lpeflahst~ ~md presence in southern Lebanon all but confirms the those In reactionary Circles IS a necessl~Y.m their Just view that Israel's ultimate intent has all along b~en struggle. Only .resolute, un~omp~omls1Dg struggle the de facto partition of that country. In the light of b~sed on genume Arab UnIty wdl lead them to those facts, the stated readiness of the Tel Aviv ViCtOry. regime to negotiate the withdrawal of its occupation 39~ The Albanian people and its Governrnent, as forces under the aegis of the United Nations cannot always, strongly condemn the criminal actions of the be accepted at its face value. My delegation for one Israeli Zionists against the Palestinian and other can be persuaded of Israel's good faith in this matt~r Arab peoples. They condemn their brutal ge.nocide only if and when it complies with Security Council 'that knows no bounds, their occupation of sQuthern and General Assembly demands. .' Que~tjon of Palestine, held at Geneva from 29 August to 7 September 1983, unanimously agreed to call for the convening of an international peace conference on the Middle East, a call subsequently endorsed by the General Assembly in resolution 38/58 C. 53. Indonesia's support for the proposed conference was premised on the conviction that such a confer- ence would indeed serve as a viable and effective negotiating framework within which the various interrelated aspects of the Arab-Israeli conflict, as well as the multiplicity of contending interests inher- ent in them, could equitably and comprehensively be addressed. it would furthermore provide a forum in which all the parties concerned would participate on an equal footiIig, including the PLO. 54. Resolution 38/58 C also requested the Secre- tary-General to undertake consultations and to seek the views ofthe members of the Security Council and of Governments directly interested in the Arab-Is- raeli conflict on the holding of the conference. The Secretary-Gener&l has reported to us the results ofhis efforts [see A/39/130 and Add.}]. Although a large majority of those consulted fully endorsed the con- vening of the peace conference, with some advancing significant proposals on various aspects, certain Governments responded negatively. My delegation, therefore, deeply regrets that on the basis of those responses the Secretary-General in his subsequent report has had to conclude that: "the conditions required for convening the proposed conference with any chance of success are not met at the present time" [A/39/600, para. 40]. 55. While Indonesia is under no illusion that the objective of a peace conference could be easily realized, we remain convinced that it is only through patient diplomacy and serious negotiations that a peaceful and lastmg settlement to the Middle East problem can be attained. There is also no question but that any progress and success on this score will essentially depend on the political will and the 0 ..................... n.~ ""'4 ....... ".;"'.. D ...........A ..L'lI ....G ;,..••I"...I., ......0 ••t ....... "'UI'II'I&1o va. 1.1.1.,., &J..&Q.JVI. .& "'"'-'&il3, YUI. \tIUI.Q.&J.l ,,&.&... ,,"U super-Powers. Hence, we fully agree with the Secre- tary-General that the United Nations should make another determined effort to find the means by which we can move forward to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East. We in Indonesia believe, as he does, that given the urgent need to break the present deadlock, it should still be possible to devise, within the overall framework of the international peace conference, a negotiating process or structure accept- able to all the parties concerned, for the alternatIve can only be an inexorable slide towards yet another, even more destructive, cycle of violence and war, with disastrous consequences not only for the region but for the world as a whole. 56. Mr. TSVETKOV (Bulgaria) (interpretat;onfrom French): For many long years, the situation in the Middle East has been the centre of world attention. During all of those years, the United Nations has adopted a large number of resolutions and decisions for the purpose of achieving a just and peaceful solution to tl.te conflict, but they have. yet to be applied and the situation remains extremely tense and explosive. The crisis is perpetuating itself and 76. The present explosive situation in the Middle East is a direct consequence of a ilistoric injustice, when an alien people was virtually imposed upon'the Arab world throu~h the creation of Israel. This newly created State, whIch received huge economic,.politi- cal and military aid from its allies and friends, adopted from the outset an aggressive and,.'hostile policy against its Arab neighbours. In violation of all the canons of international law and of the Charter of the United Nations, Israel-pleading so-called self- defence--carried out a series of acts of aggression and occq,ied huge Arab territories. Despite repeated calls by the General Assembly and the Security Council, Israel has refused to vacate the occupied Arab and Palestinian territories. All the efforts of the United Nations to bring justice to the suffering Palestinian and Arab people have been arrogantly and deliberately rejected by Israel, which has openly flouted the v61ce of the international community. 77. In the face of the groFil. universal consensus in favour of the Arab and ralestinian cause, Israel has of late further intensified its policy of aggression, illegal settlements and annexation. The Israeli at~ tempts to annex and change the status of the Holy City ofJerusalem and the Syrian Golan Heights have been unequivocally condemned by the international community and declared null and void. Then, in 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon and, despite resolu- tions and (jecisions of the General Assembly and the Security Council, has continued to occupy a major part of that country. ~!~~~~r~Li,~ t~~~..s~~~fL' f~!..t.~!.~~s!~~~i~~ ~~!~~_i~ ing t~ the dtimands ofthe problems that were being IIli1UemUJle ngm I.U :seu-uel.t.:rmmi1uun unuer me considered. It is this kind offramework or auspices leadership of the PLO, their sole and legitimate that I believe could most usefully serve the needs representative. We condemn the continued Israeli of all the parties to the Middle East conflict." occupafon of Arab and Palestinian territories and [lb'd 47 ] h bl' h f I . h . I ., para. . t e estr. IS ment 0 sett ements ID t e occupIed lands. We are convinced that the situation de- We are greatly appreciative ofthe persistent efforts of mands a comprehensive settlement of th~ problem the Secretary-General, who is seeking a way to get the which must be based on total and unconditional peace process moving. withdrawal of Israeli forces from all Palestinian 84. On the eve of the fortieth anniversary of the and Arab territories and thl'J restoration of the United Nations, a renewed international effort inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. We are should be undertaken to start the peace process in the also convinced that the participation of the PLO, region. The Arab peace plan, which was adopted on 9 on an equal footing with all other parties, in the September 1982 at the Twelfth Arab Summit Confer- peace process is indispensable. It is in this context ence, held at I Fez,4 and which my delegation fully that we extended our full support to the Arab peace supports as a sound basis for the restoration of peace plan as a sound basis for establishing peace in the in the Middle East, and other plans which have been region. We commend the Secretary-General for his submitted from various quarters are already before sincere endeavours and for his untiring efforts to zhe international community. Let us then take a restore peace in the region." [15th meeting, para. decisive course of action here at this session,' to 129.] 'initia~e the peace process. The purposes and princi- pe~ce. m the MI~dIe l?as! on the basIs of the sacred led to the adoption of General Assembly resolution pr10clples enshr10ed m ItS Charter. 181 (11) of 29 November 1947 and which were 85. Mr. BOUZIRI (Tunisia) (interpretation from tDuched upon in the memoirs of former United French): It has become ( "Istomary, after each Israeli States President Harry Truman, is at the root of the act of aggression agajT~t Arab States, for peace explosive situation in the Middle East and notably of initiatives to be put forward in an attempt to resolve the grave injustice committed against the Palestinian the Arab-Israeli conflict. It has also become custom- people. ary for Israel, after each of its misdeeds, to adopt an 93 It is not our intention to reassess the historical !ntransi~ent position, consisting in.a challeng~ to the background of both the Israeli-Palestinian and the 1Oternatlon~1rule of la~ and a.deOlal of the nghts of Arab-Israeli problem but only to indicate that the others. This observatIOn, which unfortunately has policy of fait accompli which underlies the Zionist been pr~ved cor~ect repeatedly by the adventU!lSm of ideology was unfortunately tried out successfully as successwe Israeh leaders, was shown to be valId once soon as it was announced that Israel was going to be again following the Israeli aggression in Lebanon. created. 86. For the first time in the histof¥ of the co~flict, 94. Israeli expansionism consists of a series offaits four pea,ce plans emerg~d and gavepse to hope m ~n accomplis, the latest of which is the invasion of 1OternatIOnal commuOlty. sorely tne~ by the persls- Lebanon. Virtually any pretext can be adduced so !ence o~ a hotbed of tensIOn t~at senously threatel'!s long as the objective remains clear-that is the mternatlOnal peace and s~c1;1r.lty: As soon as their deplorable attitude adopted by the Israeli leaders ~uthors announ.ced these Imtt~ttve~, t~ey were re- when they face the Arab-Israeli problem. Jected by Israeh leaders very ~Ittle m~I1Oed to take 95. The settlements policy promoted by the leaders a9count of the concerns of the mternatIonal commu- of Israel is of the greatest concern to us. If the Olty. Governments that have succeeded each other since 87. More than two years after the invasion of 1967 have encouraged and promoted settlements in Lebanon, these various peace initiatives remain the occupied territories, the Begin Government, in pious wishes, despite the protracted involvement of particular, did not fail to make use of Talmudic the occupation forces and the vicissitudes that led to arguments to affirm that the West Bank belongs to the departure of Mr. Begin and the postponement of what it calls the "Land of Israel". The objective was Israeli designs in Lebanon. to have 100,000 settlers in the West Bank as rapidly 88. Tunisia which is dedicated to the rule of as possible. That figure, in its view, would be a international' law and the role that the United "critical mass" which would not allow any subse- Nations is destined to play in this conflict, deeply quent Israeli G<?vernm~nt ~o agree to a withdrawal regrets the failure that we see today as a result of the from the occupied terntOrIes. inflexible attitude of the Israeli leaders. 96. This plan to Judaize the occupied territories, or 89. Israel stubbornly rejects the idea of the estab- at least engulf.the Palestinian populat~on by p.ol~ti- lishment"of a Palestinian State, despite the interna- cally, ~conomlcally and ~ven numencally stlflmg tional consensus. Israel is making ever more clear its Arab.vtllages and towns, IS based on arguments. of intention to annex the occupied territories by force of sec1;1nty, the myth of an alleged A~ab d~nger lurk!ng arms. Israel continues to expropriate and confiscate agamst Israel and many oth~r.conslderatlOns runOlng Palestinian and Arab lands and to arrest and expel cou.nter to t~e letter and spmt of the Charter of the Palestinians. Israel is feverishly establishing settle- UOlted NatIOns. ments in the occupied territories with the aim of 97. Israeli leaders emphasize the fundamental stra- crushing Arab towns and villages and forcing their tegic role of the settlements. In January 1977, inhabitants to leave. In the name of a dubious Yitzhak Rabin, then Prime Minister of Israel, stated concept of security, Israel bombs the Iraqi nucleai that the settiements strengthened the security of reactor, transforms southern Lebanon into a forward Israel and provided a solid foundation for its argu- observation post and ti~htens its grip on the West ment demanding peace with defensible borders. Bank and the Gaza StrIp. Worse still, Israel keeps Yigal Allon was of the view that the settlements were alive a doubt as to its true borders in the hope of set up in strategically important areas along the realizing what it terms "Eretz Yisrael". existing borders and in. the proximity of areas that 90. In the more than 35 years since the establish- could become borders m the future. ment of Israel, the internatIOnal community has had 98. The process that Israeli leaders view as irrevers- ample time to observe that that country is a danger to ible was accelerated in the wake of the invasion of peace and that the description "peace-loving State" Lebanon and of the peace proposals put forward by conferred upon it in General Assembly resolution President Reagan on 1 September 1982.1 At present 273 (Ill), of 11 May 1949, was all the more unjustifi- we are seeing the acceleration of Judaization of the able in that, between 29 November 1947 and 11 May Holy City of AI-Quds and of AI..Khalil and other 1949, Israeli troops, despite the efforts of the United Palestinian towns, pursuant to a plan which is no Nations, had already seized territories in the area doubt intended gradually to remove the Palestinian allocated to the Arabs of Palestine. inhabitants and put Jewish families in their place. 91. Count Bernadotte rightly stated that "The 99. The establishment of Jewish militias which sow United Nations has neglected the vital duty of terror among the Palestinian inhabitants is obYiously applying to this State LIsrael] the regime of an favourable to this policy of gradually absorbing the international mandate to determine the functional Arab occupied territories. am~I~lo~ to brIng abo~t what It terms the ~e- 127. Palestinians and Arabs, meeting at Fez in eqUlhb,num of the r~glOn fro~ a deI!J.0graphlc, September 1982 at the Twelfth Arab Summit Confer- strat~glc and economiC standpOInt, which wo~ld ence, unanimously adopted a peace plan4 based on reqUIre control over the water r~so,!,rces of the regIOn two clearly defined principles: first, the withdrawal of from Beersheba to Upper Gahlee . Israel from all occupied Arab territories, including 118. The appropriation of water resources in the AI-Quds, and recognition of the imprescriptible region has led to disputes with neighbouring Arab r~ghts of th~ Palestinians to return, to self-determina- countries since the creation of Israel. Today, again, hon and to the establishment of their independent the quest by Israel for new sources of water poses a State; and secondly, r~cognition of the rights of all grave threat to Jordan and Lebanon, whose rivers are States of the region to peace under the guarantee of sought by Israel. the Security Council. 119. Perhaps here we should recall that at the Paris 128. The Fez plan is based on the rule of intema- Conference of 1919 the leaders of the World Zionist tionallaw; it emanates from a realistic assessment of Organization called for the establishment of a Jewish the Middle East situation reflecting the various peace National Home incorporating the rivers of southern initiatives put forward. Its merit arises also from the Lebanon and both banks of the Jordan. fact that it presents specific and concrete modalities 120. The policy followed by Israel since its creation, for implementation. , . both vis-a-vis the Palestinian people and vis-a.-vis the 1~9. Israel, as usual, rejected thiS plan. It also countries of the Middle East, has continuously rejected .the Reagan plan of 1 September 19821 as increased tension in a region that has seen the birth soon as It was announced. The same tate befell the and development of three religions that appeal to the Brezhnev plap., put forward on 15 September 1982,9 minds and hearts of m~m, to the brotherhood of man and th~ French-~gyptianplan, e~bodied in. a draft and love for one's neighbour. resolution submitted to the Secunty CouncIl on 28 121. By its obstinacy and intransigence, Israel has July 1982. 10 .' • • brought about the failure of every attempt at a 130. Israel se,ems to belIeve only In the virtue of solution over the last 36 years and has blocked separate plans I.mposed by force, which, unfortunate- implementation of resolutions adopted by the Securi- ly, ~ave contrIbuted.only to ~nhancement of the ty Council and the General Assembly. In so doing it tensIOns and doubts In the regIOn. hoped to reach a point of no return in the implemen- 131. The Israelis know today how much they have tation of its plans tor colonization, Judaization and been misled. The financial, economic, political and expansionism. But it has pretended to ignore the spiritual crisis resulting from this lunge forward by danger that i~ is bringing to the region, to the their governments tells a great deal about the failure situation in the Mediterranean and to international of the political line chosen by Israel. Therein lie the peace. true problems facing the Middle East, problems 122. Of course, Israel has always lived in fear that ~hic.h the Israeli representative failed t~ touch upon peace might break out. The military potential it has 111 hiS statement yesterday [72nd meetmg]. available has so far enabled it to win the battles; but 132. The perfidious, laughable and pointless diver- does it hope to carry away nothing but victories? sion which he touched on yesterday could not 123. What will Israel do 10. 20 or 30 vears from ~is~~ise..t~~ ~~al!!y ?f wh.ich .his co~ntry is t~e. cau~e now when the Arab countries will exceed 200 million III me MlOOle ~a~t" a tragic. reality ~onslstIng In inhabitants and will have developed their scientific mass~cres of PalestinIans, .demal of tbelr fundam~n- and technological bases? What will Israel do then? tal rIghts and plots a~all~st the ~r~b countrl.es, Will it always be resolved to confront its neighbours threatened by an ~xl?anSlOnI.st, ~olol~.lahst,aggresslye on the field of battle? Will it still refuse to recognize Israel, whose prIncipal. obJect~ve IS to extend Its the right ofthe Palestinians to self-determination and supremacy over the entIre region. to live in peace? Is it forgetting that without the aid 133. In addressing a new appeal to the international of its powerful allies it would have lost the war of community to redouble its efforts to bring about a 1973, a war that destroyed the myth of invincibility just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East, that it had used as its shield? Tunisia wishes to pay tribute to the tireless efforts of 124. Israel's allies, to our way of thinking, should the.Secretary-General for the c~nvening ~f an inter- have a broader view of the re~ion's future and natIOnal conference on peace In the Middle East. abandon their support of what IS increasingly an 134. If we ~ll.agree to make efforts in good faith to unjust cause which condemns millions of Palestin- ensure that It IS convened, that conference, we are ians to wander homeless and constantly threatens the c~nfident, will put an end to the vicious circle of territorial integrity of neighbouring countries. And vlole~ce that c~ntinues to beset that region and will what will Israel do when its powerful allies decide contrIbute to the speedy resumption of the process strictly to respect international law, the resolutions of towards peace based on law and justice. the United Nations and the promptings of equity, 135. Mr. ALIAS (Malaysia): The situation in the a~ession, based on might, forced deportation and military occupation. 168. Faced with such a situation, the General Assembly should shoulder its responsibility to re- t Soivtaelblyehda•.vsriOegaUrr'dIt.'nigs ctlheearcthhaatrttehrisoa~trheessUj,vne •.et'endt1tNYais_. attacks on the liberty of other peoples that have f t chosen their own system and their own religious """"""""" """"""" ' ' ' L the peoples in the region, including the Palestinian people. Fourthly, Japan is of the view that the PLO represents the Palestinian people. Thus, Japan be- lieves that, in order to advance the cause of peace in the Middle East, it is essential that Israel and the PlO r""...noni7*" *,,!ll...h nth.,...'., ...."..,iti",,. ",......1 ~...... • ...~ - __ ._--ca••_- ..,..,.,•• " ~ f'Vgla"lu•• ualU IQ" I.ln; PLO participate in the peace process. 210. I should like to stress my Government's long- standing appeal to all parties, including Israel and the PLO, to resolve their problems through negotiations and not to resort to the use of force, in order to bring about a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the region. To this end, it is necessary that both the Israeli and the Palestinian peoples make sincere efforts to dispel mutual distrust and foster a genuine will to coexist in peace. 211. In this context, Japan regards Israel's policy of establishing settlements in the occupied territories as a major obstacle to peace efforts. Nor can it condone Israel's measures to change unilaterally the status of the occupied Arab territories, such as its annexation of East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. 212. At the same time, Japan strongly appeals to Israel, as the occupying authority, to make special efforts to protect the human rights of the Palestinian inhabitants in accordance with the Geneva Conven- a~ressive, expansionist policy of those in the ruling CIrcles of Israel, which is carried out with the support and participation of imperialist countries. In spite of the many decisions of the Security Council and the General Assembly, Israel continues to occupy the Arab lands which it seized in 1967 and is taking further steps to colonize and annex them. The inalienable rights of the suffering Arab people of Palestine continue to be violated. These people are living in conditions of Israeli occupation and some are forced to leave their homeland. The Palestinian and other Arab peoples in the occupied territories are enduring mass terror and violence, while a policy of changing the demographic nature and economic structure of the seized Arab lands is being pursued. 232. Responsibility for the deterioration of the situation in the Middle E-ast and the lack of any settlement of the Middle East conflict is fully shared by the United States, the senior partner of Israel in "strategic co-operation". In their efforts to promote their strategic interests, these "partners" have adopt- ed a policy of imposing separate anti-Arab deals, dividing up the Arab countries and strengthening the American military presence in the region under the pretext of so-called vital interests. That policy is designed to achieve for them domination over the region and to suppress Arab national and patriotic forces. 233. However, the events of the past year have shown quite cle~r1y the unprofitable nature of the policy of force and military adventurism in the Middle East. 234. The gamble on a show of military force and armed intervention in the affairs of Lebanon did not come off. The armies of the United States and their allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization had to leave Lebanese territory hastily and they had to i~n people to s~lf-determination, i~c~uding the estab- leading to a just and lasting peace in this troubled hshment <?~an md~pe~dent Palest~n~an State, as w~ll area of the world, !1 peace that will fully meet the as r~cogmtlon of Its r!ght to partlclp!1te thr0':lg~ Its hopes. and expectatIons of the peoples of the region legItImate representatIve, the PLO, m negotIatIOns and, mdeed, the peoples of the entire world. on peace in the Middle East. At the same time, we 257 R .. . . believ~ that one pre-condition of any solution that . o~anIa IS determmed.to ~ontmue to do will fully meet the legitimate interests and aspirations whateyer It can to ~ake ItS contnbutIon to the search of States and peoples of the Middle East is the for a J.ust and lastmg settlem~nt of the pr~blems of guaranteeing of the right of every State in the region !he Mldd~e East, to the estabhshm~ntof ~ Just p~ace to free and sovereign existence, independence and m the regIOn a~d to the strengthe!lmg of mternatlOn- territorial integrity, which would make possible rela- at peace, secunty and co-operatIOn. tions of co-operation, trust and mutual respect 258. Mr. CABALLERO (Cuba) (interpretation from among all States and peoples of the region. Spanish): The subject ofthe Middle East continues to . . . claim a position of priority on the agenda of the 251. LIke other countnes, ~omanIa has ~<?nstantly General Assembly. advocated and promoted mcreased pohtIcal and ., . diplomatic efforts to find solutions to all the complex 259. :rhe constructIve POSltIO~ taken b~ the. ~r!1b problems of the area and to achieve a comprehensive c~untr!es and the rL9 con.cemmg the yanous mlha- settlement and a just and lasting peace. As early as tlves aImed.at ~chlevm& a Just and last!ng settlement 1978 President Nicolae Ceau~escu put forward the of t~e conflIct m the MIddle Ea~t contI!lues to ~tand idea of convening an international conference on out m contra~t to the arrogant, mtranslgent attItude peace in the Middle East, within the framework and of the Tel AVIV leaders. In clear defiance of the ma~y with the active participation of the United Nations resolut.lOns of the Ge.neral Assembly a~d the Sec:mty and with the participation of all interested parties, Councl.!, I.srael contmues to pursue ItS well-known including the PLO, the sole legitimate representative expansIOnIst plans and to make Itself a~ ever gre~ter of the Palestinian people, the Soviet Union and the source of dange~ to peace and secunty m the regIOn United States, as well as other countries which could and, therefore, m the world as a whole. make ~ positive contribution to the settlement vf the 260. in this context, a few days ago the Special complIcated problems of that part of the world. Political Committee completed consideration of the 252. This idea has been included in General Assem- report ofthe Sp~cial Committee t~ Investigate Israeli bly resolutions, is supported by an ever-increasing ~ractlces Affectmg ~he Hu~an ~lgh~S of t~e P~pula- number of States and, finally, is endorsed in resolu- tIon of the 9ccupled Ter~ltones, m whIch It was tion 38/58 C, of 13 December 1983, of which the sta~ed uneqUIvocally t~at m. the past year t~e "-reI Romanian detegation was a sponsor. Romania be- ~VIV Go,,:ernment had .I~tensl~edm those te~ntones lieves that this initiative remains relevant and that ItS practIces a.n~ pohcles aImed at cr~atmg the increased efforts by all States and hy the internation- necessary condItIOns for t~e final annexat.lOn of the al community are needed to ensure that such a We.st Bank, the Gaza Stnp and the Synan Golan conference is convened as soon as possible. HeIghts. , . 261. At the same time, following the brutal inva- 253. W~ sh~re the vIew expressed by the Secretary- sion and the crimes committed by the Israeli forces General m hIS r~port [A/3,9/600] that such a confer- in Lebanon, the Tel Aviv authorities have striven ence could pro~ld~ a fleXIble framework for all the relentlessly to maintain their occupation forces in the necessa~ negotla!lons <?n .the settlement of all the southern part of the country in their attempts to out.standmg questIon~. ~lmIlarly, the Roma~landele- incorporate part of Lebanese territory in their expan- gatI~n shares the opmlon of othe~ delegatIons that sionist plans in keeping with their long-held ambi- ."'4 +•....,....:. ....... 1:' ,..-"_.0. c It ,,1. 4._.. _,.., ....1 __. . . . 1 ' - ~u'" U ...'" U~.,."'VIU~ IVI cm Ll1~ \.iVUII.UU;;1!I ,",UII,",CII1CU cUIU tions SO well known to the world public. all the pohtlcal forces of the regIOn to promote the . . organization of such a conference, which would be a 262. How has It been pOSSIble for Israel to con~inue significant contribution to the achievement of the for ~ore th!1n three deca~es to .~Isregard the ~Ill of comprehensive, just settlement so anxiously awaited the mternatIo.nal commumty, fau to comply WIth the by the peoples of the region and of the entIre world. many. resolutlO~s of the. G~neral A~sembly an~ ~he As the Secretary-General says in his report: "In the SecurIty ~ouncI! and, WIth ItS practIces an? ~ohcles, light of the deep tension in the Middle East . . ., systematIcally VIOlate t~e purpo~es and prm~lp~es of nothing could be less realistic than to expect the the Charter of the Umted. NatIOns? ~ut .thls. IS no indefinite continuation of the present situation of no secret. .~he sole explan~tlon for thl~ lIes m the peace-no war" [ibid., para. 49]. unc<?ndltIonal support 'Yhlch the Israeh 90vernment . . receIves from the UOlted States for ItS political, 254. It seems to us to be futIle to seek partIal diplomatic economic and military plans solutions, to the exclusion of some of the parties ' . . concerned, for this is an overall problem, as complex 26~. For thIS .reason, the Move~ent of Non- as the entire situation in the Middle East. AlIgned Countnes, now enc<?mpassm~ .101 full- fledged members, at the Meetmg of MInIsters and 255. Is there any reasonable alternative, therefore, Heads ofDelegation ofthe Non-Aligned Countries to to a conference organized under United Nations the thirty-ninth session of the General Assembly, auspices at which all the parties concerned can held in New York from 1 to 5 October 1984, stated defend, as appropriate, their legitimate interests its position on United States assistance to Israel in within the framework of an overall, just and lasting strong terms. The Ministers and Heads of Delega- peace settlement? tions, in considering the situation in the Middle East, .. accept efforts by the Secretary·General to convene an equal footing of the PLO, the sole and legitimate international peace conference on the Middle East, in representative of the Palestinian people, along with keeping with the Geneva Declaration on Palestine11 other interested parties to the dispute, is indispens- and the Programme ofAction for the Achievement of able. We firmly believe that no soluikon to the Palestinian Rights,12 adopted by the International Middle East problem can be envisaged which does Conference on the Question of Palestine, held at not take fully and justly into account the national Geneva in 1983, and with resolution 38/58 C of the aspirations of the Palestinian people. We consider General Assembly. the question of Palestine as the core of the Middle 265. In view ofthe deterioration of the situation in East problem and the realization of the inalienable the region and the dangers that situation represents right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, for international peace and security, this forum must independence and national sovereignty as a sine qua insist on the need for an early convening of that non to its solution. Only when that right has been peace conference and unequivocally support the universally recognized and respected, as called for by Secretary-General's efforts to that end. General Assembly resolution 3236 (XXIX), of 22 266. The peace conference, in which all the parties November 1974, will all States in the region indeed concerned must participate, including the PLO, the live within safe and internationally recognized sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian peo- boundaries. pie, must help to bring about a just and lasting peace 274. We further believe that for the solution to be on the basis of the complete withdrawal of Israel just and lasting it must entail the withdrawal of Israel from occupied territories and the recognition of the from all Arab territories occupied since 1967, includ- inalienable rights ofthe Palestinian people, including ing the old city of Jerusalem. Israel must rescind its the right to establish a sovereign, independent Pales- illegal and unilateral decision with regard to the tinian State. Golan Heights, which constitutes an inseparable part 267. Mr. MOUSHOUTAS (Cyprus): Once again of the territorial integrity of Syria, and withdraw its the General Assembly is considering the item entitled troops from Lebanon, that much tormented, friendly "The situation in the Middle East". As in past years, and neighbouring State. this world body is again engaged in the search for a just and lasting solution in a region which has not 275. Even though the situation in the Middle East seen peace for four decades and at a time when lends itself to pessimistic appraisals and fears of ominous signs of deterioration in the situation are another major conflagration, it al~o constitutes a obvious. challenge for mankind, and mainly for the United 268. Be~ause of our geographical proximity, the ~a~~~~s, ~~~~I I?.~~~~'p]l~~~~::~~.t~e,,~~~~~~~~~ close historical ties that bind the Arab people with UI Im~rnitUumll p~it'"~ itUU i)\;;,"Uluy. J.11\;; }JlVUI\.im I;:, the people of Cyprus and the nature of the issues grave; it is also challenging. It is a problem which has inherent in the situation, we are of necessity vitally evaded solution for as long as the United Nations has involved as a people and as a countrY. existed. 269. The Middle East has been accurately described 276. Next year, the United Nations will commem,o- in .various reports of the Secretaries-General as rate its fortieth anniversary. Even though in this presenting one ofthe major world problems, posing a world of power politics, of "might is right", we do di.rtct threat to international peace and security, and, not necessarily believe in miraculous developments, in addition to its intrinsic dangers, heavily contribut- we do believe that we owe it to ourselves and to ing to the polarization which we witness today. succeeding generations to redouble our efforts, reeon- 270. On the other hand, a just, comprehensive and sider our policies and rededicate ourselves to the lasting solution of this challenging problem would everlasting principles of the Charter of the United prove to be a major positive development, with Nations in a concerted endeavour towards the solu- benefits to the countries involved and to the whole of tion of this major crisis and this endless, blood- the Middle East, and would contribute to the amelio- letting pro1>lem. ration of the. present negative world climate. 277.. A just solution of the Middle East problem is 271. The tragic developments of past years and the imperative, not only for reducing grave tensions in unending suffering of the peoples .of all the countries the ever-worsening mternational climate but also for involved in the conflict confirm that .no just and sustaining and nourishing renewed faith i1,1 the lasting peace can be achieved by the use offorce. The cre~ibilityofthe United Nations ~IS the Organization acquisition and annexation ofterritories b'y force, the of peace and in its lofty and everlasting principles. ~ntire .r~gion ~nd .to establish Zionist colonialism ~nd Impenalism. I will read one of those letters, which wererublished in The Struggle between the Arabs and Israe , a book by nine authors, including Mehdi ben Baraka, Khairy Hamad and Lotfi el Khouly: "The countries we intend to occupy include lower Egypt-that is, northern Egypt-the south- ern part of Syria and Lebanon. Thus, we shall be able to control trade with India, the Arab peninsula and eastern and southern Africa. We believe that France cannot but support the idea of the route to India and China controlled by a people which will defend it to the death." In a letter sent to the German Kaiser Wilhelm 11, we read: "We"-that is, the Zionists-"intend to create on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean a modem civilization and a trade centre which will be a bulwark of German sovereignty, directly or indirectly. Palestine will thus become, thanks to . the immigration ofJews, a political and trade base, indeed, a German compound." 2'firana, "8 N£NTORI" Publishing House, 1984. 4Ibid., Thirty-seventh Year, Supplement for October. November and December 1982. document S/15510, annex. sLandon, Shorouk International, 1983. 6United Nations, TrelllY Series. vol. 75, No. 973. 8Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, The Hague Conventions and Declarations of 1899 and 1907 (New York, Oxford University Press, 1915), p. 100. IOIbid., document S/15317. IISee Report ofthe International Conference on the Question of Palestine, Geneva. 29 August-7 September 1983 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.83.I.2l), chap. I, sect. A. 12Ibid., chap. I, sect. B.