A/39/PV.95 General Assembly

33.  Quution of Pdcstine (wnc~: (a) Report of the Committee on abe Exercise 01 the IMueltahle Rlglm of the pales- People; (b) Report of the Secretary-Gettcrai 1. Mr. FOUM (United Republic of Tanzania B My delegation considers the issue before the Assem b ly to be one of the most crucial issues confronting the international communit for, b virtue of the strate gic importance of the &ddle &st and the fact that peace, securit *IL and stability cannot be established in the area wrt ut resolving the root cause of the conflict,, the question of Palestine is central to intematronal peace and security; but, above all else it is a question of human freedom and dign.ity and the quest of a xtmn of tgepplle, !he geople of Palestme, fqr eu mahena le fight to self-determl- 2. Thirty-six yearn atter the partition of their kin+, the Palestinian people continue to be denied their most fundamental human, political and national %%aknal nt Y violation of the basic norms of w the Charter of the United Nations and its resolutiods and decisions. Israel has, to date, in a diabolical combination of force and arbitra 1 ‘slative and administrative measures, only pa K- 1% by those of apartheid in South Africa, embarked on a campaign to entrench its domination in Pales- tine. Measures under way to change the dem yphic composition geographical character and adm nistra- tive status ot the occupied Palestinian territories and to separate the Palestinian cal and cultural homes, un ermine their identity and 8” ople from their histori- question their national existence-and even physical annihilation-have formed part of this scheme. As a consequence, the Palestinian pea le not only have become second-class citizens m 1. t en own country, but also continue to be subjected to incessant humili- ation, harrassment qnd all forms of violence, includ- ing murder. Assassination of Palestinian leaders has also become an int ral part of the Israeli lawlessness visited upon the T alestine people by the Israel1 NEW VORK 3. The international community cannot afford to be indifferent when an entire people is systematically being annihilated in the Middle East. It should stand against Israeli aggression and for tt.e Palest!man rights. Together with the recognition of those r&ta, the international community should embark on B process t J Put into effect concrete measures for.thelr exercise .Nlthout external interference. Those rights, as ori inall tion I i envisaged in General Assembly resolu~ 1 (II!, adopted on 29 November 1947, and the right to return, the right to cqmpensation, and so on, must be reiterated. 4. It is the United Nations which has a historical responsibility for the problem. It is the Organiz@n which must continue to play the central role in Its resolution, on the basis of the numerous resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council. right to national independence and sovereignty, the ri $ al t to return,. the right to regain all their rights by means possible and the right to recognition as a rindpal party in the search for a lasting peace in the ii* addle East, underscored the continued commit- ment of the United Nations to the restoration of Palestinian rights. It is in this context that &Spite numerous set-backs, all precipitated by the$i!c&i- trancy and obstinacy of Israel, the int@@onal community has not been deterred from i ,‘principal objective of restoring peace in the Mr , .e East. ii2 6. It is in ition of this fundamental consider- ation that the e T orts of the international community have converged on the need for c&&ive action under the auspices of the United Nations. The adoption by the International Conference on the Question of Palestine, held at Geneva from 29 August to 7 L%ptember 1983, of the Geneva Declara- tion on Palestme and the elaboration of the Prc- e of Action for the Achievement of Palestinian Fl to wont towards tpe rcalixatlon by tbc P estinlan people of tbelr nght to self&termine- tion, independence, freedom and fret national and social development, underscores this position. 7. Furthermore, the adoption by Che General As- sembly of resolution 38/58 C wa$ essentially a recognition of the need to hermonize international efforts to find a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian question. In that resolution, the Assem- bly endorsed the call for the convening of an international peace conference on th,e Middle East. That resolution embodies an international consensus on a framework for peace comprising the key ele- ments of any process leading to such eventuality. 8. Consistent with this position, therefore, my delegation wishes to reiterate 1”:s strong support for 9. Since the thirty-eighth session of the General Assembly, the intematlonal community has contin- ued its consideration of the question of Palestine. Roth the Meetin tion of the Non- il. of Ministers and Heads of Delega- igned Countries to the thirty-ninth session of the General Assembly, held in New York from 1 to 5 October 1984, and the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity, at its session held at Addis Ababa from 12 to 15 November 1984, have reaffirmed their slipport for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and reiterated their conviction that the ques- tioh of Palestine is at the core of the Middle East problem and the root cause of the Arab-Israeli conflict, a conflict whose solution must be compre- hensive, just and lasting, based on the fundamental principles of the Charter of the United Nations and taking into account the interrelated character of the elements that constitute the problem. 10. In micular, the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity, as well as condemning “all manmuvres and formulae aimed at preventing the people of Palestine from exercising their rights to. self-determination, lo achieve their national aspirations to return to their homeland and exer- c$c their freedom and complete sovereignty”,2 reiterated its firm su port for the Arab peace plan, ~b~~~~xg;~~~;t~~ I982 by the Twelfth “an important contribution to the search for a just comprehensive and lastin settlement of the Mid: dle East conflict; and [Cal ed] for the implementa- P tion of General Assembly resolution 38/58 C on the holding of an internattonal peace conference on the Middle East”.’ Ii. If the period of the past 36 years of dealing with the question has brought lo light any reality it IS that the challenge before the international community is an enormous one. It has also demonstrated that the solution 10 the Palestine problem will come about only if all aspects of the problem are taken into account, if the unity of those direct1 involved is restored and consolidated and if the c ose co-opera- r ii E rimaril on the shoulders of the permanent mem- ers oft e Security Council, whq, up to the present, have been acting in a way that limits the Organiza- tion’s ability to solve international defy the opinion of the majority of P roblems. They tates Members of the United Nations and abuse the right of veto in the Security Council. 15. However, the dele ation of Yemen would like to reaffirm its support s or the recommendations of the Committee on the Exercise of the inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, as we also support the recommendations of the International Confer- ence on the Question of Palestine, held at Geneva from 29 Augus: to 7 September 1983, and the Arab peace plan adopted at Fez on 9 September 1982 by the Twelfth Arab Summit Conference.’ 16. My delegation would like to reaffmn its clear and unwaverm 17. We repeat our sup international peace co nr rt for the convening of an erence on the Middle East, with the participation of all parties involved on an equal footing, including the PLG, the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian achieve a just, lasting and ple, in order to R”* compre enslve solution to the problem. 18. It is high time for the international community to commit itself to putting an end to the arrogance and aggression of Israel. The time is ripe also for restormg to the Palestinian people its legitimate rights. It is the dut of those countries which support Israel. in particu ar the United States, which is 7 supplying it with arms, funds and political, diplomat- ic and military support, to reconsider their position regarding Israel and its poliry of aggression in the Middle East. We hope that the &ecent a reement concluded between the United St&es and t le Soviet P Union regarding the opening of negotiations without 22. The history of the Israeli occupation of the Arab territories is well known to all. During the past 17 years, the true aggressive and expansionist intentions of Israel with regard to the Palestinian people and the West Bank and Gaza have become clear in particular to the United Nations. In fact, no Israel! propaganda, whether about Israel’8 “desire” for peace or the “rejection” of peace by the Arabs,. can any ion conceal the existence of a wellestabhshed Israeli and a coordinated policy for the Judaixation o West Bank and Gaxa, just a8 occurred formerly in the case of Jerusalem and the Golan. Proof of this is that Israel is trying feverishly to create fairs uccomph in the occupied territories, ho eventual traneformation oft R ing thus to ensure the e existence of Israel, at lesson of the two world wars, from which humanit suffered so severely. I need not recall that lsrae, r basically, is now practising the philosophy of “peace at any price”. Representatives will understand the seriousness of this attitude for world stability and security. Regardless of Israeli attempts to change the demographic and geographical character of these territories, the West Bank, including Jerusalem, with Gaxa and the Golan, must be returned to Alnb sovereignty. The more Israel steps up its establish- ment of settlements in these territories and its 23. Israel’s action in the occupied Arab territoiles and in the region reflect8 continued defiance of the principle8 of international law and is a source of violence and extremism. Its attitude in the United Nation8 and with regard to the effort8 made within it8 framework, particularly by the Secreta -General, for the convenmg of an international con erence on 7 peace in the Middle East is just a8 dangerous. 24. This is a brief summary of developments con- cerning the Palestinian problem since it was consid- ered last year by the General Assembly. The culmi- nated, on the one hand, in a renewal of Israe t i efforts to entrench its occupatton and try to transform it into a “legitimate” fact, and on the other, it8 disregard and rejection of peace effort8 and it8 defiance of legitimacy and of the international consensus. There is no need to reaffirm the gravity of this situation for international peace and security. 25. In the Ii always been P t of all thie, the position of Jordan has ased on the fact that it is necessary to respect 8crupulou81 which govern the x the fundamental principles rab-Israeli dispute and which international legitimacy ha8 given wncrete form in many serious r&Cations and circumstances, and, in parttcular, in Security Council resolution 242 (1967). If we have accepted that resolution and called for its implementation it is not because the resolution was based on a Jordanian demand but because it repro 8ents the basis for international unanimity and gives effect to principle8 accepted b the intemattonal wmmunit tional aut K and by the Securit . \t?ouncil. the interna- ority entrusted wtt the maintenance ‘of international peace and security, and beta@. it fe P resent8 the basis for a lasting and just %tlcal 8o ution in the Middle East, that 18, ‘Ian 8” m ex- change for since the a ce”. The events that have taken -place 8”. optton of that resolution, particularly in 1973, have proved that the resolution eon~inues to be the basis of the international wnriensus in favour of a for pma! of the Arab side wtdcb in one form or anotber. They also show that the Arab side, in&din the Pafestintan people and its repre sentatives, t ai e as their point of departure the principle of international legitimacy and what the utternational community has accepted as the basis for a settlement in the Middle East. 26. This means that the United Nations ha8 the direct responsibility to take action, to go beyond the stage of the mere presentation of ideas and principles and to embark on the stage of the implementation of these principles, It is, moreover, the duty of us all to facilitate the task of the United Nattons in this matter. For that reason, we in Jordan, together with the Palestinian people in the occu red territories, have sought to keep open ah possibi P. ttres for ocbiev- ,-vanguard. Although they have been subjected to the most brutal forms of repression and terrorism dc- signed to force them to abandon their land, our .p&ple have risen above their suffering and have ulaced themselves in an objective, well-balanced context that is given concrete form in the safeguard- ing of the national territory and of the Arab identity. In that framework, the Palestinian people has re- sisted the occu extremism an B ation and rejected all exhortations to all attempts to divide it, no matter what methods have been used for this purpose. We in --~Jordan have committed ourselves to respecting the conscience of our people and of our Arab Palestmian people living under occupation. We feel that this is the criterion for action on our part. We think that that is self-evident. There are some, however, who resnonsible and w means for implementing its expansionist and aggres- sive olans directed aaainst the Arab nation. The will of our people under 6ccupation has been the point of def!Yt ure for and the fundamental criterion of our po rtrcal action. In addition, the international com- munity has agreed on a basis for a political solution, in accordance with the relevant Security Councrl resolutions, which are binding in nature. Hence we have done everything in our power and everything necessary to maintain the attachment of our Arab Palestinian people to its land. We have sought also to ut that people’s will and aspirations into concrete t! arm. That is the reason for our co-ordination with the PLO in seekina an obieotive and shared notion in regard to the safegiiarding of our territory. In fact the Palestinian neonle has reneatedlv reaffirmed both its Arab identiiy r&d its national identity. It has given concrete form to its Arab identity by firmly main- taining Jordanian-Palestinian unity, based on a single glorious history and on sufferink shared today, and on their belief in a future of uruty which, no matter how lona it takes to achieve. will constitute an tiutstand~g page in its history. Iis national identit 2 is reelected in an indestructible will and in indenen ent tional political action that can put an end to its tragic situation. It has proved to the international commu- nity that it is faithful to its heritage and its identity, and it has sought objective actron based on the international consensus for the attainment of ace between the Arabs and Israel. It has also rea fp” rrmed that sincere action on the Palestinian auestion re- peal for Arab unanimity and unit t ?Ot aman dialogue with the PLO, which gave concrete form to the agreement by both sides on the need to put an end to occupation and to regain the Arab terrrtories, dev+opment. 28. That is the context of Jordan’s political action, as reflected in the peace efforts and initiatives, as well as in the call for an international conference in which all the parties involved in the Arab-Israeli conflict would participate and which would make it possible for the Palestinian representatives in all freedom. F ople to choose its hat was the commit- ment we in Jordan undertook when we declared our acce P tance of the resolution adopted by the seventh Con erence of Arab Heads of State or Government, held at Rabat in 1974 and when we began a dialogue with the PLO. We did this because it was the wish of our people in the West Bank and Gaxa, a wish reiterated very clearly this a in durin the meeting o B ear and quite recently cr w until, at the Palestine National mman. The unity of the Jordanian and Palestiman peoples is a sacred historical fact, and Jordan’s co-operation with the PLO must serve to c stallixe a common political concept whose point ;Y o departure is an irrefutable and non-negotiable principle: Israel’s withdrawal from all the occu B ied Arab territories, in exchange for recognition an the Becurity of all, the States ‘of the *region and, their peoples. That is whr.we ryd this eo-operatron as the means for crysta hzmg t e freely expressed wdl of the Paketinian political action. I-r ple, as well as the basis for enee, we have @en full latitude to the PLO to decide the position It wishes to take, a position dictated by its national obligations and by the sufferine that has been endured by the Palestin- ian people. king Hussein announced in his opening statement to the seventeenth session of the Palestine National Council, at Amman, that Jordan would accept the decision taken by the PLO in this re The Palestinian people, having reaffirmed its Fd. reely expressed will and its desire for national unity, expects reciprocity from us. It expects that we will be sincere and will shoulder our responsibilities. 29. We. in Jordan ‘.ave always believed in these ideals. We have always im have no doubt that they w11 be a major factor in any ? lemented them, and we political action by the PLO, the representatrve of that people. Similarry, under the yoke of occupation the current deadlock. While the Palestinian people’s moderation and its acceptance of the international community’s verdict enhance United Nations efforts for the establishment of a comprehensive, lasting and just peace in the Middle East, the just struggle of the peo P le and its insistence on justice will not allow the word to forget its suffering and later, to fall into the trap of a guilt complex, ,puite frankly, today we can see that the Arab Palestm an people 1s provtdmg the international community, through its struggle and its moderation, with an opportunity to avoid what could bring us all to fall into that trap in future. 30. Furthermore, I wish to stress that Jordanian- Palestinian political action is encountering man ditIiculties and obstacles, in particular from Israe, r which did not even allow representatives of the West Bank members of the Palestine National Council to Israel led to the General Assembly State. 982, that Israel is not a peace-loving Ifsrae truly wished peace, it could today take the initiative so as to demonstrate its good will. It could stop the process of Judaization of the occu ied Arab terntories, recognixe the legitimate rights o F the Palestinian people, put an end to its expansionist acts of sabotage in the region and stop its policy of h ml ttarixation of Israeli society and the creation of a 7. emony and resort to force, including the total dangerous situation of international polarization. Should Israel refuse to take the initiative and create a climate of detente, the United Nations and, in particular, !he members of the Security Council have a special responsibility vis-d-vis the Palestinian peo- ple and the establishment of peace and the mamte- nance of security and stability. If Israel continues to resist the establishment of peace, the United Nations should then seek to impose it, otherwise the Organi- zation-the hope of mankind-could fall victim to intransigence, extremism and aggression. 32. The United Nations has not been able up to now to play its role as it should. Since those who have itsr litical intluenoe in its relations with the Israeli lea ership. This unlimited material and political sup d” rt given to Israel by the United States has un ermined the reputation and credibility of the United States throu P out the Arab world and inter- nationally, whereas t could have been laced at the service of a constructive and even-han a ed American role in the region. I do not intend to o into details and give data on the unbalanced re ationship f be- tween the United States and Israel. However, it is clear that it not only runs counter to United States interests but also undermines regional peace and stability. If it is true that the United States believes its support for Israel-which remains intransigent, irreducible and expansionist-has priority over it6 international res with an nsibilities, we are indeed faC;ed extreme y dtfftoult situation. If the United p”. States believes that Israel’s security must be at the basis of its policy in the Middle East and takes the necessary steps to implement such a policy,, the Arabs are then constrained to look’ to the defer&e of their very existence and to safeguard their.’ legitimate rights. / 33. It is not at all satisfactory for’the United Nations to be brought to the point of having to beg a super-Power to respond to the efforts for the conven- ing of an international conference and to support the request made to Israel in this connection. The United States is a super-Power and quite capable of &fend- ing its own legitimate interests both within and outside the United Nations. Hence, 1 do not believe that its participation, t T ther with the intemationnl community, in the estab rshment of a comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East could be less important and less effective in the long term than its umlateral achievement of that goal. 34. We are aware of the difficulties inherent in the mission the General Assembly has conferred upon the Secretary-General to pursue his efforts for the convening of an international r ace conference which could serve as the framewor for negotiations to arrive at a reements ensuring the peace and security .of all .tates and peoples m the regton and 8 recognrzmg then exrstence. Israel has demonstrated its intransr is a lack o tB cnce and inflexibility; furthermore, there enthusiasm on the part of a reat Power and inability to act on the part of t e Security a Council and other international bodies. Proceeding field-that of international relations-and attempt- ed to advance new theories on war and peace, on ihe history of the United Nations, on peoples and natiolial ethnic groups. 36. I really do not feel obliged to respond to all the inexactitudes in the statement of the Israeli represen- tative: his affirmations soeak for themselves. I shall co&e myself to making a few general observations, Israel’s reswnsibilitv with regard to the 1967 war is now clearly, established and-well documented. The Arab States did not take the initiative of attacking Israel. Indeed, it was Israel which, before the war had begun, declared that it would attack Syria and occupy Damascus in order to overthrow the Government. Man historians politicians and jurists have stated that h was Israel khich put forward war plans so as to create an explosive situation in the region, as The Observer reported on 5 June .1967. 37. I shall not elaborate on the theory of Israel’s security, based on sudden and preventive strikes and invasion under the pretext of legitimate defence. Tbe P rinciple of legitimate defence has been distorted, ust as the principles of international law have been trampled upon, principles which Israel made nothing more than a “‘clearing-house” to justify its a ession Y inst the Palestinian people and the Ara i? nation. n Ms statement, the Israeli representative spoke of the, 1967 war and other wars unleashed by Israel against its Arab neighbours, as well as claims calling for the West Bank from now on t&be called Judea and Samaria. If Israel considers that ‘the West Bank qxe&ents on1 Judea and Samaria, it should not be uuprlsed if &abs resort to war to liberate their t&tory. I believe that the ex lanation of the 1967 war and the Israeli threats t R at preceded it show Israel’s determination to hold on to the West Bank, Jerusalem, Gaza and the Golan Heights. Of course, the justifications of !he Talmud and the weak pretext of security still continue. 38. The Israeli representative would have the victo- rious take everything, with the vanquished having no other choice but surrender. If that is Israel’s approach with regard to the question of Palestine, and in dealin with the United Nations in particular, I do not be leve that it would be useful to hear the Israeli P representative speak in this body where justice is done to the oppressed and where peace and justice throughout the world are sought. villages; if Israel is not responsible for the exodus of two million Palestinian refunees since 1948 and if that exodus was not an Israili aim, then let Israel simply allow them to return. Since their return would r se no problem to Israel, would it not be logical for srael to authorize this return? 40. Why does Israel ask the Arabs to take care of the refugees while Israel itself bears the uolitical and mqral consequences of the destruction of the Pa@- timan people s national identity, instead of acce tm them and accepting their return to their horn Jd from which they were expelled? an , 41. As I have already said, in the statement made this morning by the Isiaeli representative, there were numerous inexactitudes and half-truths. Proof of that can be seen in his attempt to distort not only history but also geography and the existence and national identity of the Arab nation. For him, the Palestinian people does not exist; Jordan is Palestine and Palestine is Jordan; the Jordanian people does not exist in the Israeli representative’s vocabulary. It is inadmissible that the Israeli representative should seek to impose on the Arab nation his own definition of its national identity and of the relationships among the Arab peoples themselves, forgetting that Israel is made up of colonizers that have come from the four corners of the world-the followers of the racist hilosophy or ideology of zionism-to chase Ebb- away t e entire Arab people and attempt to establish hegemony over the entire region. 42. Finally, the Israeli representative this morning tried verv hard but wasted the valuable time of members-by citing various statements made by Arab leaders requestin a what he called the “destruction of Israel”. Indeed, t at is a game Israeli s kesmen love tq play, because it serves Israel’s goa s in struggling p” against peace. However, the Israeli re resentative made sure not to refer to Arab appeals or peace, in P particular those made by Jordan and by Kmg Hus- sein. That illustrates just how much credibility can be ascribed to the Israeli representative’s statement, and this credibility vanishes when we consider that he was not even accurate in his references. In mention- ing the radio message addressed b King Hussein to the Arab army defending the ity of Jerusalem 8 during the June war, he distorted that message in such a way as to serve his interests, to give rise to anti-religious, fanatic and extremist feelings. The Israeli representative quoted the message as follows: “Kill the Jews wherever you find them. Kill them with your arms, with your hands, with your nails and with your teeth.“* 43. In fact, what King Hussein said was “Fight them”, that is to say, “Fi ht the enemy”, and not “Kill them”, as distorted %iT the Israeli representa- tive. King Hussein quoted t e text of a verse of the Koran prohibiting war on civilialls-women, chil- 44. AS for the old song “Jordan is Palestine and Palestine :s part of Jordan”, I do not know how the Israeli representative dares to mention it while endeavouring to prove Israel’s innocence and its lack of responsibrlity with regard to the Palestinian prob- lem. The Israel1 representative is perfectly aware that there are geographical and historical hard facts outside the expansionist and false notions of the Israelis, happens to be livin r8 , That is characteristic of coloni- alists, which is in act in keeping with the universal Zionist philosophy on which Israel is based and which seeks unscru space belongs to ot R ulously for space, even if that ers. 46. Mr. PARAH DIRIR (Djibouti): The Palestinian uestron 9 IS one of the biggest challenges the interna- tonal community is facmg today. It has already tn to f ered five devastating conflicts and still continues e a threat to intematronal peace and security. The Palestinian tragedy began when the General Assem- bly decided to give the best part of Palestine, against the will of the people who had inhabited the land since time immemorial, to Jewish immigrants com- ing from every culture and clime. The world commu- nity was still under the shock of Nazi horrors when it decided to establish in Palestine a homeland for the victims of the holocaust, without prejudice, as it was believed, to the interests of Palestinian Arabs. 47. Unfortunately, however, the establishment of a Jewish homeland m Palestine to be a haven for Jews ssession and dis- lishment of Israel drove the Palestinians into exile a b mcess which, sadly, has continued until today The nited Nations was not indifferent to the Palestinian pli 19 P t. The General Assembly in adopting resolution (III), affnmed the ri if? t of the dispersed PaIestin- Ians to return to their omeland and recover their usurped properties. Israel refused then, and con- tinues to defy an attempt by the international community, to re cl ress the injustice it perpetrates against the Palestinian people. 48. Today, the overwhelming majority of the inter- national community has recognized the centrality of the Palestinian question to the conflicts and persis- tent tension in the Middle East. No one in his or her right mind will deny the legitimacy of the stru “it undertaken by the Palestinian people, under t e leadership of the PLO, to assert its right to return to its homeland, its right to self-determination, to independence and to establish its soverei f n State on its national soil. These are the inalienab e rights to which every people in the world is entitled. The Palestinians are not askin are asking for their right ul tE for more or for less: they place in the sun. tacks b is born ed; 6 Statesponsored terrorism; public transport houses are demolished; and even the sanctity of places of worship is violated, as in the case of the attempt to blow up the Al-Aqsa and Omar Mosques, setting fire to the &add@. Mosque in E;Van and the assault on the Ibrahrmr Mosque; m 50. While the Palestinian Arabs are subjected to daily harassments, any protest on their art will be met by harsh measures. Collective pum *sI ment, cur- fews, arbitrary detention and expulsion, torture and even murder are the order of the da Arab and Palestinian territories. Al r in the occupied these tactics are meant to make life so insecure and unbearable for ‘the Palestinian and Arab inhabitants that they p~flfbr to emigrate rather than live in Palestine. 5 I. Every Israeli attempt to obliterate thek&stin- ian national identity has ended in failure. The Palestinian nation is one of the oldest in‘ the world, and history testifies to the continuity of Palestinians in Palestine since time immemorial, during which they have produced a particular national, artistic and IegrsIative s d stem that determines the existence of a specific na onal community which in turn is part of a larger Arab national community. It was a vmdica- tion of this historical continuity of the Palc%tinians when the League of Nations, in 1921, years before Israel was established, recognizcd the Palestin@ national community. 52. Israel cao massacre the Palestinians, -expel them, confiscate their properties, usurp the cultural patrimony, desecrate then places of worship and cultural landmarks, and deny them their fundamen- tal human rights, but it will never be able to destroy their spirit of resistance, their aspirations and their national will, which are the continuity of their history. Israel knows this better than any other. Ever since the Palestinians chose the PLO as their sole representative, the Zionist authorities have been haunted by the spectre of ever-growing Palestinian nationalism. 53. The unwarranted invasion of Lebanon in 1982 and the carnage and destruction it brought ubout were rpetrated with the sole purpose of physically liqtr atmg the PLO and burying with it the hopes 3, and national espirations of the Palestinian people tionalCounci1 at Amman removed any doubts that might have been entertaineo in some quarters. The ’ Amman meeting demonstrated to the world that the PLO represents not only the Palestinians in exile but also the Falestinians hvina in Palestine. the establishment of an Israeli State. should result in injustice for the Palestinian people. They are now unfortunately being denied, their inalienable rights. They are being forced to live in perpetual exde or suffer oppression under foreign occupation. 61. The main obstacle to the realization of a Palestinian State and a peaceful resolution of the Middle East conflict has been and remains Israeli intransigence. The Israeli objectives have been ob- vious for many years, though they have been masked under various guises. These objectives are: to inte- grate the occupied Arab territories within Israel, while finding a way of reduchlg the Arab population; to disperse the scattered Palestinian refugees and crush any manifestation of Palestinian nationalism or culture; and to gain control over southern Leba- non. 62. They have consistently re’ected any olitical settlement that accommodates t e inalienab e rights h P of the indigenous population. Israel has sought to achieve its objectives through repression and State terrorism and to hoodwink the international commu- nity b a massive propaganda campaign which has lonn istorted the true nature of the auestion of d: Pal&tine. 55. ‘The primary res tions is to find oeace ul solutions for conflicts that r nsibiiity of the United Na- mi i@ t threaten biternational peace and security. The Pa estinian question could tion at trtgger another conflagra- an majority o ty moment. Toda the Members o r’ the overwhelming the United Nations believe that the convening of an international confer- ence on the Middle East would provide the most appropriate avenue leading towards the establish- ment of a just and iasting peace in the region. 56. Next year, the United Nations is to mark its fortieth anniversary. It will be an occasion for celebration, but it will also be a moment of retrospec- tion and assessment of the achievements and failures of the Organization. The United Nations could have no better $;rt an a resent for the world on that occasion than htstmg solution to the question of Pales- 57. my a Finally, 1 would like to pay tribute and express preciation to the Committee on the Exercise of the nalienable Rights of the Palestinian People P which, under the competent and able leadershi 01 Mr. Massamba Sarr6, of Senegal, has spared no e K art in enhancina international awareness of and suooort for the struggle of the Palestinian people to exkicise their inalienable riaht to self-determination and to establish an inde itdent and sovereign Palestinian State. I commen IIT the Committee’s excellent report 63. Right from its establishment, Israel embarked on policies and actions aimed at preventing the full implementetion of General Assembly resolution 18 1 (II); it immediately set out to expand byd. the boundaries allocated to it under the Unite Nations partition plan. Through aggressive actions and wars, Israel has been swallowina UD more Palestinian and other Arab lands with the clear aim of preventing the Palestinian people from regaining their inalienable rights. Since 1967, the Israeli goal has been to consolidate its hold on the occupied lands. The implanting of numerous massive settlements is the main technique of converting conquest to annexa- tion. 64. Annexation, expansion and the creation of settlements are contrary to international law. Article 47 of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protec- tion of Civilian Persons in Time of War. of 12 August 1949, expressly proscribes the annexation of occuoied territont. Article 49 orohibits the forcible deportation or iransfer of the inhabitants of the occupied area. It also forbids the transfer by an occupying Power of any of its into the occupied areas. Yet, in spite oft Ii opulation e condemnation of the United Nations and its injunctions, Israel has continued to violate these provisions and has refused to rescind its actions. 65. Despite attempts to misrepresent the facts, manv Israeli leaders have never hidden their real objehives. In a lecture at Hebrew University in May 1980, a former Israeli intelligence officer, General Gaztt, warned against evacuatmg any part of historic Eretz Yisrael, which must remain entirely under Jewish control and basically a Jewish State. Referring A/39/35 , which it has diligent1 prepared to high- fight the!%’ h itnnac of the stru gg? e of the Palestinian people, wit whit my delegation fn!ly concurs. In this r F* rd, my delegation hopes that the Commit- tee’s mdmgs and recommendations enjoy the full support of the international community. 59. The problem of Palestine has been one of the most urgent recurrent concerns of the United Na- tions ever since its ince tion. The item has remained prominent on the agen B a of successive sessions of the General Assembly and other international forums. This is only right, because the failure to resolve it is the main cause of the conflict in the Middle East, which constitutes a grave threat to international peace and security. 60. When the General A::sembly grappled with this issue in 1947, it recognized the necessny of establish- 67. Israel has always sought to put an end to the Palestinian national identitv; but the history of the past four decades shows thit the Palestinians are capable of making splendid sacrifices in order to maintain their national Palestinian identity and achieve the restoration of their inalienable ri This was aptly demonstrated by the failure o $ ts. the Israeli onsiaugbt on Palestinians in the recent inva- sion of Lebanon to extinguish the spirit of freedom that inspires their liberation stru T o. In spite of vicious attacks against them and the r dispersal from Beirut, their struggle continues unabated and is supported by the overwhelming majority of the international community. 68. The PLO has proved beyond any shadow of doubt that it is the sole authentic representative of the Palestinian people. It emo ed from the Israeli onslaught with its stature an 2 political influence enhanced. It remains the true representative of the Palestinian neoole. 69. The Wkst Bank population rejected the village leaauos which the Israeli authorities wore attemntina to Foist on them. It is clear that those who s&k a IF ceful resolution to the Middle East conflict must prepared to talk to and n tiate with the PM. It is unfortunate that Israel an fP one reputable Member of the United Nations still refuse to accept this reality. We believe that an acceptance of this truth by all would contribute positively to the peace process. It would discourage lsraeli intransiaencc. 70. In our view, israeli opposition to the PLO and Israel’s adamant refusal to allow it a place at the peace negotiating table arc not be&so of any provision in the PLO covenant. Israel o PLO because it is the living expression of f: poses the alostinian nationalism and champions their inalienable rights, which Israel seeks to destroy. 71. David Krivine, in a letter to 77~ Economisf of 10 July 1982, gave the real reason why lsrael objects to any discussion with the PLO. He said: “The one group we won’t talk with, it is true, is the PLO-but not because they are nasty people. The obstacle is the subject on the agenda. It can on1 4 be the creation of a Palestinian State on the 0.51 Bank, and that we can’t agree lo.” resolutions, if that condition were met. 73. ~Tho Israeli response to all an quarter which are aitned so ution that takes into account Y of the Palestinians has been negative and provoca- tive. This is in contrast with the positive response of the. PLO and Arab countries. In s ito of Israeli provocations, they have been flexib e. They have P stood by the plan adopted at Fex on 9 Se tcmbor 1982 by the Twelfth Arab Summit Con orenco? P under which all States in the region could coexist within secure and internationally rocognizcd borders. Unfortunately, under the mask of the right to live within secure borders, Israel has obdurately rcfusod to recognize the Palestinian right to self-dctcrmina- tion and to enter into a dialogue involving the PLO. 74. The International Conference on the Question of Palestine, held at Geneva from 29 August to 7 SEptembar 1982, called for an international peace conference on the Middle East. The General Assom- bly, in resolution 38/58 C, endorsed that rocommen. dation and mandated the Secretary-General to make arrangements for the convening of the conference. We believe that that resolution provided good ma- chinery for building a just and lasting settlemop. Regrettably Israel continues to put road-blocks m the way of the convening of the conference. We appeal -to all concerned-to co-operate with the Secretary=Gonerai and to facilitate the convening of the conference. As the previous peace conference, in December 1973, of wluch the United States and the Soviet Union wore cwhairmen, demonstrated, such a forum would enhance the chance of success of-the peace process in the region. Mr. Lusahu (Zambia) rwk le Chair. ,/’ 75. The main elements of a just solutioh to the Palestinian question, which is the core of the Middle East conflict are present in a number, of United Nations rc&tions. 4 framework for p$ce must be just and comprehenmve. It pn be comprehepsfvo and just only i it restores the n ts of the Palestuuan people and invclvcs the pa d icipation of all the parties concerned. It must include the following elements: flrst, the withdrawal of Israel from the 76. The PLO, which is the sole and authentic representative of the Palestinians, must participate in the negotiations. 77. In a messa c addressed to the Chairman of the Committee on t f=i o Exercise of the lnalienable Rights of the Palestinian People on 29 November 1984, on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, the President of Uganda, Mr. A. Milton Oboto, stated: “On this solemn occasion when we observe the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestin- ian People, I wish to convey to you the commit- ment of the Governntent of the Repub!ic of Uganda and the people of Uganda to work towards the rehabilitation and enjoyment of the full rights of the Palestinian people. “To those against whom war is madc, pcrmis- &ion is given (to fi wronged*-and verily, 8 t), because the iI are their aid;- od is most power I for “(They are) those who have been expelled from their homes in defiance of right,“-that applies to the Palestinians, does it not?--“(for no cause) except that they say, ‘Our Lord is God’. Did not God check one set of people by means of another, there would surely have been pulled down monas- teries, churches, syna ogues, which the name of d and mosques, in od is commemorated in abundant measure. God will certainly aid those who aid His (cause+for verily God is full of strength, exalted in might (able to enforce His will), 81. Zionist dreams of occu tion from the Nile to the Euphrates are coming c oser to realization tiith P the Ft developrpents in the area; ,the Cam David ConspIracy 18 ,ga~lnlng more repgnltlon. A#er Jor- dan’s green II I, Iraq IS now glvmg the green light. The Washington Post of 28 November 1984 has quoted Tariq Aziz as saying that “his nation will not PPpoSe p” sslble efforts by Jordap and the Palestin- 3988 to prge a pee Ggreement with Israel”. “Israel,” he continues, ‘is guilty of a%reswon against Lcba- non, the Palestinians and Jordan, but Iraq has no right to veto a peace movement.” Stran give full assurance to those concerned, 1 e, isn’t it? To e says: “I say officially, we will not oppose it even If we don’t like it. We have to consider 11 from the realistic point of view.” That is how the Zionist dream of “from the Nile to the Euphrates” is gradually coming true and Government simply because of tho latter’s support for Israel. The same champion is now considering a Palestinian-Jordan peace treaty with the Zionist aggressor “from a realistic point of view”. 82. Thus the Camp David conspiracy is enjoying more and more accommodation, so to speak, and rece tivity, simply because tho United Nations has not & een able to scok even to im cause of Palestine. Even Genera P lement justice in the Assembly resolution 38/58 C, endorsing the call for an international peace conference on the Middle East, which was expected to serve the P&&tine cause, was so easily exploited by the enemies of Palestine simply because, under the guise of seeking provision for agreement with the Programme of Action for the Achievement of Pales- tinian Ri htsl fl -adopted by the International Confer- encc on t e Question of Palestine, held at Geneva in 198%the matter was referred to tho Security Coun- cil. Of course, th’e outcome in the Security Council was already known beforehand: the ne the United States on resolution 38 58 C clearly B ative vote of P resaged the veto in the Security Council. In his etter of I3 Janua of the Security t? 1984, addressed to the President ouncil, the representative of the United States said: “The United States believes firmly that the only path to peace in the Middle East lies in a process of negotiations among the parties based on Security Council resolutions 242 and 338, a process that the United States has sought vigorously and consis- tently to encourage, particularly in the Camp David accords and in President Reagan’s initiative of 1 September 1982. Holding an international conference as recommended by the General As- sembly would only hinder this process. It would predictably become a forum for propagandistic and extreme positions and in the context proposed by the General Assembly and further articulated by the Secretary-General it would very likely yield a one-sided outcome not acceptable to one or more of the parties and therefore inoperable. The net result would be to diminish the prestige of the United Nations as the sponsor of the confer- en&‘-some people care so much about the presti $ of the United Nations--“and dela the ace will come to the troubled &‘t? ~&30, annex III, appendix.] d- addle You see, according to this text, peace can be achieved only when the base of imperialism and Zionism is fully installed and imposed upon the people. They have to accept it, to swallow it, because the United States wishes it to be so. Otherwise, there can be no peace-from its point of view. 83. The meaning of an international conference in which the Governments that are directly involved in the Arab-Israeli conflict-namely, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria-are invited to a negotiating table is fairly clear. By “fairly clear”, I mean that such a conference could again be exploited by some as a forum for direct negotiations. My delegation is quite sure that even if the idea had not been vetoed by the United States, the very fact that the Zionist base of terror would attend the conference on an equal footing with other countries would have been a concession to the Zionist enemy, and as such a set.. back for the cause of Palestine. Notwithstanding this 84. If the same request for a pcacc conlbrcnce is made and our Palestinian brothers voto for it, we shall follow them because wo shall alwa with tho oausc of Falostine, But in this nstancc, this i( s coopcrato spirit of cooperation is not fully in accordance wlth our spirit, 85. In such clrcumstanccs, serious consldoration must bc I! ivcn front an to whcthor to count on the dlplomatic whether the international forum is really advisable at all, 86, The basic problem in the Palestinian tragedy is the misunderstanding, and consequently tho misrep- rcsontatlon,, of the problem, The problem Is that the United Nations has given recognition and legitimacy to the occupntion of Palcstino, and so long OS this mistake is not rcctilicd, one will always confront a & olitical situation in which the culprit and those ehind it participate in maklng decisions for the victim, It is not very difficult to predict the dcclsions of A United Natlons with such an absurd corn tion. When the burglar becomes the arbiter, obv p” si- ous- ly the victim becomes the culpdt. 87. A more fundamental aspect of the problem, which I wish to address to m brothers in the delegations of the Muslim countr es, stems from the Y fact that the occupation of Palestine by the Zionist enemy is an Islamic issue. Islamic territory hos been attacked and occupied. The Muslim nation of Pales- tine has been subjected to aggression, homelessness, displacement, murder and massive genocide-not once, not twice, not three times, but continuously over the past four decades, Instead of undertaking our religious duty of collectively defending Palestine we have simpl it to a secular 1: secularixed the matter and relegated ody, where the enemy has the power of manipulation and control. We cannot discharge our responsibilities by simply secularizing the matter of Palestine and hurling the issues at a secular playing-field. It is not by appealing to obscenity that anyone-and definitely not the Muslims in the General Assembly-can unburden himself of the Muslims’ collective religious duties. Otherwise, we shall be, as we are now, left with the choice of abdicating to the incompetent our most serious concerns, such as Palestine. On what grounds can we Muslim nations cx I- t own artificial baby a secular body to renounce its On what grounds can we Muslim countries expect the United Nations to come and liberate our sanctuaries? On what moral,religious or even secular grounds can we expect the General Assembly to return the holy Al P uds or the Al-Aqsa Mosque to us? Such an expectat on is really absurd and inadmissible. The ffeneral Assembly is not to do it, and we all know that it is not going to oing % o it. 88. Either one is honest with the cause of Islam, with the cause of Palestine, or one wishes to national- izc Islam and seculnrizc the masses of the Islamic Ummah and leave their destiny to the honds of one’s Zionist enemies. If one really wants to be honest with the cause of Palcstinc, then one should take it as it really is. Palestine is an Islamic territory and Pales- tinians are a part of the Islamic Ummah. It is therefore the dut of all Muslims to mobilizc all their capabilities, B un er the banner of Islam, for the liberation of occupied Palestine and the implementa- tion of justice. And it is wrong to assume that 89. ” If Muslims decide to nationalixe Palestine and secularixe their Islamic duties, then all Muslims deserve the humiliation of defeat, not only in the arca, but A secular nternational club that bclongs,to the @hors P artbularly in this forum, which is, al&r all, and not to Muslims. 90. Them is no solution to the problem of Palestine in this international body. Its so-called solution would on1 can offer Y add to our agon Ys becnuse the best they s the partition pan, which installed the onemy centre in our re ton B and annihilated our l” lestinc. The solution o the Islamic problem cnn- : .t be a secular one from a secular source. Our P sition has always been that only a united Islamic ront can liberate Palestine. Zionist hcgcmony cannot be halted or undone by those instruments in which Zionists themselves have a role, As a matter of fact, it Is the desire of the Zionists to see you, here, adopt their language, dcfino your roblems according to their catc ories and seek rt- problems. B t err solution to your or in every step by which you accommo- date something of the enemy’s ou have already suffered a set-back. You are there ore the loser even ty when you nro the winner, 91. You have been the victim of aggression, you have been wronged. You have the divine mandate to defend yourself, Why do you not do it? You have divine support in defendlng yourself. 92, Surely, Ood will defend those who believe. Surely, Clod does not love the ungrateful traitor. Leave is given to those who fight because they were wronged, and surely God is able to help them. Therefore, we have to defend ourselves. We have to make sure that we do not betra not be a traitor to Islam. J the law of God. Do Defen yourself on the basis of the divine mandate. God is able to help those who were unrightful1 ex J K lled from their homes. This applies to the alest nians, does it not7 93. Then the verse says this. Had 00 9 .not driven back the people some by the means of o hers? There have been cloisters and churches, oratories and mosques, destroyed. Do members not think that all this is taking place inside the occupied lands? Are not mosques and sanctuaries being devastated, than destroyed? There are even rwrolutions to thnt e ed, If ect. God will indeed he1 our duty to drive % but we have to move, too. It is ack those who have come to destroy cloisters, sanctuaries and m ues wherein divine names are to be recited. Reme %er will help him who helps God. that God 94. The enemy is very weak indeed. Do not fear him. He has no power when one stands. Do not be astounded by his technology. Those who stand firm and united will be victorious. In the words of the unless they are ful r them, and they do not play them y convinced that they ~111 win the mes. So do not waste time kere. Do not bother the tic but retaty-General. He is really willing to be helpful, he cannot. And do not become a member of that certain gang, at least not in issues which must be handled on an Islamic basis. They have only one solution, which is an Islamic solution. 98. Mr.’ ZARIF (Afghanistan): The question of Palestine constitutes one of the oldest issues on the agenda of the General Assembly. .99. The question of Palestine, which came into being as .a result of the machinations by world imperialism and its illegitimate brain-child, zionism, centres on the arrogant denial to the Pale&l&n people of its national Inalienable ri t tlon lies at the crux of the whole Ara ts. This ques- Israeli conflict in the Middle East and has occubied the minds of many nations and ‘international’ organixations in their search for a just solution. Thousands of hours ‘have been scent at hundreds of international and onal edermcei and 8 kue, and dozens o % therin8s in cbnsiderin8 declarations, decisions, commtmit.luCs, resoi. ‘ions and plans of action have been adopted with the sole urpose of puttin ad end to the prolonged !ragedy o P the millions of % ale@- iacact;rrnough achtevmg a lastrng and comprehenszve 100. None of those efforts, however, has brought closer the attainment of a settlement, or the establish- ment of peace, for that matter: Palestinian territories, together with other Arab lands, still remain under the firm grip of Israeli occupation: acts of violence and repression against Palestmians and other Arab popu- lations of the occupied territories are affecting even larger segments of those be no end to the pples, and there, seems to territory by force. Israe I pohcy of acquisltton of 101. Continuation of the plight of.the Palestinians can in no way be attributed to lack of endeavour on territories it has occupied since 1967. In line with their cynical ambition for establishing the socslled Oreater hnael, the Zionist rulers of :srael have embarked on the path of absorbing the territories of othars. Despite the strong warnings of the intema- tionnl community, the Zronist r&ime promulgated rhc “Bask law”, deelaria the Holy City of Jentsa- km aa rhe ‘kmnal” cap tal of Israel. In the same $ vein, Israel not only refusas to return the vast territories of the Syrian Arab Republic in the Golan Heights to Syria’s sovereignty, but has enacted lef;t$lon purportmg permanently to annex them to 106. Clear reflection of the same illegal practice can be observed in the occupied territories of the West Bank and the Gaxa Strip. lsracl has Perststently continued its policy oi’ proliferating Jewish colonial settlements in those areas. As in the past, further thousands of the indigenous inhabitants were force- full z evacuated during the past year from their homes an towns or had to abandon them owing to enor- mous pressure and intimidation by the occupying authornies and the Zionist settlers. Land and proper- ties thus confiscated are usually put to use for universities and trade unions are repeatedly closed down. Muslim mosques and holy shrmes are vandal- ized, and peaceful civilians remain targets of con- stant harassment by the terrorist groups of scttlpr vigilantes or police of the occupying Power. 108. These and many similar practices have re- mained permanent causes of alarm for the popula- tion of the occupied territories and for concerned humanity. The bitter memories of the massacre of innocent Palestinian refu ees in the Sabra and Shati- la refugee camps are still F resh in our minds. If we are to prevent the recurrence of those bestial and abhor- rent actions, then we must take serious steps towards defusing the tension which is increasin the atrocities committed by the Zion st s as a result of r6gime. 109. It needs no elaboration that the Zionist arro- gance could not have prevailed over the repeatedly expressed wishes of the overwhelming maJority of mankind had it not been defended and encouraged by its imperialist allies--first and foremost, United States imperialism. The United States, which has forged a so-called strategic alliance with the Zionist &gime, has been rendering it enormous and uncoddi- tional political, economic and military support which has enZIbIed it io perpetrate acts of a&r&ion against soverei and Le. r Arab countries of the area, notably Syria anon. It is United Statee imperialism which has effectively paralysed the Security Council by using its veto power to prevent the adoption of measures that would cal! to order .tbe outlawed r&g!me of Israel. 110. The perpetual conspiracies of the United States against international peace and security were once again manifested by its negative response tzfth; call of the Genera! Assembly for the conven’ international conference on peace in the Midd e East. T We strongly condemn that irresponsible attitude towards one of the most burning issues of our time. In this connection, we hail the constructive position of the Soviet Union and voice our su port for its timely and realistic proposa!s of 29 JI#Y 1984 Isee A/39/368]. 111. While expressing appreciation to the Secre- tary-Genera! for his endeavours aimed at preparing the ground for the holdin of the pro sed confer- ence, we urge him to re ouble his e orts in that d f? direction. ! 12. It is, of course, necessary that the PM, the sole representative of the people concerned, partici- pate in such a conference on an equal footing. We reject any attempt at isolatin the question of Palestine from the rest of the J addle East problem and consider a!! collusive and partial agreements, including the Camp David deals, lo have no moral or legal validity. Past experience has shown that only a ‘ust and comprehensive settlement can bring ahut a 1 asting peace to the Middle East, the sine qua mtt of