S/PV.2774 Security Council
In accordande with
decisions taken at previous meetings on this item, I invite ‘the representatives of
Bahrain, Cuba, Egypt, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan,‘Ruwait,
Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the Syrian Arab Republic to take the places
reserved for them at the side of the Council Chamber; I invite the representative
of the Palestine Liberation Organization to take a glace-at .the.Councfl table. -"'.
At the invitationof the President, Mr:Al-Shakar (Bahrain),.Mr. 'Oramas Oliva :-:
(Cuba), Mr. Radawi (Egypt), Mr. Mahallati (Islamic Republic of.Irau), Mr."Kittani:-‘.:'I:'
(Iraq), Mr. Netanyahu'(Israel), Mr. Salah.,(Jordan), Mr. Abulhas&'(&ait),'
Mr. Shah Nawaz (Pakist&n), Mr. Al-Kawari'(Qatar) , Mr. Shihabi (Saudi.Arabia) and' .'
Mr. Al-Masri (Syrian Arab Republic) took the places reserved for them at.tbe si&
of the Council Chamber; Mr. Al-Kidwa (Palestine Liberation Organiiation) took a ""
place at the Council table.
I should like to inform ,. .
members of the Council that I have received letters from the representatives of
Algeria, Democratic Yemen, India, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Tunisia, Yemen and
Yugoslavia in which they request to be invited to participate in the discussion Of '
the,itemon the Council's agenda., In conformity with the usual,practicei I .z . . ,' .: :I propose,.with the consent of theLCouncil, to ‘invite those representatives'to :;
participate in the-discussion without the right to vote, in accordance with the
relevant provisions of the Charter and rule 37 of the Council's provisional rules
of procedure. _ *
There.,being no objection, it is so decided. .
At the invitation of the President, Mr. Djoudi (Algeria), Mr. Al-Ashtal
(Democratic Yemen), Mr. Gharekhan .(India), Mr. .Treiki (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya),;
Mr. Ghezal ITunisia), ,Mr. Basendwah (Yemen)*and Mr. Pejic (Yugoslavia) :took the' . . . , places reserved for them at,the side of, the Council Chamber. .',(; :. . _._
The Security COUnCil,Will . ,
now resume .its consideration of the item,on its agenda. ,. .; . ,,..:: '. I ( _,., .,__,..~ -- . _* ._ The first,speaker is the representative of the Palestine-Liberation '. 'I.,' ,-. > . :. __. Organizatior L. ;. I, now call-on him. ,, I *' . _ . . . :. '/ 1
1.' ', ,,._ ,.,. .,...I
.,-Mr. AL-KIUWA~(Palestine Liberation Organization) (interpretation from I
Arabic): For :eight days in a row; the Israeli occupation"forbes 'b&e~wag&d g"'
barbaric fascist campaign against our people in the occupied Palestinian '.' .. ' ."
territories.:in the,West Bank and the Gaza Strip. ;'l ' ,. '. ..z:..; ; ,. : r i ,, .I
That campaign is part of a determined Israeli policy"&& violhtes the'F&%i
Geneva Convention and all international norms and customs relative to h&&‘-rights:
including the United Nations Charter, and has ,the aim of.oppressing'our people"as'a
prelude to expelling it from its territory. It 'continues despite, th'e'&&tingS of
the Security Council to consider the grave situ&tion,in ,the-dchllji'ed'ter?i*~~ries:S "
once again confirming Israel's defiance of the'council'and the need &addrC& this
situation differently. -' ,: ."/. ,' '. .^~ .'
In the last few days the Israeli army has turned the o&pi&d P&s&ian .” “’
territories into a real battlefield <on whi;ch 'it ~fights‘~the~*inno'dent'~iv~il%n '. -'
population. The occupation soldiers 'are opening fire"against~"ci~i~~sF.,'~ed~~gas : %._,Aii_ "<f: ,
bombs and even tanks and helicopters are',being 'used to suljpr:ess"'~~'an9e~'6;~ our
Palestinian people. " . *':<$ ,:I- '1 ..,,, '. . . j ,;.:,r ,' .. ., -::.i L: *I ,. i j._ I
Since .last Tuesday more than 30 martyrs have'fallen as ,a"r< 'of &aeli" : .\c,-,' jc; .
acts including children and the elderly;*pereons 'whose ages range'.from"l4'to 60 '.'%""
years, male and female. Three hundred ,others have been-'injured, and m&&of them“ c ~(,
are listed,in critical condition. We have"here'detalled information on'&e-' "“."'
situation regarding more than 250 cases _ deta ilep data '.in&udi;;g: ;G y rg&g;nce * t; ,.; j+ ,> g:
age, kind of.injury'and date of injury. he do n..t. wairt ta leav; ,;uly. =A-3 f;&: doubt
in this regard. . ,~ : : . . . . %,f. ‘ ',' ,( . i ..; yf. ; 1“ ,I y :; .,; I> .*.'; 1
WOrSe still,,the;Israeli forces are b&sieging and'storming'~-~spita-~~~a~d'6iren '; ;-5 {f
removing some,of the injured. 1n ais regard. I would ,n&e the'.haspita18"o~I:"".i 1 El-Shifa in Gaza, Nasser in Khan Yunis; the $&men's Federation Bo&pital"iin &blu~'~"i."
and the Red Crescent Eospitalin Balata. . '." '- 1 '.'- '-*"- +;' I'. “9 < ;, ? .$ .'I c ,c i .',
To this must >be added the continued obstruction of emergency-vehicle routes.
The injured.and the martyrs are all the victims of the state of total siege in many ,j
of the camps, towns and Palestinian villages, in many of which curfews',are
q???“?B- We,would-mention,particularly the camps-of J&alia, a-Akkadii*M-Br&ij,
Rafiifi, Knseirat, Al-Maghazi, Ash-Shati, in the Gaza Strip, and Balata, i' \l,
Ain Betelmah, Askar, Al-Far's and Adheisha, in the West Hank. : : i ., . . 1 -;
There.are also scores.of detainees. .' -For example, more than 250 detainee%,have
beenthrown ,into Ansar-II,camp, in-the Gaza strip. *
", .:~ Th.e,,fas.c@t,and criminal acts could even contaminate the watertanks in the.
city Of Khan Yunis in the Gaza strip. They oould cordon off territories in their
entirety and shut down their supply of electricity. * '* .I
A barbaric example...of such. acts.is the..tying of childrento military jeeps *and 2. I
dragging.them.along, whi.ch has been seen -on televisionA 4:. . : . 3
I. should like to give some other examples.- . . . ..* ., developments.that took place just . a couple of hours ago. Today, 16 December 1987, at 12.30 local time, in the camp
of Anseirat, the.Israelf army stormed two houses : 1.Y _I. .'.. , using bombs,'~with the following
result. In,..the first house a two-day-old.baby girl was killed;: Only two days ':
old: as though .the qbjective was to deny the right to ,life. 'Her name was .' '. , > .,
Jihad Mahmoud Abou Mattar. In the other house.a womanwas killed; she was '". .. ,' :
Salw~~K~ma?. Aby Abdoa, 22 years old.,,. . . . I ‘ ,a .--. ..* ., t cI _.. . . .
.,,;.Also ?daY, at 1 ,P.m. local time, in,Beit Hanun,?Israeli soldiers,attacked a
17-year-old girl, beating her with the butts of their machine-guns. As a result, '
her skull was fr,acfured and she died., -Her name was Najwa Hassan. Al-Masri. <.,I. .- .i.' ',t:
Those%.are,the:,kinds of brutal acts that have been perpetrated by the Israeli‘
ocq?atjon author+ties_.against.ourpeople in the occupied territories in the last .
nine dark days of suffering in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
(Mr. Al-Kidwa, Palestine Liberation Organization) . . .' ." . ..I.,
Our people's resistance is increasing. It has become a real upheavel.agadnst.'
occupation, against the criminal occupation policies and for the realization of our .s
people's inalienable rights. What we .are witnessing now is real civil disobedience .
to the occupation. What we fear is escalation of the Israeli brutality into a t '
comprehensively destructive form. ,<
What I have described reflects once again the fixed Israeli policy towards'the':
Palestinian people, a policy that denies the'national rights of that people ,and .’
aims at expelling it from the occupied territories , as a prelude to the annexation.
of those territories. It is based on a refusal to consider the WestBank and.Gaza.,:
Strip as occupied territories, and hence>a refusal to make any serious attempt to
establish a comprehensive, just and permanent peace in the area. That is the real .-'
Israeli position, a position that even rejects Security Council resolution. * . . . -. ‘*%j,-
242 (1967). .'. i ; ." ~ -7; .“
That is a resolution that some insist on,- It is not very d,ifficult:.to prove
that. Resolution 242 (1967) is based on the inadmissibility of the:aoquisftdon of.,,::-
territory by war and insistence on Israeli withdrawal from the territories,,oCcupi.ed:i:.i ._'.
in the 1967 crisis. Hence, those who accept the resolution cannot deny the , ,
applicability to the occupied territories of the fourth Geneva Convention of " ':
12 August 1949. Those who accept the resolution cannot go on building-illegitimate
settlements in the occupied territories,Ydespite,&e unanimus international /I: : T*:
opposition to the settlements and despite the many Security Council~resolutfons in ~~~1:
that regard. Those who accept the resolution.cannot use in the, Security,Council Y-~..;:z-
expressions such as "Judaea" and "Samaria" to describe the occupied WestBank.., The.:,
use of those expressions does not come only from millenary concepts and it does not
come from the Isreali leadership's ignorance of international law and the genuine,
legal names of those territories; it comes from an ideological and political
positdon that considers the territories part of the land of Israel - Israel, which
was not satisfied with the territories allocated to it by the partition .resolution;
Israel, which has not yet defined its borders. :
That is what Israel is doing to our Palestinian people in the occupied
territories. That is the true Israeli position vis-a-vis the Palestinian land;.‘the
West Pank and the Gaza Strip. What should the Security Council, the body . ’ >
responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security, do about *
that? We all know that the Council has adopted scores of ‘resolutions on the
practices. of Israel, the occupying Power, in the occupikd Arab and PaleStin'ian
territories. We knaJ that the Council has,called on Israel .to heed its resolutions
and the international conventions relating to occupied territories, particularly
the Geneva Convention relatin3 to the Protection of Civilian Perlons in Time of
War. That has not so far yielded any positive results.
The situation requires more serious measures by the Council through
impl&mentation of the provisions of the Charter, esp&cially Chapter VII. We
believe that -the dangerous situation makes it' incutient upon the Council to adopt a
resolution providing for the withdrawal of the Israeli’ forces from populated areas
and their replacement with United Nations peace-keeping forces as a way to avoid a
general explosion and to spare the people ,any further disaster. We believe that at
the least the Council must take practical’measures to guarantee- the protection of
the Palestinian -citizens in the occupied territories , measures that should include
resort to United Nations machinery and capacity. We also believe that the Council
could form a’ committee or send a special f&t-f inding miss ion to the territories;
;; _“, . *
(Mr. Al-Kidwa, Palestine Liberation Organisation)
1..
We believe. that the international community~s paramountduty in this matter is
to protect, through the Security Council, the innocent civilian population in the'
Palestinian territories from the brutality and the plans of the Israeli occupation '
authorities. That would guarantee the minimm Palestinian human rights- the right'
to life and the right to survival.
Those would be important steps on the right road. However, a comprehensive
and just.solution to the disaster inflicted on our people under occupation would be
total Israeli withdrawal from all the Arab and Palestinian occupied territories,
including Jerusalem, and the realization of the right of the Palestinian p-aople to
self-determination on their own land without any foreign interference. That is a
sacred right, to which all peoples are entitled and which is guaranteed by all
international instruments, particularly the United Nations Charter. ,
We hope that the Security Council, while dealing with the bloody and grave '
situation in the occupied Arab territories, will be able to take further steps on
the road to solving the Middle East question, the crux of which is the question of
Palestine. The Palestine Liberation Organization has repeatedly confirmed at a'il L levels - including its National~Council at its eighteenth session in Algiers - its
international commitments .-/ , including its commitment to international legitimacy and
United Nations resolutions, those resolutions being the basis of a just, permanent
and comprehensive political settlement. We also support the convening of an
international peace conference on the Middle East, as called for by the United < Nations, under United Nations auspices and with the participation of all the
parties concerned, including the Palestine Liberation Organization, the sole and ..'
legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, on an equal footing, and with *
the participation of the five permanent members of the Security Council.
(Mr. Al-Kidwa, Palestine Liberation Organization)
But Israeli defiance of the international will and rejection of United Nations
resolutions - and indeed of the very idea of an international peace conference -
are the cause of the deterioration of this volatile situation and of the lack of
pe~ce,and security in the region.
Our Palestinian people in the occupied territories, in the camps and in all
the cities and villages of the West Bank and the Gaza strip, are being attacked as
part of a campaign of terror and liquidation. They look to the Security Council in
the hope that it can put an end to the bloodshed perpetrated against them by the
neo-fascists and that it will be able to restore and help them exercise their
acknowledged inalienable national rights.
Mr. LI Luye (China) (interpretation from Chinese): At the outset, Sir,
please allow me warmly to congratulate you, an'cutstanding representative of the
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, a neighbour country of China, on your
assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for this month. I am
confident that with you in the Chair we shall achieve good results in our work for
December.
I should like also to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to His
Excellency Ambassador Riyoaki Kikuchi of Japan, Permanent Representative of.another'
neighbour oountry of China, for his successful performance in presiding over the
Council's work last month.
The current session of the General Assembly has just concluded its
deliberations on israeli practices violating the human rights of the population of
the occupied territories, and has adopted a number of resolutions in that
connection. Statements by various delegations , along with General Assembly
resolutions, have condemned the Israeli authorities for their erroneous policies
towards and practices against the Palestinian people in.the occupied territories.
(Mr. Al-Kidwa, Palestine Liberation Organization)
They have reiterated'that the fourth Geneva Convention relative to the' Protection
of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 1949 was applicable to Palestine and other
Arab territories,.including Jerusalem, that have come under Israeli occupation'
since 1967,.and have demanded that Israel, as the occupying Power, recoqnize and
abide by the provisions of that Convention. It is extremely regrettable; however;
that the ink on the resolutions had hardly dried when the occupied territories rang
with shots of Israeli troops suppressing the Palestinian people, with cries of
protest from the families of the innocent victims, and with the'pafnful groans of
the wounded. We cannot but express ourserious concern.and indignation in the face
of intensified military suppression by the Israeli occupying authorities and their
continued trampling under foot of the Palestinian people's basic right to -'
existence, in.total disregard of world opinion, international law and the authority
of the United Nations.
We are in favour of the proposal by.the'Palestine Liberation Orqani&ion "'*‘
(PLO) and Arabcountries calling for the holding of Security Council meetings tb " '
consider the situation and to adopt measures %o prevent its,further deterioration. 'I . '. Here we should like to express our sympathy and solidarity with the Palestinian
people in the occupied territories in their just struggle for the right to
existence.
At the Council*s meeting on 11 December, the representative'of Israei employed
his usual language ;with which we are familiar. In his statement he termed the- ,‘-'
people's resistance in the occupied territories against brutal repression acts of"."
incited violence, thus attempting to evade the responsibility of 'the Israeli L
ocaWin9 authorities for the consequences of their military suppression. 1 However,
such tactics will not work. It is common knowledge that where there is occupation*.
there is resistance. As the Secretary-General has pointed out in his report,
(Mr. Li Luye, China)
I_ "Israel's occupation of.Arab territory, for over 20,years.has been:and '..j. . --.. ;,. . .',
continues to be deeply resented by the inhabitants. The occupation has given
rise to;much unrest and violence, with the result that many innocent lives
\.have been lost'. (S/19249, para. 35) ' ,I
There the Secretary-General stated very clearly that it is the occupation that *
gives ,risq to unrest and.violence.. That is a fact that no one can explain away.'
In.recent days there have been frequent shooting deaths of Palestinians in the
occupied Gaxa and the West Bank. These bloody incidents have further aggravated
the tension in the occupied.territories , and fresh confrontations and bloody
incidents on a broader scale.could take place at any time. In the faceiof this
dangerous situation, the Chinese delegation believes it highly necessary,that,the
Council firmly reiterate the applicability of the 1949 Geneva Convention to
Palestine and other Arab territories under Israeli occupation since 1967.and once
again demand immediate and strict,,compliance with the provisions of the Convention _< j./
by the Israeli, authorities and the cessation of their.repressive practices against
the Palestinians. . i ..The Council should also consider adopting other specific and
effective measures, in that regard..
We all know very well.that the essence of the Middie East question-lies in the
fact that Palestine and other Arab territories are occupied by Israel and that the
Palestinian people are completely deprived of the&r national rights, That.is,the .I.
fundamental question the Security Council should strive, to solve. Now that the .'
international connnunity has almost unanimously aggreed'that the best way to reach a . . -..
just solution~of the Middle East questiun is the convening of an international
conference under the auspices of the.United Nations, it is the view of the Chinese : .,,;' ,-- :
delegation that all Council members, the permanent members in particular, should
‘,. ,,
(Mr. Li Luye, China)
. ; (Mr. Li Luye, China) ."., r ' __ ^ . . : i j '- T , 5 .< . * -.,, . .,.. .,,., ..I. .". work to contribute positively to the convening of such a conference. The Israeli -:. r .,' 1 ': ', -.
Government should change its erroneous policies as soon as possible, go along with 26,. '>‘ . . ._ *_ ', s ( ;
the trend of historical development, and demonstrate the necessary political will *.: .- '_' ; 1 “AI for the convening of an international conference aimed at achieving a just and : . . '.. y-, i, .' ., ‘I:'. I
lasting settlement of the Middle East question, including the issue which is at its .,' i' , : 1.3 . > heart, the question of Palestine. Continued intransigence and an obstinate .: , .;: clinging to its stand of aggression and occupation will lead it nowhere. .\ ,.
I thank the representative . ,. ., ..i :. of China for the kind words he addressed to me. / ~- , . *' , .': The next speaker is the representative of Pakistan. I invite him to take a
*l--r a& &hr. rr,..,,rr L-L,.. ..-a L.. --La LA.. r&mLlmrmC
Mr. f.&$ NAWjEi..^".(&kistan) : Permit me, Sir, to begin by expressing the 2~ -c ',' ,T, .; :: y .: ,;. 1 .s :. ., ; : gratitude of my deiegatik to you'and other members of the Security Council for the '
Opportunity given to & to participate in'the current debate on the'situation in ,:._ ..(&I,, j ;, the occupied>Arab territories. We'welcome your assumption of the presid&cy of the . : SeCurity"C&nc~l for the'm&th of December'ana' feel confident that the :'i'
::A deliberations'of~‘the~Counci1 will greatly benefit from your diplomatic skill and' "r
VI.. . . . . ..I . experience. _ /-
)< This month has &en'; great'event in the successful conclusion of the su&it . . . meetingl'in &>on between the leaders of the Soviet Union and the United
States. It is our hope that the summit has set in motion important pr~ocesses which I, _. will provide fresh impulses to the collective actions of the international
community to strengthen world peace.and security. : ,L, _
I also wish to avail myself of this opportunity to express our appreciation of
the exemplary manner in which Ambassador Eikuchi of Japan presided over the work of
the Council last month.
The Council has, over the years , repeatedly debated the tragic recurrence of
violence in the occupied Palestinian and Arab territories, in the familiar pattern
Of bloody confrontations between the Palestinian population and the Israeli
occupying forces, resulting in death and destruction and loss of numerous innocent
lives. For the. past eight days , such incidents have assumed particularly tragic
dimensions. In the statements they made before the Council last Friday, the
Permanent Observer of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Chairman of the
Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Eights of the Palestinian People dealt
With the current situation in the area in great detail. The wave of violence,
which began a week ago , continues unabated, and the increasing frequency and fury
of these incidents are the subject of daily reports in the international press.
Many Palestinians'have been‘killed in sevenstraight days of-clashes', which;'
according to'the United Nations relief officials, are the most violent in recent
years. The violence, which originated in the refugee district of the Gaza-Strip;
has spread to the West Bank, where many Arab towns remain closed as a result of a
general strike. ' 2'~
In what has been described as the most violent week in 20 years of'rsraeli
occupation, the death toll, according to reports from Gaza, is rising higher'as the
Israeli army shoots the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip in order to kill and "
terrorize them into submission. _'. _,
The indiscriminate-shooting by the Israeli army has failed to intimidate or"
keep at bay the Palestinian youth, who react in fearless defiance to these '
outrageous acts of violence against the innocent inhabitants of the refugee camps;'
Today's New York Times reports that,the fighting has spread throughout thelength"-'
and breadth of the Gaza Strip, where some 650,000 Palestinians are packed in'.', "'-'--Z
impoverished refugee districts and villages. The-united Nations. Director, On the""
spot, is reported to have described the.situation as one of- "either total "" "-"'
lawlessness or a popular uprising". I,,. ,.s-.. .- .,
On previous occasions; after debating the'recurrence of such violence in the
occupied territories,‘the Council, recognizing the gravity of the tiituation.? has”%
reaffirmed that the fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection'of Civil&
Persons in Time of.War is applicable to the Palestinian and other Arab Eerritorie&~~
including Jerusalem. 'On each such occasion, the Council's pronouncements fi&e'be&i‘
treated with'scant respect. Similar reaffirmations by the General Assembly,‘whfch~~
has repeatedly condemned Israeli practices in the occupi&d terrf&riei, h&‘&6; ”
remained unheeded. The international .community'has remained dee~ply, concerned~'with
the tragedy of Palestine for the best part.of,the 'century; but the cycle of :
repression and revolt, oppression and violence, defiance and reprisal has
continued unbroken. ,After all these tragic years, there is neither peace nor _
security in these territories. Far from providing refuge,,the refugee camps have
become the killing fields of the innocents. ::
-\ It is obvious that neither the uninhibited use of force; nor the attempts.to \. terrorixe the people of Palestine into seeking safety in exile, can bring peace.and
security to the region. It is equally obvious that peace and security cannot
return to the region unless Israel recognises the inalienable right.of the
Palestinian people to have a homeland of their own.
Without a just and durable peace based on the recognition of the inalienable
right & the Palestinian people to self-determination, the situation in the Middle
East will continue to remain explosive. No people can forever exist in.a state of
war. Israel itself needs peace. It can opt for a lasting peace by recognizing the
legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and abandoning its expansionist
policies. The uprooting of the people of Palestine from their homeland and the
destabilisation of this strategic region, for which .the Israeli-policies are
responsible, will not bring peace to Israel or an end to its' isolation in the
international community.
1983, recommends the convening of an international peace conference on the Middle
East and OUtlineS .certain fundamental elements for the 6uccessful,conclu6ion of a
comprehensive settlement. Last year, the Heads of State or Government of the
non?aligned countries.called for a speedy implementation of that resolution and
stressed the necessity for the early convening of the international peace
conference: They.emphasized .\
"the major responsibility shouldered by the Security-Council in facilitating
the convening of the Conference and providing the appropriate institutional
arrangements to guarantee the implementation of the expected agreements of the
Conference.'
There is growing awareness and near unanimity asong the members of.the
international community that such an international peace conference is necessary to ', : ic resolve this complex problem.
We feel encouraged by the Secretary-General's remarks that his special effort
to promote the convening of an international peace conference has been endorsed by
leaders of all parties to the conflict. It is regrettable that an opportunity of
historic proportions cannot be grasped because of Israel's negative attitude. As . the Secretary-General has pointed out:
"The major obstacle at present, however, is one of a different kind, namely,
the inab'ility of the Government of Israel as a whole to agree on the principle
of an international conference under United Nations auspices. Until the
Israeli Government accepts that such a conference is the best way to negotiate
a peace settlement, the way forward will remain difficultin
(S/19249, para. 33)
Our -commitment to the cause of Palestinian self-determination and independence
is deeply rooted in principle and conviction. We fully endorse the contents of the
communiques issued yesterday by the metiers of the Organization of Islamic
Conference and the Co-ordinating Bureau of the non-aligned countries at the united
Nations. These communiques stress the imperatives of enabling the Palestinian
people to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination and convening Of
the proposed international peace conference on the Middle East, with the
participation of all the parties concerned, including the Palestinian Liberation
Organisation, on an equal footing.
The international community considers the convening of such a conference an
urgent necessity. It is incusbent upon the Security Council to give its unanimous
(Mr. Shah Nawaz, Pakistan)
support to the Secretary-General in his endeavours to convene an international
peace conference on the Middle East. Procedural obstacles, created for temporary
gains, must 'not be allowed to outweigh the objective of a lasting peace, to be
achieved through the proposed peace conference. The Palestinians and the Arab . ;' :r : ,' States have demonstrated their readiness to work for a peaceful 'solution in the
framework of the'proposed conference. In these circumstances, it is Israel's '
obvious duty to eschew intransigence and procrastination and to join the
international community in its effort to seek a just settlement and lasting peace
the region.
I thank the represer ltative
Pakistan for his kind words addressed to me.
-. Tne next speaker is the representative of Yemen. I invite him to take a place
the Council table and to make his statement
Mr. BASENDWAR (Yemen) (interpretation from Arabic): I should like to
congratulate you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security.Council
especially for the last month of this year. I am pleased to see you presiding over
the Council for the following reasons: first, you represent a great country with
which my country, the Arab Republic of Yemen, is tied by old and well established
relationships based on friendship and ,mutual respect; and, secondly, because I am '_ confident that, thanks to your experience and wisdom, you will ably conduct the
work of this important Council - which is more important than any other council in
the world - so as to contribute in a practical way to the solution of many regional ,,
and international questions and problems,,both chronic and new, particularly the
question of Palestine.
Allow me, Sir, to thank your predecessor, the Permanent Representative of
Japan, for the great efforts he exerted when he‘presided over the Council's'
deliberations last month.
While thanking you, Mr. President, and the other members of the Council for
acceding to our request to participate in the discussion of this item, I should
like to pledge to be as brief as possible so as to allow you to make the maximum
use of your precious time.
There is no,need to go into the details of what has been happening in the ? 1 occupied Palestine territories, because the presentation of my brother and .;
colleague Mr. Zehdi Terzi of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the
statement made today by Mr. Nasser Al-Kidwa, Vice-Chairman of the Palestine /
Liberation drganixation , were comprehensive and fully convincing of the horrors ,. ., 1-; : ', that have been committed. ' ,., I - " * . . In fact, what we have seen on television and heard over international ';
broadcasts about .what is taking place - despite the fact that most of them favour I '._
i ., ! .’ \
i ;
Israel’; are crystal&zlear proof that the Palestinian people is determined to
liberate its land and regain its freedom. They also indicate that the Israeli . . . ocdupier would like to continue to impose its authority by fire and force. . . ; t; I feel. n&h pain. - in fact, I bleed - whenever I see pictures on American
,b,’ -. television of.what is happening in towns of the Gaza strip and the West Bank. As
‘,!I- _. representatives might have seen, Israeli foot soldiers and military tank crews
armed tc- the teeth with the most sophisticated weapons were shooting at random in
all directions against defenceless Palestinian citizens. Many of them fall either “. I dead”: or-“wounded, kaving not even little children , old men or women who, perhaps,
left their houses to inquire about their dear children or brothers; saving not even
students and young persons. Have we seen more barbarity than this?
But the representative of Tel Aviv, Mr, Netanyahu , instead of being ashamed
and hiding his face, came here and said with pride that the Israeli authorities by
their army’s acts of killing and aggression were just doing their duty and did not
violate 'any international law; on the contrary, they were trying to establish order
and implement law. He. seemed’ to be saying once again that the presence of the . . .‘ ;,. Israeli ocdupation army in the occupied Palestinian territories was totally legal.
He also indicated that the forcible occupation of the territory of others was
, r , sanctioned by international law, whether or not the Council and the international ’
community accepted that. What defiance!
:*_i That”‘representi..unprecedented disregard of the United Nations Charter, - international l&, the international community I , and the entire United Nations - ,*.., I.,.. ‘. ‘.
especialiy ‘this important and prestigious Council. That is a clear falsification.
Mr. Netanyahu gave the right to use force to the aggressor - not to those attacked li T”. and whose c&ntri& have been occupied, as indicated in General Assetily ..,“.* .ri ,. _’ %j i ” ” resolution 40/61. Those falsifications will deceive nobody..
(Mr. Basendwah, Yemen)
There tias another- attempt to try to divert our.attention from'trha,t*e"are T,Q
discussing here to another matter. 'He tried to blame other-Arab countries; "' "- '
seemingly forgetting that we are discussing here irikid&tik hot ‘in khdependen~'X~~l !.
countries but in the occupied territories. As always; he 'attr ibute'd‘ +fj.& &&p'" 2' s
heroic and popular resistance in the occupied Palestinian territor3e.s to'the .*,s~"~
Palestine Liberation Organisation. He seem to. forget that' e&f.'Tim $t&$'L e'?tdjs 'I
indicates the allegiance of the Palestinian people to its leadership. It
implicitly indicates that any solution of the Palestinian questfon and the
Israeli-Arab conflict cannot be achieved withcut the Palestine Liberation
Organization and its participation. His intelligence has not served him well this
time.
Mr. Netanyahu always tries to limit any discussion of the Palestinian
territories to the results and in accordance with his concept that the Israelis are
the victims. He knows - perhaps more than any other person - that the discussion
of any subject, if not dealt with logically, would be tantamount to treating cancer
with aspirin. Had he studied seriously the reasons behind the Palestinian
resistance he would not have misled himself. But he does not want to take the
trouble or to exert serious efforts to find that out. He knows the truth, but only
does not want to admit it. Does he not know that his people are the occupiers and
that the Palestinians are the ones who have been suffering under the yoke of
Israeli occupation?
The discussion of the dangerous incidents in the occupied Palestinian
territories has so far not diverted the Council's attention from the fact that what
is naw happening in that part of Palestine, and ever since 1967, islnothing but the
natural result of an illegal and illegitimate introduction there. But for the \ Israeli occupation of Palestine we would not have seen Palestinians taking to the
streets demanding freedom , self-determination and an independent State.. (*,
As is.knom, Isiael does,not agree to return the land to its people; it
refuses to withdraw from.that,land. It is prepared to use all forms.of oppression
and suppressi.on.against the Palestinians.so as to continue its occupation,of
Jerusalem,fi tbe,Wst.Bank:~d~~the Gaza Strip. It wants the Palestinians to _.
surrender to. its mightand authority. It wants to annex the remaining part of surrender to. its mightand authority. It wants to annex the remaining part of
Palestine which..has.been..occupied since 1967. Palestine which..has.been..occupied since 1967.
Had Israel wanted peace, peace would not have been delayed until this very-:-
day. The path to peace is crystal clear , as indicated in General Assembly,
resolution 38/S% C. Israel does not want peace by that path. It wantsta peace.-‘
imposed by itself - the peace of status quo, the peace of,capitulation:'-Tha't"is
why it has persistently rejected the convening of aninterna.tional conference On:
peace in the Middle Fast, as confirmed by the Secretary-General in his latest " L
report to the General Assembly. ,. I;. -
Perhaps jsrael has resorted to this.conduct because it is under.the.illusion
that imprescriptibility is.enough to legalise its occupation of the Palestinian and
Arab territories after its aggression against Pgypt, Syria and Jordan in June 1976,:'
or at least to render that occupation a fait accompli - as in 1948, when Israel was
created.
It is God's will - and as history indicates and recent events'have once again
confirmed - it is necessary to accelerate the convening of an.international
conference on peace in the Middle East. But pending that conference the Council
must assume .its duties: it must put an ,end :to the.horrendous:massacres .and s‘: ,:‘
blood-letting of civilian citizens perpetrated by the ,Israeli.army a.+ "to ensure
the Palestinians decent living conditions in peace, security and safety, free from
the acts of aggression committed against them by the Israeli authoritfes untit'.'.'d"::
their lands are liberated. ,. 'r
Israel's designs are aimed at-preventing the establishment of an bndependent' .:
Palestinian State and at keeping the West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza under its ~-:. :'--v:
control and settled by Jewish immigrants from other States, as hashappened ill the
past. . ., '. '_ . ;, ',., . '-- : ,'
Is it possible for the world to stand by as a-spectator whlle.,Israel tries fo~~-~~
implement its criminal designs since before and after 19481 Our only consolation
is that as long as Israel occupies the occupied Palestinian territories the popular
(Mr. Basendwah, Yemen)
resistance will continue, The fact is that what is happening these days is not
just a little accidental uprising but a huge popular revolution, as admitted even
by Israel's friends.,
Condemnation alone is not enough. The Council must seek to impose sanctions
against Israel in order to oblige .it to accept the convening of the'international
conference on peace in the Middle East with the participation of the'palestine
Liberation Organization (PLO), the sole, legitimate representative of the'
Palestinian people, on an equal footing, as was confirmed by-the resolutions
adopted by the Amman Summit Conference, which the Israeli representative -tried to
distort. He claimed that the PLO had not received the same attention at the Amman
Summit Conference as it had at previous conferences. However, he is advised,to
refer to the resolution (A/42/209 A) adopted by the General Assembly a few days
ago. It contains a whole paragraph from the Amman Summit Conference. .He will see
that he was deceiving no one but himself.
.I thank the representative
of Yemen for the kind words he addressed to me personally and to my country.
Mr+ DDMRVI (Ghana)t You represent a Government and people, Sir, with
which my country, Ghana, shares long and friendly relations based on our two
countries' .mutual respect. It is therefore a particular pleasure for the Ghana
delegation to see you occupying the presidency of the Security Council for the
month.of,Decenber. f convey to you, Sir, the congratulations of the Ghana
delegation.. :-.
1 should also like to pay a well-deserved tribute to your predecessor,
Ambassador Kiyoaki Kikuchi of Japan, the representative of another country with
which Ghana has friendly relations.. 'i .'
_' . ..'
(Mr. Dasendwah, Yemen)
.
The Security Council has convened yet another session in response to the :
deteriorating situation in the occupied Palestinian and Arab territories. For.
nine consecutive days there has been widespread violence in the occupied
territories. The resulting casualty figures , according to the latest reports., have
climbed to 12 persons killed and several others wounded.
Since the Council began its consideration of the subject last Friday,
8 December, the Ghana delegation has listened very closely to the statements of the
various speakers, particularly the representative of Israel, who has given his
Government's version of the events of the last few days. One fact stands out
clearly, namely, that the latest tragic events stem.directly from the attempt by
the Israeli occupation forces to suppress a demonstration by Palestinian Arab
youths who were protesting the killing of four of their compatriots in Jabaliya in
the occupied territories by a truck driven by an Israeli driver. While the Israeli
representative tried to dismiss the incident lightly as one of the common motor
accidents in Israel, the Palestinian youths believed that the death of the four
Palestinians was in revenge for the fatal stabbing of a Jewish businessman on
6 December.
In the ensuing violence the Israeli occupation troops shot two Palestinian
youths dead and wounded 18 others in a day-long disturbance in Gaza. In a related
incident, Israeli helicopters are reported to have dropped tear-gas canisters into
groups of Palestinian youths who had gathered in the court-yard of Shifa hospital,
where their wounded colleagues had been admitted for treatment. The Israeli troops
are also reported to have killed four Palestinians in the Balata refugee camp on
the West Bank, wounding 30 in another protest demonstration in that area. .Further
reports also have it that at Kalandia refugee camp north of Jerusalem 23 students
who raised the Palestinian flag during a demonstration were arrested, while another
12 were hurt in scuffles with the police.
There is a striking similarity between the current tragic events and the There is a striking similarity between the current tragic events and the
violence of the previous years. violence of the previous years. Last year the victims were students of the Last year the victims were students of the
Eir Zeit University on the West Bank. 'In that incidenr, Israeli occupation forces, l3ir Zeit University on the West Bank. 'In that incidenr, Israeli occupation forces,
armed with machine guns and tear-gas , opened fire on the students, killing two and
wounding 15.
.
The dead. and the wounded were among a group of students protesting against aerial,
artillery and naval attacks on Palestinian camps in southern Lebanon, and in “’
acknowledgement of the solidarity expressed by the‘rest of the world ‘in the
observance of Palestinian bay. .:_ ,
In the current violence, the casualties are again Palestinian Arab Gouths,‘ in
the it teens, including an U-year-old boy from the town of Khan Yunis in GE&;" He
is reported to have died after having been shot in the head by the Israeli forcesi
The representative of Israel has defended the shootings’as an exercise by his
Government in the enforcement of law’& order. At this’point’one’tiy ask: Y!,. ‘i is the’
enforcement of law and order achieved by shooting defenceless youths in the head? ’
The Ghana delegation finds it difficult to accept the defence used by the
representative of Israel.
The brutal killing of the U-year-old boy of Khan Yunis; and indeed those shot
and killed in various parts of the occupied terri tar ies, tempts one to conclude
again that excessive force has been used by the Israeli authorities to stifle the
expression .of legitimate political dissent. : I The Ghana delegation strongly condemns the brutal killing of ‘defenceless’ .
Palestinians and the violent excesses of the occupying Power and its army. ‘This .-
situation is of such.gravity and the tragedy is so immense that the almost
superficial and dismissive attitude adopted by the Israeli representative in his
statements is most regrettable and unfortunate.
Viewed against the accumulated Israeli actions of indiscriminate’killing,
I abduction, administrative arrest and harassment of the Palestinian Arabs in East
Jerusalem and other occupied territories , one can hardly resist the COnCltiSi& that
the latest incidents are calculated to demonstrate once again the superiority of
Israeli military power and therefore its capacity to crush the asp ira t ions of the
Palestinians, Apart from the fact:that this attitude is an illusion, it can only :
further aggravate an already volatile situation, with inevitable serious
implications for,,international peace and security. The tru,th of the matter ,is that
history has consistently shown that the legitimate aspirations of a people c¬
be indefinitely suppressed, Israel would do well to learn from this.
The.events that have been unfolding in the past few days have'again brought
into:sharp focus the gravity of the challenges which the unresolved Palestinian . .
question poses to the Council and the international community. Considering the < ‘
potentidl*threat ,to peaceand security resulting from the deteriorating situation, ., c . ..‘i
the Council, in the Ghana delegation's view, must act swiftly and firmly.
In this connection,,the Ghana delegation sees three possible courses of
action - and let me emphasize that this is by no means an exhaustive list:
First, the'Counci1 should again call upon Israel to fulfil its responsibility
towards the populations in the occupied Arab territories in accordance with the
1949 Geneva Convention. By resolution 592 (1986) this very Council last year
affirmed the applicability of that Convention to Palestine and the other Arab
territories occupied by Israel since 1967.. The Council must therefore call upon
'Israel to abandon what has become a habitual breach of the Convention. ., _.
Secondly, the Council should call upon Israel to release any persons detained
as a result of the week-long riots.
Thirdly, it is the view of the Ghana delegation that the question of the
proposed,TnternationalConference on the Middle East should be addressed with
urgency. The decisions of the current session of the GeneralAssembly have again .,
demonstrated overwhelming support for the idea. . .
_ ,; __;. '. :, ,: .'
’ Ghana appreciates the untiring efforts of .the Secretary-Generel’,.and his staff,
Who, in spite of the initidl set-backs, continue to keep up the momentum by
. maintaining dialogue with the Parties &kerned. , The .main . . obstacle 8 c;- ,<I*’ &n&es to be,
the unconstructive attitude of the Israeli admin’istra.tion. We should’l’ike ‘to’hope
.:: ,,I-’ ?r’ that Israel would heed the advice of the’ overwhelming majority -arid dem&strate
greater realism -and avoid insisting on pre-conditions which,’ in .our ‘view,’ ‘not’$nly’~
are unrealistic but also perpetuate a state’ of animosity &d conflict, After all,
20 years of unbridled display of force by Israel in its relations with its 1 -5 ,;.- CC-’ f neighbours have uot in any way diminished the legitimate’.aspirations of the ‘. ,;y$
Palestinian people. nor achieved for Israel any enhanced security. Perhaps the time’
has come for Israel to reassess ‘its policies and work towards the estabiishment ‘of
good neighbourliness, which every country, weak or powerful, needs. ‘. ” :’ i’
I should ‘pause here and address a few ivords to the .friends of Israel. The
present stubborn attitude of Israel derives ‘largely from the fact’ that it can count
on its friends to weaken any collective decis’ion of the ‘Council &ich ‘may relate- to
the“Palestinian auestion and’the situation ‘in the.Middle’ East. The ‘apparent
over-indulgence- of Israel only helps ‘to harden ‘its attitude and has been a’ &i’or ” ” ;., factor in undermining the credibility of the Council on the &es&n ‘of <he .,,, , ” “. ‘,
.b ~, ,. AraFIsraeli conflict. It is our hope that f’srael’s friends ~1’11 reassess -their .‘
position’ and join the majority in taking urgent’ action on resolving the problem in
all its aspects.
of Ghana for the kind words he addressed to my country and to & _-,.-. .; persona&~ ” ,” .
The next epeiker is the’ representative of the Islamic ‘_ . . Rep&l& of iran. ” I .* \I
*. . invite him to take a place at the Council table and to make his statement.
(I&, Dumevi, Ghana)
!,k. :4 i: Mr. MAHALLATI (Islamic Republic of, Iran) : .,; ., ..zn.,-, - . . “..~:;‘~; .. : ., . Allow me first to congratulate . ’
you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of this important body, which is “., \4 I~‘*. .: , .I : .,
responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security and therefore _-.* .,;a / d :.t:{‘(‘, ; :t”:.; ,; “,“1 6-L : I, : ,. -:.
one of the most .essenttal’bodies for the humane conduct of \ ,;ry.,, i;‘: :.: i.z _: i.‘. : international ._ I
relations. 1 am confident, that your wise conduct will substantiate the efforts :of -,.;:r, i.” .” *1.‘. ‘_j. ‘, . II _ ”
the Council on all issues-,of international importance during this month. I .
Thanks are due to the Ambassador and the delegation of Japan for the excellent r : :.
manner in which they conducted the affairs of the Council last iaonth. ;: ..i .; ; .,,, . ..\. ,, i ” c . . . j ,
The,Fecent acts of extreme violence by the forces of the Zionist occupier are . . : i
neither surpristng nor different in any conceivable way from the established 5-i. -.I .( _.
Original &&icy of the Zionist entity throughout its 40 years of bloody existence. -“” “.i. .~ , .
The Zionist agents and their supporters occupied the Palestinian lands through
violence, treachery and qr,imes .against the whole pf humanity. The atrocities and _ .,
violent behaviour of the Zionist occupiers. in the, past 40 years against the :
Palestinians and other Muslims $n the region are no secret to &nybody.
The introduction c?f terrorism to the :region.by~,the.zianist leaders 49 years., .) ;;,a ,.,. ;*::; '_ : 2 ) _ ;:,.,.: 1, / , i :_ i ,,I" _:, ..' . _ , _.
agot the ocCq?ation Of Muslim lands through, a policy of terror and expansion, the .\ I j: .: I _ :‘>‘; ;:, .a;.- ‘. .‘ ,
invasion of Lebanon, the massacre of innocent Muslims in Sabra an! Shatfla refugee II i-. 1: ,, ,.I :, ‘, I,.‘: i ‘,’ _,. ,_‘)I 1
amps, the recent acts of genocide in the west Sank and the Gaza Strip, as well as . .:j 5’3: ^ .‘Z.’ : ,: . / _ , ,- :
yes terey '6 bru tat,, "d all-qut attack against the &kka Valley, are all inevitable .::I : ‘i . I .
manifestations of one single phenomenon: Zionism. Violence, terror, genocide,,
expans,t?n, treachery and crime d‘. " ;,;,a: : :..>." 1 :A,,: ^ /': '. . . '. for the:purpose of domination are simply the : . . -, ./
ingredients of the philosophy of Zionism. We are under no illusion. we are .i‘ ., .~,...i ,. 3 ; ,’ .._: . .
indignant, though not surprised, at the recent ~‘.., _a ,’ -0. ,‘, Israeli, massacre of PalesUn+n ., I ,: (. i
Muslims. . ;. i $ ". ., .> '? LJ 5: z.; f! :fJ!:,:; &;< ':;"f., cc.:;:; .,,, ;I:..i.r.,:i ."':: .j ,. ; ; '< \:- ,~ .. , . : II, ,.
How long have we been complaining to the United Nations about atrocitiek&"'
its very own illegitimate offspring, the Zionist non-entity? Haw many.times have
the General: Assembly and the Security Council condemned the occupying~'rkg&e for
its brutal crimes against Palestinians to no avail? IS this time any different G
even if the Security Council finds the political will to condemn the Zionist' "'
non-entity, which of course it constitutionally should? We are under no illus son;
Following the recent Amman Arab summit, 'at which the cause of Palestine Was
betrayed, the Zionist rbgime; r.eceiving the grsen light, intensified its '. "
suppressionof the Muslim inhabitants of the West .Bank and the Gaza Strip"in the
hope Df depopulating the area and perpetuating its treacherous occupation of Muslim'
land. The Palestinian Muslims under Zionist occupation, being discouraged by the
Arab summit and alienated from its participants and their submissive final '
communiqu6, took the matter into their own hands. Unarmed teenagers and old men
and women strengthened their expression of resistance to the occupation of their
land.
The heroic resistance and the unprecedented perseverance of the Palestinian "
Muslims in their struggle against the American-backed Zionist rdgime havd instilled '
fresh hopes in the hearts not only of.the oppressed Palestinians but of the whole-
Muslim nation. The courageous struggle of the Palestinian Musl&ns once again '. '.-
sealed the timed fate of all conspirators who wished.to legitimise the Camp David'.
accord and to cornprom-ise with the Zionist non-entity; '. ._l ,.i+
.". At,this hour, an uneven battle is raging on in the occupied territories: on .'
one side, Palestinian youngsters armed with fearless faith and stones: on the
other, Zionist forces armed with American dollars,'machine-guns, tanks and'armoured
vehicles. , The sufferings'and's&crifices'of 'the Palestinians and the brutality and,
savagery of the Zionist enemy in this Uneven battle are naturally clear to everyone
and have in part been alluded to by preceding speakers,
Our information as of this morning indicates that 30 Palestinian Muslims have
been martyred and more than 300 others wounded by the Zionist forces of
occupation. The Government of the Islamic republic of Iran emphatically condemns
the maSSaCre of the unarmed Muslim inhabitants of the occupied territories and at
the same time reaffirms its full and unreserved support for the Struggle of the
Palestinian MuSlims to gpin the whole of their territory.
I thank the representative
of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the kind words he addressed to me.
The next speaker is the representative of Algeria. I invite him to take a
place at the Council table and to make his statement.
Mr. DJODDI (Algeria) (interpretation from French): ft is with great
satisfaction that the Algerian delegation sees you, Sir, presiding over the work of
the Security Council for the month of December. Our'satisfaction is increased .,I
becasue you represent a great country, the Soviet Union, with which Algeria is very
pleased to have traditional relations of friendship and co-operation. We are
convinced that your competence and personal qualities , which are acknowledged and
appreciated by everyone, will not be the least of the guarantees required for the
Successful accomplishment our your task.
Our appreciation goes to Mr. Kikuchi, the Permanent Representative of Japan,
for the effective way in which he presided over the work of this body last month.
At a time when the GeneraL Assembly was reaffirming the urgent need to convene
an fnternational Peace Conference on the Middle East and calling on the
Secretary-General to spare,no effort to-speed up its ,. _,,'i. convening, the Zionist rbgime,
resorting to methods the international community is now accustomed to witnessing,
was perpetrating further crimes against the Arab peoples in the occupied
territories.
Once again innocent people, including youths and children, have fallen to
Israeli bullets, victims of blind repression, just because they were Palestinians
and intended to remain Palestinians. Once again, by laying down their lives and
shedding their blood, the sons of Palestine have borne witness to the intolerable-
injustice that has been meted out to the Palestinian people and the indefatigable
will of that people one day to recover all its national rights..
The facts are clear, and no attempt to juggle them, no rhetorical exercises,
no effort to misrepresent events could change them or minimize their SeriOUSneSS-
The images are there in all their starkness on television screens throughout the
world.
Fire was deliberately opened against unarmed civilians, most of them
schoolchildren and students, in a number of places in the occupied territories,
sowing death and destruction among the civilian population.
~These unjustifiable acts, which have been repeated as the days have gone by,
claiming dozens of innocent victims, amount to premeditated murder, bearing witness
to the Zionist re'gime's contempt for human life and its determination to resort to
every possible means to attempt to stifle the voice of the Palestinian people.
The bloody events in the Gaza Strip and the west Rank of the Jordan in recent
days, the seriousness of which is revealed in a report by the Commissioner-General
of the United Wations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near
E&t .(UWRWA), reminds us of all the horror of the Israeli occupation and of the
responsibility of this Organization, particularly the Council, to put an end to it
once and for all and to do justice to a people dispossessed of its homeland and its
national rights.
It is in this atmosphere of terror and violence that a new generation of
Palestinians, which was born under occupation and grew up under occupation, is
today withstanding with remarkable courage and determination the forces of
repression and proclaiming its unshakeable faith in the justice of its cause. This
heroic resistance, which is being shown in a striking manner throughout occupied
Palestine, deserves the admiration and support of all the peoples of the world.
This is an opportunity for my delegation to pay tribute to that resistance, which
constitutes an act of faith in the inevitable outcome of the national liberation
struggle of the Palestinian people, under the leadership of the Palestine
Liberation Organization.
One of the essential characteristics of the Middle East conflict, presenting a
continuing danger,- is that it is constantly unpredictable because of the
multiplicity of its forms and the diversity of its threats to international peace
and security. Despite repeated attempts to reduce it to one or another of its
elements, it inevitably comes down to its essential dimension: the question of
Palestine.
(Mr. Djoudi, Algeria)
If considered as local, the conflict,has nevertheless shown that it could
develop-to such an extent as to affect those countries that are the most certain of
their ability to keep it within limits that are tolerable with regard to their Own
security.
If regarded as regional, the conflict has also shown - because of the very
existence of the Zionist rdgi& - that no part of the Mediterranean or the
geographical area from the Atlantic to the Gulf has been spared from designation.by
the official spokesmen of Zionism as a theatre for aggression.
while the Zionist r6gime's lust for power has prompted it to extend the outer
limits of its aggression, its very base in occupied Palestine is now shaken by
those whom it had thought it could subjugate indefinitely.
The crisis in the Middle East originated in the dispossession of a people Of
its land, a people whose national rights have been denied. Forty years later that
people is still showing, by its exemplary struggle, its irrestible determination to
establish itself as a free people on its historic land. ,' 'a The conflict in the Middle East was worsened by the occupation of Arab
territories. Today, 20 years later, the whole of Palestine is again teaching the
occupier a lesson of history: that the only way to cope with occupation iS to
resist it, even when spontaneous uprisings provoke fierce and disproportionate
repression. Because it cannot fail to pay heed to this authentically national
resistance, which today is acquiring a new dimension, the Zionist occupier is
trying to overcome its disarray by brutal resort to violence and oppression. Thus,
if the tragedy of occupation and repression , which cannot be hidden, is a daily
experience, heroism is also a daily experience , showing that the prolongation of : .' the Israeli fait accompli cannot circumscribe'the national rights of the
Palestinian people.
At the's& time, who can doubt that the resistance has refuted the proponents ,
of annexation; whether declared or creeping, who had thought that time was on their ,., : ,,:- t " ':c side in forcing acceptance of faits accomplis? Time doesnot erode the.rights of a
people or its identity. The time of apparent apathy in a people that has decided
to struigle to preserve and strengthen its national identity is precisely the time ,, when it is &t&ring 'its strength,"as is proved by the final accession to
independence of peoples, sometimes after centuries of colonial domination. From
that point of view, 40 years of fafts accomplis could not change the determination of ti;,“PYi'ks;~;ii*n. peo;l.e, " ,. .,, .today'imbued with fresh vigour, since it is the
determination of a third generation of resistance fighters.
It was 70 years ago that the conspiracy was hatched to dispossess the
Palestinian people of iis historsc land. Forty years ago the Zionist usurpation
took its institutionalised form in Palestine, and for 20 years the OCCUpatiOn of
other Arab territories has been continuing. Since its beginning the Middle East
conflict has been regularly marked throughout its development by anniversaries
bearing witness to the tragedy of Palestine. They are c&menw>rated today above all I, ., : in the o&pied Arab territories, where the resistance of the Palestinian people
reaches this very Ch&ber as an outcry against the lethargy of the consciences of
those who have the means, if not the desire, to work to restore justice.
The events the Council is now considering revea.1 the true situation in the
occupied 'territories- and therefore symbolize the nature of the problem with which . tbe“internationa1 community is again confronted.
By asking'the Security Council to hold emergency meetings, the Arab Group
intended to enable it to gauge the seriousness of the situation so that it could
shoulder the r&sponsibilities incumbent upon,it under the Charter. That involves
taking the measures required by the circumstances to ensure without.delay respect
,
for the provisions of the fourth Geneva Convention, and thus guarantee the SeCUtity
and safety of the populations of the occupied territories. This also means t&a< no
final solution to the crisis can be envisaged if it does no< prdperly"&~fsf~ &g
inalienable national rights of the Palestinian people and involve $h'e-'&%mP~e~e'~an~
unconditional withdrawal of Israeli forces from the occupied Arab' &rr&Oii6s.
In that regard, the holding of an international '&nference 'u'n-der &$e-d' 't"?,r:
Nations auspices, with the participation on an equal footing of the Palestine L
Liberation Organization, as the sole legitimate representative of th-e Palestfnian
people, is the only appropriate framework to bring about a just-ana-E&?ti?tg '::"\"" ' '
settlement of the Middle East conflict. The Security Council;which has a'leadin@.
role to play in the convening of such a conference , should do.all Lt can&to 03&e"-
the reMining obstacles to its being held. .The Council.should 'resal'utely darry"'ouE'
that task if it wishes further to confirm its desire fully to'use its authority in'
the settlement of conflicts threatening international peace and security. .'
The.PRESIJXNT (interpretation from Russian)t :I thati the representative
of Algeria for his .kind.words about my country and those- he addressed t% me;
The next speaker'is the representative,of the L$bpan &ab;f&iahiflya.-"~""' '.".'
invite him to take a place at the Council -table and to“make his'-statemetit. " " ..-' 'I"=~
Mr. ==I: (Libya Arab Jaairiya) (int&p&l&i&~ fr&r'+ir&i&)'~" I~*wish I. _; at the outset, -Sir, to thank you and all the other-metiers of'the &jncic for . . :. responding to our request to speak before the Council.' *I ', *' ' :;';'$' 7, :.;u
On. my delegation's behalf; Sir, I also wis, ;(; expr&s ou* .:ap$e&&)h and', “.S
congratulations b you or-~ your assuxqtion .of the presidency for &rg m&thi' '%?“arg
confident that y0t.k ability and wisdom will en&l& .the coud.~ &“&h&d kh&“.-
desired3 results.'. . . L. : i' / :. 1. '- _,... " . ‘:;.- c , ,
: ,
._ ~,I . I . . :
ft is a special pleasure for me personally, because your country and mine enjoy
close links of.friendship, We in the Arab world are gratified by your people's ).I
h&torical,support for ,just causes world-wide, particularly the Palestinian cause. ,-i . *.
I wish also to convey our thanks to Ambassador Rikuchi, Permanent r .: t __
Representative of Japan,,,for his valuable work as President of the Council last
month.
The Counci1.i~ meeting again, and probably not for the last time, to discuss
the acts of ,aggressLon and repression carried out for the past 40 years in
Palestine and the occupied Arab territories by the Zionist gangs. For 4Oyears we
have,,been discussing these barbaric acts in Palestinei for 20 years we have been
discussing the spread of this aggression to engulf other Arab territories. The
current events in Palestine underscore the fact that a people cannot.be defeated,
and that injustice cannot last forever. Despite Zionist repression, despite a
broad international conspiracy, despite the political and material support enjoyed
. by the Zionist gangs-in Palestine, neither might nor terror can erase the m&cry of
the Palestinian people,. The events in Palestine confirm the inevitability of the
victory Of peoples against the.forces of injustice and evil. , ' I
:~ ;I cot&I slpeak in.detail.of the martyrs who have fallen, of the wounded, of
torture and of imprisonment, but that would not suffice. should we weep for our
martyrs or take pride in their martyrdom?~ We are proud of them, ,because-what was
taken ;away by...forcs can be.restored only by force. . . History has.taught us ,that'only
the,strugglejof peoples c+ put.an.end to injustice &nd,aggression. J
There has been a broad international conspiracy aga.inst the Palestinian people I_
and the mass media - which are controlled by Zionism - have attempted to alter the . . facts and to describe the Palestinian people's liberation struggle a~*~te~rorism*.
The Victims of violence and aggression are labelled as "terrorists", while the
(Mr. Treiki, Libyan Arab Jamah'iriya)
occupier and aggressor
is supplied with weapons and money. There are constant,
attempts to change the
demographic composition of Palestine and,the o*pted-Arab,,, _I
territories; there is constant pressure in favour of immigration to Palestine., and.:
immigration means the expulsion of Palestinians and the establishment by the ,.,__-:..
aggressor of more settlements with the money it is.provided without limit. ::. ,~'..:::
We have heard it claimed that the Palestinian people's overwhelming-uprising
was instigated from outside. By "outside" they mean the Palestine Liberation ;,I
Organization (PLO). The Palestine Liberation Organization,,,,(PLQ) ,.is..the ~ ii j :..
representative of the Palestinian people and an expression of,the will of that;..,’
people. Continued'resistance by Palestinians subjected to murder and terror by
Zionist gangs in Palestine is the same as.continued resistance by Palestinians
outside in their diaspora. We have heard it claimed that this happened on the
anniversary of the Balfour Declaration. What is wrong with that? Is it not our
right as Arabs to commemorate the international tragedy that was 'devised to expel
our people and establish a State ruled by Zionist gangs?
The Balfour Dec,laration is a blot on our memory. The late President Nasser
said that it was a case of those without ownership giving to those without rights.
We are now seeing the repercussions of the Balfour Declaration in a long march of
occupation and in repeated acts of repression.
Should we weep? Should we ask for mercy? Should we wait for inspiration? Or
should we demand the adoption of resolutions? The Security Council and the General
Assembly have adopted scores of resolutions, but they all remain unimplemented dead I letters. The Zionist entity has flouted all the Council's resolutions time and
again. Should the Council adopt yet another resolution? No matter how binding its
provisions might be, it cannot save a child, a woman or a student from inevitable
death.
This is'nothing new; it has been going on for a long time. The Council must
take decisive action, for that can end the tragedy and the occupation. 'We have
tried asking the Zionist entity to respect international resolutions, but what
resolutions has it respected? The Geneva Conventions? The presence of the Zionist
entity is a violation of the Charter and United Nations resolutions. The Zionist
entity is an illegitimate child of the United Nations that has flouted all the
Organization's resolutions and ignored all the resolutions of this Council.
In 1967 General De-Gaulle. decisively imposed an arms embargo against the
Zionist'entity. That was a practical measure. Cannot other countries follow
suit? Do those who condemn the Zionist entity impose embargoes against it? Or do
we see certain quarters supporting the Zionist entity to the tune of billions of
dollars annually? Can they not act logically at least once in their history?
I:..,. ‘-’ . ‘. :. _ ; ._.. ., .
(Mr. Tteiki, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya)
The money they provide will .contribute to the killing of Palestinians and to
the establishment of settlements, unless, of course, we Considei: that the . “.,.I
Palestinians are not human beings and do not deserve to live. The Palestinians
have raised their banners today, shouting “Get out or kill us.” Yes, they have
exposed themselves to death. But instead of that, we see that there are those who
say that they do not want that, that they want something practical. We say that we
would 1 ike all support to be stopped. We would like those who are providing the
enemy with weapons to end that practice. Such a course could deter aggrestiion.’ ‘We
do not want another resolution to be added to the United Nations archives. We want
action by this Council.
We in Africa and in the Arab world have almost lost hope in the United
NatiOnS. But our hope, regardless of how rudimentary it is, is for this COuhCil t0
shoulder its historic responsibility to deter aggression and put an end to
occupation. What we are witnessing in occupied Palest,ine today is SimPlY the law
of the jungle. If this situation persists and if the policy of strength continues,
it would only result in the beginning of .a new era of chaos, oppression and
occupation, an era in which the strong would devour the weak. .
At a time when we call upon everyone to adopt realistic resolutions, we should
like to confirm that the Arab people of Palestine and the Arab nation will stand
steadfast. We are a determined people: even if we encounter setbacksI we shall be
victorious in the end, regardless, of how strong the aggressor and those who support
him may be. The inevitability of history is that the people will be victorious; we
have no doubt about- that.
My people, which is part and parcel of the great Arab nation, would like to
reiterate its commitment to the liberation of Palestine, to.stand by the &de of .
(Mr. Treiki, Libyan Arab Yamah iriya)
the Palestinian people and to struggle with them under the leadership of the
Palestine Liberation Organisation , until Palestine is liberated,
, The PRESIDENT (interpretation from Russian): I thank the representative
of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya for his kind words addressed to me and to my country.
The next speaker is the representative of Democratic Yemen. I invite him to
take a place at the Council table and to make his statement.
Mr. AL-ASHTAL (Democratic Yemen) (interpretation from Arabic): In my
capacity as Chairman of the Arab Group for this month, I am pleased, Sir, to
congratulate you most warmly on your accession to the presidency of the Security
Council for this month. I need not pay a tribute to you or praise your diplomatic
talents: you have demonstrated them during your wise guidance of the Council's
work since the beginning of your presidency. I am all the happier that you
represent the Soviet Union, which supports Arab causes and, first and foremost, the
just struggle of the Palestinian people. The Soviet Union maintains strong bonds
of friendship and co-operation with my country, Democratic Yemen.
1 should like to express my thanks and appreciation to your predecessor,
Ambassador Kikuchi, the representative of Japan, for the exemplary manner in which
he presided over the work of the Council last month.
This is not the first time that the Security Council has been called on to
discuss the historic tragedy which the Palestinian people continues to suffer in
resisting the usurpation of its land., the occupation of its nation and the
violation of its national rights , including civil rights stipulated in the fourth
Geneva Cbnvention and in international law. .The Palestinian.peopld has
consistently resisted Israeli occupation by every means at hand, without losing
hope that the United Nations would be able to offer support and assistance to
(Mr. Treiki, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya)
permit that people to exercise its inalienable right to national self-determindtion
and to establish an independent State on its soil. But this is the first time tha~t
the Security Council is dealing with the situation in the occupied territory /'. -' "
following a massive and unprecedented popular uprising, unprecedented'in Palestine
since 1936. :;
The heroic popular resistance of the Palestinian people, like that of other
peoples that have struggled against foreign colonization and occupation, has never
ceased. We have seen ups and downs depending on internal circumstances as they
have prevailed under the occupation and outside Arab and international situations.
The resistance began with the rejection of the occupation. That resistance was
manifested in a variety of ways: for example, by expressions of rejection written
on walls or by military resistance. Today the world is witnessing a heroic haga
written by the Palestinians following their disappointment in the political
solutions which they have always heard about but which have never been
implemented. The young, the elderly, women and children, are all Organising a
popular resistance against the forces of Israeli occupation. They are not only
expressing the will of the people, but at the same time they are also reminding the
international community quite clearly that they have waited'all too long, that they
reject the fait accompli and that they are struggling to change the situation.
One of the Israeli journalists said, in seeing women.and children throw stones
at Israeli soldiers in the streets of Gaza, "the day will come when we will look
for someone in order to rid ourselves of Gaza". That journalist is right, for he
knows without question that a people that believes in its cause and resists foreign
occupation by throwing stones can never be crushed by military force. Many
important lessons can be drawn from the history of peoples that have struggled to
gain their independence.
(Mr. Al-Ashtal, Democratic Yemen)
. ._ ., (Mr. Al-Ashtal, Democratic Yemen)
'The telative.calm which sometimes prevails in Palestinian territories is often
in,t.erpreted by thetioccupation forces to mean that the fait accompli has been
accepted by the Palestinian people. But that is k false'calm. Resistance grows
un tiL:,Jt.,explodes at an appropriate time. At present, the,Palestinians are living
through this time in history; through the ir martvrdom. .s - m---v disalavinn an ovsmnle nf ---c--a --‘2 -. "*......r'-- --
sacrifice by- offering their Lives for the independence of their nation.
‘/ . .
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I need not speak of Israeli practices in the occupied Palestin$an ,and A.r,abz~ :..
territories, the, settlements policy, and the measures that violate international
law, such as the annexation of Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. The, United rJafiQns
has adopted hundreds of resolutions on Israeli practices and measures that- violate
international law and norms. Such practices are but a manifesytion of the, .,, .:.::.:::..
problems of occupation.
The popular uprising that is occurring in the occupied, territor ies, goes beyond;
a simple reaction to the persistent Israeli occupation; it shows the profound , ; .’ 1% =, _,1 .-\.: x 1 ; 11.4
meaning of that occupation. The Palestinian people has decided to exercise X$ts:, *./. i
national rights by action - rights which have been recognized by the United Nations
and unanimously adopted by the international community. Furthermore# the popular.
uprising in the occupied territories reminds those who ignore the Palestinian +- :
people and try to avoid the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the sole, ;,,
legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, that the question of Palestine
is at the very heart of the Arab-Israeli conflict and that there is no acceptable
solution to that conflict but a comprehensive and just one; . 1 .’ , , . ?I.. .i, that partial solut5ons. -: , ,*. .,7,. -.,.
run into deadlock; and that the policy of fait accompli meets with ,te.s$s,tance~ __ I_ *.L. / G‘: 2
* The fact that the Security Council acceded to the Arab,.reguest tP.,considet.:th~,:,.“:’ 7. “‘. I
situation of Israeli occupation and convened meetings coinciding.w$th .the?Ireroic~,:;,.,,i-~-.;
resistance of the Palestinian people against that occupation is a tribute to that.
heroic resistance, without which the just plans for peace would not be, representedTY:;,:,-l _I ,. 1 :‘ .<'
and the conscience of the world would not have acted to replace, f?it,,ac,~~~~i,wi~~;: Icz',2 .I _ ~, .i I.
peace. ..,; . ,I._ ., , ,,'I' : I ', . \
We hope that the Council will shoulder its responsibility by adopt&g ..: -. 5‘ ‘,I ;~ ,,l \ I
immediate, practical ‘measures to deal with th”.,Igr$~~~..o,~c~:~~~.~~f., FQ:e c i: :. : ,....-l, ‘. .L I_, .:,
territories ‘and rehress the situation perpetrated against the Palestinian people
over the past 40 years. The Security Council would thus prove that the conscience
of ~ee.wo~ld’,‘is.stil.~ alive and .that those stones thrown at occupation forces are
the l.i’ght: which” will. bring’ back ‘hope for the Palestinian people - hope for a
comprehensive; just- solution of their cause. We ‘believe that we can aspire to that.
I thank the representative
of &nocratic Yemen ‘for the kind words addressed to my counry and me personally.
The &ct speaker is the’representative of Yugoslavia. I invite him to take a
place at’the’~cZouncil table and to make his statement.
; ‘. L Mr. PEJIC (Yugoslavia) t First of all; I should like to extend to you,
Sir, my,cordial’congratulations on your assumption of the office of President of
the Securiti Council for the. month of Becesber in which, we believe, a new page in
international, relations was opened by the signing of the United States-Soviet
treaty ‘on the elimination of medium-range and &otter-range missiles. That event
clearly shows that each and every outstanding international problem, irrespective ,- ‘: Of differences that may’ exist ‘between States, can be successfully resolved if there . _
are goodwl3%and sin&e readiness to engage in dialogue and patient negotiations. . ‘j Wiul’$oUr pb.litical -exp&rience, we are confident that you will conduct the
Counci18&‘iork in ‘&he best interest of the Organization. 1 , My apprkciation goes also to ‘your predecessor, Mr. Biyoaki Bukuchi, Permanent . . ., *.. ‘-_ : ’ Represey$ti;r& of Ja;;an ‘:c‘ ; _’ =. -~: , for his successful conduct of the Security Council’s ” - ., A,. . . ., “,’ de1 iberations diurini’ ‘ule .‘month of November.
The constantly dangerous situation in the Middle East, caused by the . ~ , .’ expansionist ana annexationist.&licy~ of Israel, is one of those hotbeds of crisis ,’ which, owing t0 its’&tentiai conse&nce& ‘for. internation& security’; have been .‘.
the subject of the continuous and justified concern of the international
I
community. The last wave of violence and brutality against the Palestin,ian; i
population in the occupied territories of the West -Ba_nk ar~d.,th-$~~,Gaza ,StrJp,.is .yef $,, I. _ ,- . .
another confirmation of the warnings .expressed so very often in the, recently,,:,:...., . .
concluded debate in the General Assei@ly that the existing state of n?~war,,, ..,'X .
no-peace and the absence of serious political efforts and readiness to seek.,: t '"2 ..'
solutions to the Middle East crisis and the question of Palestines which is at its
core, can at any moment explode into a conflict of the broadest proportions. _; 5":
The explosive situation and the justified protests of the Palestinians:w+-,zhe
West Bank and in Gaza are, for those reasons, neither accidental nor unexpectedi
They are natural consequences of the untenable situation created by Israeli :‘
occupation and the continuous denial of the legitimate rights and aspfrations:Of,-,
the Palestinian people to self-determination and a State of their own. :
Yugoslavia has always pointed out that,one cannot ensure one's own security by
denying and trampling upon the rights of others. The General Assembly has already
passed its own judgement on the'Israeli practices in. the occupied.tertitories and
the &ily violations of the Geneva Convention Relative to the Protect&on of ,,:.. .:. ._ >.
Civilian Persons in Time of War. .-_.
Despite all 'the efforts to portary a.different picture of the situation., the,., :,
increasing nervousness of the Israeli occupying forces and .their impotenceto~~ $1
suppress the resistance and demonstrations , regardless of the methods and me.$ns 'L, .'
empioyed, including aggressive military.force,against unarmadpeople, have.laid "I.' c ,,..' '. bare the true nature of Israeli occupation. . . ~/ .._ : 1 , :. ': I "
The resistance of the Palestinian people and the da,ily clashes Of : . ', ., .~ . .
demonstrators with the occupying authorities are telling proof that it is ilJ.us~~ry,!,~~~
to expect and attempt to legalize a fait accompli created by occupation, regardless,
of the force and might that may stand behind it.
(Mr. Pejic, Yugoslavia)
Violence, terroi: and reprisals against unprotected Palestinian children, women
aridold people will not, nor can they, bring about peace in the occupied
territories. If anything , they can lead to increasing revolt and resistance to
Israeli occupation. At the same time, such a situation shows that no solution of
the crisis can be achieved by a policy that is pursued from the position of
superiority and diktat. Similarly, each and every attempt to decide the fate of
the Palestinians without their adequate participation and representation is doomed
to failure.‘
Yugoslavia has always maintained that 'the only way to stabilize the situation
in the Middle East is to open up prospects for a political solution of the problem,
based on assurance of the legitimate aspirations and tights of the Palestinian
people. As an active member of the Com&ttee of nine Non-Aligned Countries for
Palestine, Yngoslavia has always fully supporte.d all constructive efforts in that
direction. The latest events in the occupied territories are just another warning
that the solution of'the question of Palestine cannot be postponed indefinitely.
The recently concluded debate in'the Gen&al Assembly confirmed that there is
a grwing awareness of the need for and support of convening the international
conference on-the Middle East under United.Nations .auspices, on the basis of the
relevant r’eSdlUtiOnS of the General Assembly and the Security Council, with the
participation of all directly interested parties-on a footing of equality,
including the Pleas the sol&, legiti&te representative of the Palestinian
people. In our opinion, that is the only realistic way to achieve a just, lasting , and comprehensive settlement of the‘ Middle East crisis and the question of
Palestine.
. :. .‘* _ ’ .
(Mr. Pejic, Yugoslavia)
_’ .
’
However, I should like to point out also on this occasion that the essential
condition is the Complete withdrawal of Israel from all the Arab territories
occupied since 1967, the realization of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian
people, under the leadership of the PLO, to self-determination and a State of their
Own, as iell &s the respect for the rights of all countries, including Israel, to
live in peace and security within internationally recognized borders.
The. continuous exacerbation of the situation and the disturbances in the 1x ./ * Occupied territories are a warning sign that there is an urgent need for renewed
consultations with directly interested parties and all those that can contribute to
a constructive solution of the problem for the purpose of an early convening of the
international conference. Along these lines we fully support the tireless efforts
of the Secretary-General, whose endeavours so far to find a basis for the solution
of the-crisis deserve our recognition.
We are certainly well aware of the difriculties that obstruct the realization
of this idea, due primarily to the negative stand of Israel. We therefore
earnestly hope that the last escalation of violence and brutality against the
Palestinian people will influence the countries that can do so to bring pressure to
bear on the Israeli Government to change its negative,pasition regarding the
,international conference and the solution of the problem.' We also hope that
Israeli political circles will draw appropriate conclusions and realize that the
protraction of this situation 'in the occupied territories harms Israel itself and
that,a political solution of the question of Palestine roust be sought based on full
respect for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination.
If this is not achieved, the situation will .antinue to deteriorate with all the
risks it poses for international peace and security.
(Mr. Pejic, Yugoslavia)
The PRESIURtUT (interpretation from Russian): I thank the representative
of Yugoslavia for his kind words about the results of the high-level United
States-Soviet meeting and for the kind words he addressed to me. r.; _, The next speaker is the representative of India. I invite him to take a place i\ at the Council table and tc make his statement. . ‘.
Mr. GHARRKHAN (India) : At the cutset, Sir, I should like to extend to
YOU my delegation’s warm congratulations -on your assumption of the presidency of
the- Security Council for this month. We are fully confident that your well-known
abilities and experience will enable the Council to work effectively on the
important issues threatening international peace and security.
f should aiso like to express our appreciation to your predecessor, the
Permanent Representative of Japan, Ambassador Kikuchi, for presiding over the
Council with such distinction during November.
This meeting is a vindication of the Secretary-General’s report On the
situation in the Middle East where he referred to the unrest, violence and loss of .
innocent lives in occupied territories. Indeed, he warned that the situation was
“explosive”, with ramifications not only for the region but for the entire
international ‘community. The renewed acts of violence by the occupation forces
have resulted in the killing and wounding of many Palestinian men, women and
children. Day after day we read reports of murders of innocent and defenceless
people in the Gaza and West Rank, as well as the arrest and detention of
Palestinian youths in the occupied territories. These atrocities Constitute one
aspect of the “iron-fist” expansion&St policy that Israel has been practising with
a view to enforcihg. its annexation of Palestinian and other occupied Ar.ab
territories.
The popular uprisings in the occupied territories are not mere
demonstrations. They are a reflection of the will of an entire people for an
independent homeland of their own. There are some countries which.vooifer~OUslY I
advocate human rights in other parts of the world while remaining.stlent on the
plight of millions of Palestinian refugees who live in the occupied-territori.es @nd.
face policies of discrimination , exploitation and humiliation.
The struggle'of the people of Palestine has been a saga of bravery and *' r
sacrifice. We in India have always considered their cause as out cause,~ and their
struggle as part of the wider movement against colonial,rule and oppression.. It .
is, indeed, a tragedy that in spite of their long struggle the brave Palestinian
people remain without a homeland of their own.
Early establishment of the‘preparatory committee to convene an international
conference on peace in the Middle East, in accordance with the relevant United
Nations resolutions, is a key element in this regard.. It goes without saying that
the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the sole, legitimate representative af
the Palestinian people , should have the right to participate in the oonferenoe on
an equal footing. A just and lasting solution to the conflict must include the
exercise Of the right of self--determination by the Palestinian people.
The problem of Palestine has been one of the' fundamental preocoupations'of the
countries of the Non-Aligned Movement. Their support of the Palestinian cause was
reaffirmed at the summit meeting of Heads of State or Government in Harare. The
Non-Aligned Committee on Palestine, of which India is a member, ha$ Mde efforts to ;:
explore; through dialogue and consultation , ways and means to convene the
international conference as early as possible.
The Co-ordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement in its comrhunigud Of'
yesterday has Called upon the Security Council to send a fact-finding commission to
the occupied Palestinian territories to investigate the situation and to report to
the Codficil ‘as so&r ins po%Zble.. Needl-ess to’ ‘say, as a’ member- of the Co-ordinating
Bureau, my delegation ful3.y supports this proposal. We hope that the Council will
take timely and effective action - indeed, we urge it to do so - to arrest the
“deterioration of the situation in the occupied territories. Failure to do so might
\ have grave ‘consequences for peace and stability in the. region and beyond.
I thank the representative
of India for the- k-ind words he addressed to me. . .
The. next’speaker is the representative of Israel. I invite him to take a
(Mr. Gharekhan, India)
Mr. NETANYAFU (Israel) t Amidst the din and clutter of vituperation,, .let .l,’ me try to view“this series of Security Council meetings in a ‘sober ; z.;fi . L--J,’ I; $er;ip&tive. -* * ;r> *
First, a recapitulation of the facts:’ ,, ., .Throughoui the month of November and in early De&ember, ihe: &G ‘op&ly incited
for riots and.‘violenoe in Judea, -Samaria and Gaza. -_ Ye .r &. would. b; o;g”i$e;i.J 259.
around’s Succession of dates marking certain events in the A&b-fsraeli &nflict _ q
:. ., which ocdur during that period. I~ ,:‘ The idea behind. ‘this campaign i an idea’ openly ‘: .-
expressed by the PLO’ - was to bring about the loss of life not only of I&&is but - : . r also, indeed especially, of young ‘Arabs. “This violence would be ‘used to’convene ‘1 ,’ 1 .: ,. . . * ,R . the Security Council for’ the purpose of conducting the’usual tirade against ‘&a& ., .(, and “Israeli occupation”. The actual convening of the Council is then f&ther
used, as”Arafat himself has exhorted, to draw out the violence for as long as -. ; ,, ) :j ,‘: / ,,. :- .,... I. : 1. ._ 3 ,- ,. : ,, .., .i, i. i- ;-:., :; ,, ,._I .:‘.2 possible. . . ., That is exactly what the PLO did last year ai &e”end of <he ≠‘al ‘As&&ly i session. i ; .. * ,_ _ .; : : ;. ‘: I$ I ‘said it then, and’ perhaps some people here had .dor;bts’, Well, if anyone ..:. .,, ,-: did have ariy doubts ‘about the ob-krdinated nature of this ‘eifort; 66 && bc’ : ; i ( : ‘,
hard-pressed i6 overlook’ the ex&kordinary coincide& bf km& -and .i:C!&& ” ” .;.,.c~? .::4
between the occurrenoes .then ai& ghe occurrences nm.‘
. . i,, The PLO’8 ‘task this year was at once made more urgent and :
last year. .. -,:_ _: It was made more ‘t&&t be&use ‘the PLO ‘ias r&ga&‘to . .:- ‘. -. , ~ ..’ the sidelines ~ _. -;, ‘; : ” ,. :;.< at the . _ .,’ .._ ’ ,. ;, 1’ .I’ il :. I Amman summit. In f&t,’ we owe & ‘debt of ‘gratitude to’ the ‘representative of Iran,
who said as much in his btatemen’t here. .- - ,; I ‘suppose we should also congr&&te him
on finally appearing in’ the Security Council. ,‘(’ ‘- ” ~. That pkitiok’of b&r@ relegated to ,,: ,- . :, : T’ .; ,“‘_ ‘. the sidelines makes a campaign in the fit&d and in the Security Council absolutely
vital to rescue the PLC from a growing political irrelevance in the Middle East,
less
difficult’ than
, : { ; '. :,/ ‘,,T : _' r: I. i ‘_ ' 1 li.
and especially in the genuine search for a peaceful
conflict.
But it alS0 became less difficult for the PLD to do what it seeks to d~.this '. I I#
&or because of two.recent events. '\ ; .,....~. The first was the murder by the PLC of an ~ . . . _-.
Israeli, a man named Shlano Sakel, who was stabbed to death while Shopping in an '.
Arab market on 6 December. Sakel'6 murder follcked a series of murder6 of Israeli6
in Gaza during the last year ,'. , such a6 the' fatal.stabbing of Haim Azran, ._ ,. Israel Ritro and fbrahim Salem - Salem was mistaken for a Jew. Of course Sakel'6 . . . -.
murder - or, for that matter, the murder of any Israeli - would not have caused
these demonstrations and certainly not the convening of the Security Council, let
alCW2 condenmation by the Council of the PLO, tthich openly boasts of committing
these crimes. That would not happen here; that is not even thinkable.
Fortunately for the PLO, Sakel'6 murder was followed by a Second event: a. ‘., / ,_I
traffic accident the next day in Gebalia in which a veering truck tragically .'; '. claimed the lives of four Arabs. -.. .;'1.
The PLO quickly Seized this opportunity and ; ,
Spread the malicious lie, among other mean6 through the pro-PLO newspaper Al-Fajr :, '. : ..' in Jerusalem, that this was "a deliberate and intentional" act of revenge by
Sakel's brother. Now that is of course nonsense. Sut nonsense manipulated for ~ .a . . political purposes has a way of rapidly assuming the mantle of truth. For example,
the representative Of Senegal said this in hi6 Statement On Friday last: . _. '. \ :
“'The students were derrxstrating following the killing of four Palestinians in '> :, :- ,: .'
a mad @accident’ in which, apparently, an Israeli truck had been used to :.:: avenge the death of an Israeli bu6inessman stabbed on 6 December". . : (s/PV.2770, p. 28) .'
(Mr. Netanyahu, Israel) . . . .
resolution of the Arab-Israeli
I ,would ask members of the Security Council to stop for a, momentr and .analyse
that statement. It tells us a great deal about what actually happened and .the
systematic incitement behind'it. Why were these people demonstrating in the: first
place? Because of a road accident. And why does'one denw>nstrate agatist a- road Ai
accident? Because, as the PI0 convinced not only the demdnstrators but also,. it
appears, the representative of Senegal, it was not rea1ly.a road accident but a'n;
act of political vengeance. ._ :
This lie immeasurably helped the PLO inflame passions. The. demonstration in,E~
Gebalia was followed by other demonstrations and other riots, with the ensuing and
regrettable loss of life.
Throughout these events, the PI0 has been calling not for the return of
tranquillity but for continued violence and.bloodshed,, "Increase the
disturbances," urged Arafat in a message broadcast from Baghdad on 1O'Deceniber~~'~ :,
"teach the enemy an unimaginable lesson".. yet, on the same day.,- he-,mmplained to
representatives of Western and.Arab countries in Kuwait about the. bloodshed, ..In‘ .:‘x
other words, foment bloodshed and weep about it. '. 1
This- is vintage Arafat doublespeak. But what about thedoublespeak in- this- '
Chamber? What is Israel asked to do in the face of these riots? It is asked to '-
abide scrupulously by the Fourth Geneva Convention by the very people-who in the *'
same breath call for.the escalation of "the armed struggle against the occupying :'
forces". Now, since these representatives repeatedly invoke the Geneva Conventi&
I shall read out to them the relevant article from that Convention, which evidently
escaped their attention: 2P.T
"The Occupying Power may . . . subject the population of-the occupied. CL
territory to provisions which are essential to enable the Occupying Power- to:.,.:
fulfil its obligations under the present Convention, to maintain the ofdetly-4’
government of the territory , and to ensure the security bf the OccupYin!
Power, Of the members and property of the occupying forces or administration,
and Ukewise of the establishments and lines of communication used by them’.
That is article 64, paragraph 2 of the Convention. ‘\ Let me make .a quick point here. It is well known that Israel do-es not
consider itself to be an occupying Power. It is equally well known that Israel
does not formally accept the de jure applicability of the Geneva Convention to
Judea, Samaria and Gaza. The principal reason is that this Convention applies in
cases where the ousted Power was a legitimate sovereignty. But that condition does
not pertain either to Judea and Samar ia, illegally annexed by Jordan for 19 years,
or to Ga%a, administered by the Egyptian military during the same period. t& have
decided, however, since 1967 to act in de facto accordance with the humanitarian
provisions of that Convention.
That Clarification aside, let me returnto the argument of our antagonists.
They insist that we are bound by the Geneva Convention.. Now, that Convention
explicitly reCogniZeS that Israel, under the very definition of “occupying Pawer’
which they: seek to affix to us, has the right; indeed the obligat.ion, to maintain.
the orderly government of the territory ana to ensure the security of its forces.
In other words, the, Geneva Convention fully supports the point we have been making
all along - namely,. that the first responsibiliti of any Government, military or
civ-ilfan,. is to maintain law and order.
Maintaining law and order in the ‘face of deliberate incitement is’not an easy
task. Our soldiers are under strict instructions. Even when surrounded by mobs
whipped’up.to. a frenzy and brandishing Molotov co&tails, iron bars and the like,
they are to use non-lethal means such as tear gas and rubber bullets. .Live
ammunition iS to be used only as a last resort, when their lives are threatened or
(Mr. Netanyahu, Israel)
when they have already been injured. However tragic the casualties, the ir numbers
would have been much greater in the absence of this procedure and this restraint.
They would undoubtedly have reached the levels of casualties in the d,isturbances in
the period Of Jordanian rule in Judea and Samaria - f cited the other day just a ~8
handful of such disturbances, with 50 persons killed in one day; or, for that ‘6
matter, the hundreds who lost their lives in the disturbance in Mecca recently; or
the heavy toll of casualties in the riots in India in recent years - in the Golden . .
Temple, to name only one example, when over 400 persons were killed in one
disturbance.
In fact, I could cite dozens of such cases from many of the countries that
have been so ready and so righteous to criticize Israel in this debate. Needless
to say, the Security Council was not convened even once to discuss these cases. It
is convened only to discuss a case involving Israel which pales in a CoWar@V?n of
casualties and violence, and which &es not stand against - to use the argument
that has been used here - the Geneva Convention.
Well, to those permanent representatives I have this to say: You cannot have.:
it both ways. You cannot call for the “intensification of the armed 8 truggle” - to
use your phrase - and complain when Israel takes action to restore law and order.
You cannot invoke the Geneva Convention and disregard its principal prOViSiOn-
(Mr. Netanyahu, Israel)
L Clearly the purpose of our antagonists in this Chamber is not to bring an end
to the disturbances, to end the loss of life or even objectively.to discuss the 1, : actions taken by Israel. It is to convene a kangaroo court where Israel is to be
hung,- drawn and quartered and given an unfair trial to boot! it is, in fact, to
incite and legitimize further rioting, further violence, further bloodshed -
because the last thing the PLC and its ilk want is a peaceful resolution of these
disturbances or, for that matter, a peaceful resolution of the ArabIsraeli
conflict, including, and especially, its Palestinian aspect.
But there are people who think and act differently - courageous people, moral
People, people who seek the path of coexistence, compromise and conciliation. Many
of them are Palestinian Arabs. Many of them have been gunned down by the PLQ. But
some refuse to be intimidated.
f want tc cite the example of one such man. His .name is Ahmed Abu-Shab. He
is the deputy director of Ansar Hospital in Khan Yunis, -in the Gaza. His hospital
Was close to the disturbances and was surrounded and,blockaded by a PLO-inspired
mob. Abu-Shab was barely rescued from this mob. He sustained deep cuts in his
skull and his left eye was badly hurt. There are doctors in Israel, in Soroka
Hospital in Se'er She&, where he was later treated, who sewed 60 stitches to close ! the gashes in his skull. Mr. Abu-Shab related his experience to the press today. '.
He is a very courageous man, because he speaks the truth:
"Several wounded people arrived in serious condition, I decided to
transfer them to Israeli hospitals since they needed complicated surgery which
we were unable to perform. I called in a military helicopter to transfer the
patients to a hospital in central Israel. At this point pandemonium broke out
among the cr&d. Dozens of youths attacked me with broken pieces of glass and
iron bars, surrounding me, yelling that I was co-operating with the Israeli
army. Despite this, I intend to carry out my duties at Ansar Hospital. I
(Mr. Netanyahu, Israel)
am not afraid. When I recover I will return to my home in in Khan YUnis,
where I live."
Just as fhe PLO prevents the healing of the wounded, so it prevents the
healing of the Arab-Israeli dispute; just as it assassinates the men of peace,, so., -. '
it tries to assassinate peace itself. As long as it us up to the PLO, there shalX
never be peace. There will be riots and violence and blood and'gore# but not
peace. The possibility of moving on to a peaceful settlement where the conflicting
claims of sovereignty and the political status of the inhabitants will: be directly
negotiated and respectfully resolved is something the PLC will fight aga-inst tar
and behind, the last Palestinian child.
We cannot allow the prospects for such a paeceful settlement to be made M3re
remote by the campaign of incitement and hate drummed up by the PLC and by'any
encouragement it may have received from the debate in this Chamber. I
The representative of India
wishes to speak in exercise of his right of reply. I invite him to take a place, at
the Council table -
I call on the representative of the United Kingdom on a point of order.
Sir CrispinTICXELL (United Kingdom): A small,point of order. I' look
forward to hearing the statement to be made by the Permanent Representative of
India. But I understand that in fact there are no rights of reply in the,Securlty'.
Council, and that representatives who are not members of it are invited simply to .'
address the Council and make statements. So I think it important.that menders of' -.
the Council should agree, and we would be glad to do so, and in fact f.look forward
to the statement. But I think it important that no.wrong precedent should be seti'. ':
There is no right of reply, although we welcome statements.
(Mr. Netanyahu, Israel)
. The PRES'IDRNT'(interpretation from Russian): I am obliged td beg to
differ with the statement made by the representative of the United Kinidom. We
have, with thezonsent of the Council, invited the representative of Ix&a to make
*statementi- Aecording'to established practice in the Council, he has the right to
exeizise his right of reply, and I now call upon him. .I,
Mr.'GRAREKHAW (India): In his statement the representative oi Israel
made a refer-ence-to my country in an attempt to mislead the Council and divert it
from its: main task of dealing with Israeli aggression and continuing occupation Of
Arab territiries.
He referred to the riots in Golden Temple, in a state of India, and did so in.
such a way as to justify the atrocities committed by Israeli occupation forces
against defenceless people tn the occupied territories;' "' :.
As the Council. iS- aware, Golden-Temple is situated in the state oi Punjab,
which: is an -integr%l part of the Indian Union,.and I am sure Israel would not
challenge‘the right of any duly constituted Government to do anything within i&s
power to enforce law and order within its own territories.
But here-we are talking of occupied‘territories; we are n&t talking of parts
of an independent State. What the,Israeli representative in fact is trying to do
is to say to this Council and to the international community that the‘lest Bank in
fact is a-part of Israel, That'is the claim that the representative of Israel h&s
this afternoon triedtto put forward in‘justification of"Israeli'atrocities in the
occupied territories. -~' .
5' The insinuation'he has attempted is obviously not acceptable to my delegation
or tomy county, but'1 am quite"confident that the Council and the international-
comrmnity will totally reject his untenable analogy.
."'+i The PRESIDENTS (interpretatibir 'from Ru&i&ij:%'Th& &&&en&te of -, ,' Israel wishes to speak in exercise of the right of reply. f invite him"to ta;; ‘;;'
place at the.XXmncil table am3 to make his statement. I,! i" : :,
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Mr- NElkMu !.ISrael)r ,; -.:, ‘*.,:--i,., ,,j, ‘- ~ ‘ .!’ .’ I am afraid -the. repE$sentat~v,e.,qf,l”?a~ia ,.,.P., :-*..*, ..I .,
misconstrued or did.not understand what I was saying. ( .:, .I was saying something ‘very
simple; we have been saying it for quite some time. Whether a Government is I
civilian or military, its responsibility is the same - to maintain law and order.
That iS exactly the sense of the passage I have just read from the Geneva
Convention. The Geneva Convention is not interested in whether the territory is
occupied or contested or is any other kind of territory. It says that as long as
there is a Pcwer there, a Government, whether military or civilian, in this case
military, it has the responsibilities that accrue to any 'Government - that is, to
do what it needs to do to maintain law and order and also’ to maintain the security
Of its own forces, to keep roads, other lines of communication'and so on open.
I brought only a handful of examples; there are many more. What I was arguing . when I brought them was not that principle. I was arguing the question of the
application of that principle. Are the measures used by Israel in these very, very
difficult conditions excessive? Do they produce excessive bloodshed? Obviously,
every casualty is a tragedy. There is no question about it. But in similar
circumstances what we have seen is violence and bloodshed where the casualties have
been tenfold. I cited the other day 400 Iranians in Mecca, but I have checked the
figures again and find that there were over 600 pilgrims massacred there in one
incident. In the Golden Temple there were over 400, according to The New York
Times, in one incident.
We have had a succession of incidents in which we have rigidly kept our forces
on a tight rein. We have instructed them - their commanders, down to the squad
commanders, down to corporals - about these procedures. They have kept to them
often at the risk of their own lives, to the point of risking their own lives -
hence the number of Casualties we are talking about. Nobody is arguing seriously
that it is in the order of dozens. We are talking about a much smaller number; in
(Mr. Netanyahu, Israel) . fact, around 10; I do not have the exact number right now, becauss'we.shall wait
to Verify todayrs report, but it is clear that it is in the neighbourhood of a
dozen people. A dozen people killed is a lot. I do not minimize that, or the pain
and the sorrow of the families. But I say‘that this is demonstrably different and .j- moderate and restrained compared with those other instances. -, I
'.;, Those are the two points. First, the obligation 'of every Government, military
or civilian, to maintain law and'order, i in contested or' uncontested territory, is
Secondly,' the responsibility - v the same, although 'it is not stated in the Geneva
Convention, I believe - 'is also to do so with'the minimum'use o'f force. On any’ ,.
test, on any comparison with the cases that I have'cited and'many others that I .,, %I '
have not, Israel stands close inspection, and stands by that inspection. _-
The PRESIDENT (interpretation from.Hu&ian'j: The representative'of India
has asked to speak in exercise of the right of reply. I invite him to take a place . . at the Council table and to make his staterirent. ' : y
~Mr.~GHARHKHAN‘(India)t I muit‘once again protest'against the“unwarranted'-'
reference by the representative of Israel to my 'country. *' " : . . .i:. I .a..'. ,I. :
What is Israel's.locus standi in the dccupied territories/in'the Wait Sank r "' + '.. ,-
and Gaza? Is it trying:to tell?the international community‘that the West'Bank is a ,I,' ,f;.'
province.of Israel, an integral:part of Israel #' ,' , or that Israel'& in legal'.
occupation of ,those territories as an occupying Power? " " "- " ' _
On the one hand;.Israel says that ,it'is. not an occupying,P&er' &&r &e ,f;,.:
_,. .,., Geneva Conventions. "Phen is it Israel's contention 'that the West"Bank and Gaza dre . : :i :.
integral parts of Israel? What is Israel@s,locus 'standi? Haw'can Isra'el invoke ."
any Convention at all? How can Israel dare to compare what is going in iy'country,
the activities of my Government-in my.country, where there.is a~democreitically IV *I--'
elected Government, as there is in the Punjab as well, to what Israel is doing?
1. ._ .,I. r- ._ . . The PRESIBEET (interpretation by Russian): I call on the representative
of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, who has asked to speak in exercise Of the
right of reply.
Mr. AL-KfDWA (Palestine Liberation,Organization) (interpretation from
- Arabic): I had not intended to ask,to speak in exercise of the right of reply,
since the Israeli representative's statement,was nothing but repetition of what.he
said earlier, an exercise in demagoguery, with ludicrous arguments. Therefore, I
shall not deal with whamt he said about the causes of what is happening - the
ridiculousness cf his attempt to convince,us,that all that is happening is the
result of a traffic accident exploited by the,PLG. That ridiculousness has reached I_'
incredible heights.
As I have said, I shall not.deal,with that. I..wish merely to make the' ., follwing points. ' i ,I. .
First, the Israeli position vis-8-v+ the fourth Geneva Convention is one of
double standards. On,the,one hand, Israel refuses to accept its applicability to
the occupied territories - the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. On the other hand: it‘
would have us believe, that it is the duty of the Israeli military authorities to ..
impose law,,and order.in the West Bank .and Gaza strip, in accordance with the
provisions of the Geneva Convention., That,is a glaring example of double standards. . The most important point is that the-representative of Israel says that the .
West Bank and Gaza Strip are no-manes-land; they are owned by nobody. Therefore, I a
he says* Israel has the right to seize those territories.. That is the essence 'of .-. '
the problem - Israel's position vis-8-vis .the occupied territories. .' . .., MY second,point concerns the maintenance of law and 0rde.r. Even if we accept I
that argument, we cannot understand how law and order could be maintained by the
', _' .
shooting of defenceless demonstrators. we cannot understand how the beating Of a
170year-old girl with rifle butts until her skull was smashed could be a way to
maintain law and order.
I bel,ieve ire are not the only ones who are tired of such argu‘ments, The J _ 6
essential question is very clear: what is Israel's position on two matters? The’ _ 0 first .is the land: is the territory occupied territory or not? The second is the
people: does this people have legitimate-national rights or not?
Regrettably, Israelws position on the two subjects is negat$ve, That is the,
major cause - indeed, the only cause - of all the.tragedies occurring in the
occupied territories and the region as a whole.
The PRESXDENT (interpretation from RuSS~S~): There are no further
speakers for this meeting. The next meeting of the Security Council to continue .
consideration of the item on the agenda will take place tamorrqw at
The meeting rose at 6.40 p.m,
(Mr. Al-Kidwa, Palestine 'Liberation Organisation)