S/PV.2926 Security Council

In accordance with the decisions taken at the 2923rd meeting, 1 invite the representatives of Bahrain, Bangladesh, Egypt, Gabon, India, the Sslamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, LebifnOnr B%orocCo, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Sanka, the Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates md Y\lqoslavia to take the places reserved for them at the side of the Council Chamber and 1 invite the representative of Palestine to take a place at the Council table. At the invitation of the President Mr. Al-Shakar @ahrain), Mr. Chowdhury (Bangladesh), Mr. Gala1 (Egypt), Mr. Danque Rewqka (Gabon), Mr. Jain (India),. Mr. Kharrasi (Islamic Republic of Iran) , Mr. Al-Anbarf (Iraq), Mr. Eiein (Psrael), Mt. Salah (Jordan), Mr. Abulhaaan (Kuwait), Mr. Makkaui (Lebanon), Mr. Rahhali (MOrOCCO) , Mr. Al-Ni ‘mah (Qatar) p Mr. Shihabi (Saudi Arabia), Mr. Peters (Sri Lanka), Mr. Al-Masri (Syrian Arab mpublic), Mr. Ghezal (Tunisia), Mr. Koruturk (Turkey), Mr. Al-Shaali (United Arab Emirates) and Mr. Pujic (Yugwlavia) took the places reserved for them at the side of the Council Chambers MC. Terzi (Palestine) took a place at the Council table. The PRffilDENTt I should like to inform the Council that S have received lettero from the representatives of Japan and Pakistan in whi& they request to be invited to participate in the discussion of the item gn the Council’s agenda. In accordance with the usual practice I proPose, with the consent of the Council, to invite those representatives ta participate in the discussion without the right to (The President) vote, in conformity with the relevant provisions of the Charter and rule 37 of th@ Council’8 provisional rules of procedure. There being no cb jection, it is ao decided. At the invitation of the President, Mr. Hatano (Japan) and Mr. Ahmed (Pakistan) to& the places reserved for them at the side of the Council Chamber. The PRES ICIEST’. The Security Council will nw resume its consideration of the item co the agenda. Metiers of the Council have before them document S/21326, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by Colo&ia, C&e d’Ivoire, Cuba, Ethiopia, Malaysia, Yemen and Zaire. I should also like to draw the attention of members of the Council to the follw ing documents: S/21321, letter dated 30 May 1990 from the Permanent CbSeCV@C of Palestine to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General; S/21322, letter datf?d 29 %y 1990 from the Chargd d’affaires ad interim of the Permanent Mission of adagascat to the United Nations addressed ta the Secretary-General; S/21327, letter dated 23 EiQy 1990 from the Permanent Rapresentative of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General; and S/21335, letter dated 24 May 1990 from the Permanent Npresentative of the mien of Soviet Socialist Republics to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General. The first speaker is the representative of Pakistan. I invite him to take a place at the Council table and to make his statement. Mr. MIMED (Pakistan) t Allow me to offer to you, Sir, the sincere feliCitition5 of my delegation on your assumption of the presidency oE the Security Council for this month. We are confident that your vast experience and skill will ensure the success of the Council’s deliberations. (Mr. Ahmed, Pakistan) I should like to express our deepest appreciation to Ambassador Tesfaye Tadesse, the Permanent Representative of Ethiopia, for the outstanding manner in which he managed the affairs of the Security Council for the month of April. It was with shock and horror that the international community learnt about the killing of seven Unarmed Palestinian workers and the wounding of 11 Othets by a fOKmeK Israeli 5OldieK on 20 May. The ensuing demonstrations of mourning weee brutally repressed, resulting in further killings and in juries. According to The New York Times of 27 Wy, 23 unarmed Palestinians were killed and 900 Wete injured by the Israeli security forces. The Government and people of Pakistan were appalled by this latest orgy of brutal, inhuman and Senseless violence perpetrated by the Xsraeli atmy against unarmed civilian5 in the occupied territories. In an official statement issued on 22 Nay, the Government of Pakistan condemned in the strongest possible teKmS Xsrael's continuous and wanton disregard of human rights, international. law and world opinion. The maSSacre by the former Israeli soldier was not an isolated episo&, as claimed by the Israeli authorities. Xt stemmed from a policy of repression against the Palestinian people, exemplified by the burning alive of Palestinian WOKkeKS in Ur yehuda more than a yeat ago and the ongoing indisctiminate killing of Palestinians by Jewish settlers. The latest killings are an outcome of the Israeli attitude of total disregard fOK Palestinian human KightS and the inevitable result of the Official Israeli policy of leniency towards Israeli murderers, whenever the victim is a Palestinian Arab. (Mr. Ahmed, Pakistan) According to Alexander Cockburn’s article in The Wall Street Journal of my, Rabbi bshe Levinger, leader of the Gush Emunin fanatics, who was sentenced five mWthS for killing a Palestinian sho&eeper, was honoured at a celebration to in Elkana, prior to entering prison, by General Yitzhak Mordechai, military commander of the West Bank. According to The New York Times of 29 NAY the far-right Kach organization, led by Rabbi Meir Kahane, is to hold a demonstration in support of the 21-year-old man who shot the Palestinians on 20 My. The I‘sraeli Government’s policy of oppression against the Palestinian people is not the only thing that has created the current volatile SitUatiM in the region. The Israeli leadership% attempts ta destroy the peace pocess by rejecting all Palestinian proposals for peace, while continuing tO crush the intifadah and proceeding with their plans for Jewish settlements in the occupied territories, are inexorably leading to the possibility of a catastro#Ie in the region . The latest spiral of violence against the Palestinian people undetlines yet again the urgent need for the resumption of the peace process in a meaningful way, and the Council would have to take account of its tesponSibil.itieS in this regard. The first step would obviously be to protect the defanceless Palestinian FPUlatiOn from the brutal and continuing assaults by the Israeli authorities. The United Nations must act resolutely now to u*old the application of the PrOviSiOnS of the Fburth Geneva Convention relating to the Protection of Civilian PerSonS in Time of War, of 1949. The Secretary-General’s report of 21 January 1988 (S/19443) if3 a milestone in this regard and needs to be reconsidered seriously to ensure the protection of the PaleStlnian civiiiana under rsraeii occup3rion. in this wnnection we also support the proposals recently made by Chair man Yaoser Arafat , including the deputation of an international force to the (Mr. Ahmed, Pak istan) occupied territories to protect the Palestinian population and the designation by the %nXrity Council of a special and permanent envoy to work full time on the peace process. The proposal for an international force to protect the Palestinians in the occupied territories has also been endorsed at the recent summit meeting of the Arab sta~7 at Baghdad. A related aspect is the urgent need to stop Jewish settler immigration to the occupied Pales tin ian territories. According to The Wall Street Journal of 24 tiY, while the Palestinians were recently protesting the brtltal murders a Conunittee of the Knessset was voting for more than $17 million for road-building and Jewish settlements in the occupied tet ritor ies. The Isf aeli author ities obviously believe they can crush the Palestinian intifadah and counter its popular strength by the induction of Soviet Jews , estimated at 1 million by 1993. The Secutity Council is already seized of this issue and needs to send a firm message to Israel Calling fof the dismantling of the illegal Jewish setthilents in the occupied Palestinian and Arab tert i tor ies , keeping in view its previous re8dUtiOiW 446 (1979). 465 (1980) and 478 (1980), whi& expressly forbade Israel, as the occupying Power, to change the deriographic &aracter of the occupied territories, including Jerusalem. While conderaning the atrocities conreitted by the Israeli authorities to suppress the intifadah, I would like to express ~akfstan *s firm and total support for the struggle of the people of Palestine, under the leadershi) of the Palestine Liberation Organizaticm (PUB), their sole and legitimate representative, to establish a State of their own in exercise of their ri@t ta eeIf~eteeminatian. We therefore call for the total Israeli withdrawal from all Palestinian territories oeeupied since 1967, including Jerusalem, and other occupied Arab tetritor ies, and also support the call for the convening of the International Peace (Mr . Ahmed , !?ak is tan) Conference on the Middle East to be attended by the five permanent menbers of the Security Council and by all warties to the conflict, including the PM, on an equal EWting . In our view, that offers the most appropriate framework for ensuring lasting peace in that strife-torn region. I should therefote like, on behalf of my Government and my delegation, to voice support for draft resolution S/21326.

I thank the representative of Pakistan for his kind words addressed to me. The next speaker ia the representative of Israel. I invite him to take a place at the Council table and to make his statement. Mr. BEXN (Israel): It is a personal pleasure for me to congratulate you, Sir, on your presidency of the Security Council for the month of May. Your wealth of proven diplomatic experience has been of crucial and invaluable importance during the deliberations here and in Geneva, which you steered in an exemplary mann et . I would also like to oangratulate Ambassador Tesfaye Tadesse for the outstanding way in which he ccaducted the affairs of the Security Council during the preceding month. wheel a tiagiC Outburst of violence occur8 in Israel in which Arabs are killed by Jews, the candesmaticn is instant, bitter , mdm0~8 ma unequivocal. No me, not even the most fanatic extremists, attributes such despicable actions to patriotism or heroism. The perpetrator is considered a criminal, not a hero, and is commended by no me. The act and the perpetrator ace met with shock, horror and revulsion by every facet of Israeli society. On the other hand, when Jews are killed by Arabs, it is an occasion for ultranationalist celebrations and hyped-up incitement, engulfing the Arab world in (Mr. Bein, Israel.) The dark forces in our region do not hesitate to exploit the shedding of bluzd for their own purposes. 011 the contrary, they wait breathlessly for such outrages with fax -chines and draft resolutions in hand@ fully ready to ignite passions and foment hatred in an already volatile region. On Smday, 21 Way 1990, a terrible tragedy took place in Israel. A young CiVilian apprOached a gathering-point of manual labourers in Rishm Le Zion and opened fire indiscriminately M the crowd. Eight Arab labourers were killed and nine were injured. The dead and wounded were evacuated to nearby hospitals, and the police apprehended the murderer within hours. The purveyors of blood in the Middle mast: could not have wished for a better opportunity. They immediately launched another round of contrived hysteria in the Arab world, which, coupled with 8pas~~d.i~ outrage, led UB the ensuing torrent of violence in Israel and Jordan. Israel urged the Palestinian Arabs to act with restraint in order to prevent the spiralling of violence. We immediately appealed to the residents of the territories, stressing that the attack was a tragic case of madness, and urged them to 8haj restraint, ~CB exercise self-control and to keep the peace for the welfare of the general population. IBCael if3 awaee of the pain and grief armng the Palestinian Arabs. We have conveyed our cendulences to the bereaved families and have called on the PaleStinianCl not to be drawn into further violence, which can curly cause rm~e casualties. (Mr. Rein, Israel) We are particularly saddened that this bicody incident is being used as fuel by tho+e who fan the flames of hatred and constantly attempt to escalate the enmity and increase the level of violence. The EL0 is now riding W~is wave, attemptinrl to exploit the innocent blood that has been spilt so that further bloodshed will occur, in its relentless drive to resuscitate the violent “@rising. Thus, instead of urging restraint, the PM continues tc do its utmost to uhip up passions and further inElame the Middle East. Arafat is urg!ng the intensifi&tion of the violence. On the very day of the attack, Arafat enjoined the residents oE the territories to use the killing incident ao a *new starting-point for a new escalationa. The ensuing violence in the territories came as a direct result of that inc!.tement, and, regrettably, has led to more casualties. PM Radio, broadcasting from Baghdad, is mmplementing those efforts by inci tfng not only the Palestinian Arabs in the territories but also the Arab citizens of Israel. Gn 22 May the station announced: .The enemy is faced with csne unified people in the Galilee, the Triangle, the Negevr the Gaza Strip, the HeJest EQnk and Jerusalem, Best wishes ti the heroic aenw ewtended for mobilization o(1 all the land of Palestine”. Owe again the PLG claims openly that in its view Nazareth, the Galilee and the Negev are part and parcel of “Palestine*. For the PI.43 there is simply no room for Ierael. Fr m the shoulder strap carried with pride by Arafat depicting the proposed State of Palestine encompassing all of the State of Israel% from 1-he map spread have a copy of f-his for meubere to see - from the rhetoric employed by him, such as the (Mr. Bein, Israel) *~utbucst oE racism against the paleslthian massss in the Galilee, the Triangle and the Negev” (s/Pv.2923, p. 11) 3 from hi5 demand to halt all Jewish immigraticn to Israeli indeed, feom his very own words - “the State of Israel . . . must disappear . . .m (6 Jnnuary 1990, Libyan News Agency) 8 “The Jews in occupied Palestine should return to their countries of origin . . . the popular revolution will aDntinue until all of Palestinian soil is liberated . ..II (JANA, I3 January 199O)i or “3.5 million are currently OCCUlsying all of Palestine [that is, Israel] . ..* (Sudan television, 1 March 1990): from all of that the intentions of the Pw) continue to be coxu~unicated loud and clear : to bring about the complete destruction of Israel. The PLO likes TV ~~11 itself the “sole, legitimate representative” of the Palestinian people. That ie the typical terminology employed by dictatOrshiI?s. In derPOCr8CfWt 8Qle legitimacy belongs tm the people only; there are no self-appointed~*soJ.e, legitimate representatives@. Lsgi tine te representatives do not nominate themselves, but are elected by the people. Lately, in laany countr ies in Eastern EkWorje, Africa, Iatin America and Asia the people have Cha3en demctacy over tyranny and have overthsown precisely those forces that claimed to be their *sole.e legitimte representatives*. Such a claim is antithetical to every notion of justice and democracy, Sole legitimacy lies anly with the pa0pl.e. St should be clear by new that PLO activity alum3 at incitement and the fomenting of violenos has nothing to & with the welfare of the Palestinians; nor has it anything (XJ do with providing for their saEety. In fact, as far as the PLG md many of the Arab States are wncerned what happens or &es not happen to the PaEestiniano i5 of no relevance. Rather, their st;nted intent is to coerce Israel by means of widespread violence into an untenable position which would endanger Israel’s vi&l interests and security needs. The PLO seeks to impose its Own solutica by force, and, in its view, the higher the nurrS3er of Palestinians killed in the process the better. In relentless pursuit of that strategy, the PLG has shown l.ittle patience with the very people of which it purports to be the sole, legitimate representative. Dissenters, opponents, moderates or simply individuals who fail to fulfil PLO dictates tb the letter: anyone standing in the way has been threatened, atctadted, or murdered in oold blood. ‘L*to hundred sixteen Palestinians have thus been slaughtered by their purported “protectors * in the internecine violence of the upr is ing . Gn 2 April 1990 I sent a letter to the Secretary-General whi& brought to his urgent attenticm the liquidation of wer 200 Palestinians by PM death squaas. In it I stated: Vhe long silence and passivity of the united Nations in regard ~XI this untenable situation as well aa the constant complacency shaun towards all PLG murderous activities has been wnstrued by them as tacit encouragement ta amplify and accelerate their campaign of terror against the Arab population of Judsa, Samaria and the Gaoa districta. (S/21225, p. 2) I was never made aware rr’ any international ccndsmnatian of that chilling facet of the uprising. Nor did I receive a reply frcxa the Secretary-General. Sinoe my letter was circulated, 11 additional Palestinians have been butchered by the PLO. Evidently, the shedding of blood by a deranged perscm in a single isolated incident - and only when it oitcurs in Israel - is more ominous than the systematic and premeditabd killing of hundreds of Palestinians by their so-,=alled protectors. (Mr. Rein, Israel) The PLO, buoyed by the spiralling violence, is now demanding ‘international protection for the Palestinians”. Protection from whom? And who exactly is to do the protecting? Those conducting the reign of terror? Or those cadming it and, in effect, pcoviding it with legitimacy? Snternational. law places the full responsibility for maintaining public order ad safety in the territories on ssrael alone. That reality has been ignored routinely in these woceedfngs, and Israel's attempts ti contain the violent re5Ultfi of PLO and Arab incitement have been castigated repeatedly, with no bearing On the overall context of the situation. Every responsible Government has not only the right but also the legal obligation to uphold public order and to safeguard the lives of its inhabitants. The Israeli armed forces have indeed exercised utmost restraint under extremly trying conditions of widespread violent rioting. Ohe should compare their perfCwumce to that of other armed forces - including those of democracies like ourselves - facing conditions not nearly as turbulent. It seems that here at the United Nations Ulere is one standard by which to judge Arab dictat;orships, another standard for the demcraciea and a unique standard for Israel. RS we have already stated in Geneva, Israel is prepared to be judged by a high standard, but not by a double standard, and certainly not by a triple me. The Security COUnCfl has not been known to interfere in even far graver situations. The standard applied to Israelis, to Jewn, fs not the are used for the British, !Goviets, xndians oi Pak is tan ia. to the use of arms ma violence in pursuit of their aspirations, aa it ia clear in Kashmir, Sind, Jordan, Northern Ireland, Tibet or anywhere else. (Mr. Bein, Israel) In m~eh cases we expect the responsible authorities to fulEi1 their legitimte responsibility in containing the violence and restoring tranquillity and order, even with the use of farce as a last resort. such in our expectatioil in any case of widespread violence around the world, with only one exception: the Palestinians. Apparently the Palestinians have a special right to resort to violence, and the PLC has the special right to resort to violence and terroris~il not only against Jews, but against the Palestinians themselves. The PLO is also accorded the right to back its atrocities with verbal violence at the Security Council$ it io granted the status of an observer at the uli ted Nations while retclining its Constitution, its fundamental. law, which stipulates: "The parttaring of Palestine in 1947 and the establishment of Israel are fundamentally null and void, whatever time has elapsed*, binding the PLO to destroy a Uember State of the united Rations. The z.hi ted Nations, the Organization created to raaintain international. peace and security, to develop friendly relations between nations , to be the centre for harmcnizing the aCtiOnf3 Of natiOnS, allow8 the PLO leader to use this forum and Call, if not in 80 many words, for the destruction of Israel. Having incited the violence and inflamed it as far as possible in the aftermath of the Rishon Le-Zion tragedy, the PLO now convenes the Security Council. bo aondemn Israel for putting it down. Wtth the exception of one or tuo representatives , all membeco of the Sccur ity Council who have spoken so far have called only on Israel to act with restraint. They have not caiied on tie Paiee tininnti LG ceaa~ the rioting or z t!e Poe c-5 cease itF act.8 of terror , murder and intense incitement . Any other State in Xarael’8 situation would act resOlut@ly to contain ou& violence. Did anyone ~a11 on J0rda1-1 to act with restraint as the Palestinian riots were put doW3 with force last week? (Mr. Eein, Israel) Evidently every act perpetrated by Arab madmen and terrorists is greeted with tolerance and understanding: the kidnapping of civilians in Lebanar; bombing sprees in crouded Jerusalem markets; the stabbings oE Israeli civilians throughout Israel; and the repeated terrorist infiltrations , the latest being the PLO infiltraticm attempt by speedbwts sent from Libya to commit mass murder cn crowded beaches in 1 srael . Such leniency is aleo the norm with international terror by the PLO and other Palestinian grwps. Instead of uniting in a struggle to eliminate indiscriminate terror, the murder of uninvolved civil ians, the international oommunity has reqxnded with castigation of Israel. Those members of the council who cr iticize and condemn Iscael should ask thenrselves: Would you render the same judgement , in the same acerbic tare, had we been Russian, British, Indian or Bakistani? Let llre refer now to the draft resolution. It purports to be “Gravely concerned and alarmed by the deteriorating situation . .: #to causes this situation, this deterioration, if not the PID, which devotes all its efforts to inciting violence, fomenting trouble in the region and perpetrating acts of terrorism and ma58 murder? Stationed in Israel is one of the largest press corps in the world. Israel is a desocraq, and the media have unhampered and free access to all areas. The press in Israel and abroad reports in derail cm the general situation and on particular incidents. There is no need to ascertain inforinatiOn on the situaticn in Israel and the territiries - it is freely available. There is certainly no justification c-_ &L LVL me &mici to "examine the situation relating to the policies and practices of Isr8@lR. (s/21326, para. 1) Israel is the exclusive and only authority responsible for the restoration of peace and tranquillity in the territories. Even if Israel, as some here have claimed, is labelled an “occupying pouec-, then the applicable legal regime is defined by the l33urth Geneva Ccnvention I referred to in the draft resolution, which states categorically that Israel is the exclusive legal authority in the territories. I must therefore reject in its totility the idea of appointing a commission to examine the situation in the territories, and if such a commission is to be appointed, it will not be accepted by Israel. There is a limit that must be drawn in the application of the double and tr iplu standard against Israel. I therefore urge you, members of the Security Council, to vote against the draft resolution.

It thank the representative of Israel for his kind words addressed to me. The next speaker is the representative of Japan. I invite him to take a place at the Council table and to make his statement. Mr. HATANO (Japan) : First, SirI may I congratulate you, as previous speakers have done, ar assuming the presidency of the Security Council.. x am Sure thst under your vise guidance the Council will be able to carry out its important tasks. The tivernment of Ja@an extends it sincere condolences to the Palestinians who were injured and to the famflfes of those killed in the massacre by an Israeli civilian in Fiishar Le-Zion cn 20 May and in the enauing popular protests. The CoN!rnment of Japan &plot@5 the ehaoting as a senocless and brutal ns.:t which claimed the lives of itmxent people. It denounceo the oxceaoive force with which the rruaoti authorities reacted to the subsequent popular demonstratim of anger 9 - -- __ ~. This killing of innocent people has exacerbated a situation in which tensions had already been heightened by the question of the emigration of Soviet Jews to Israel. (Mt. Hatano, Japan) Profoundly ccmcerned about thho emxlatb. of violence, the Government of Japan demands that the Gavetnment of Israel exercise maxirnuar self-restraint in dealing wfth the Palestinians in the occupied territories , and that it treat them with full humanitarian consideration, in accordance with international law. The Government of Japan urges the [hited Nations to take effective acticn in order to secure their just treatment. (Mr. Hatano, Japan) At the coot of this tragic situation is the fact that the provision8 of Security C~nd.1 resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) have not been implemnted and that peace in the Middle East remains an elusive goal. In the meantiine the PaleStin ians in the occupied territories have been forced to endure conditions of severe political, economic and social hardship. In order to free them from these conditions and to prevent the recurrence of such tragic incidents, it is imperative that a just, lasting and comprehensive peace be achieved, with Israel’s withdrawal Eton all the territr>r ies it has occupied since 1967. Towards that end, Japan hopes that a new Israeli Government will be formed as qui&ly as possible and that it will respond in good faith to tie efforts made by the parties concerned towards an early a&ievem?nt of peace in the Middle East. The PRESIDEPJTt I thank the representative of Japan for his kind words addressed to me. Hi9 EkCe’llency k. Clovis Naksoud, Permanent Observer of the &ague Of Arab Sb¶bS b the United WitiOns, to whom the council has extended an invitation under rule 39 Of its provisional rules of procedure, at the 2923rd meeting, wishes to make a further stateskant. With the consent of the council, 1 invite him to take a place at the Council table and to make his statentent. Mr. MAKGOUDz How rruch pain must Arab moderation endure? IS Arab m&ration measured by endless patience and aooom&tion wikh Israel ‘S intcansigenoe and intractability? When moderation and nan-violence is the character of the mainstream of the . . FaieocAnian riijr&LiCj, Giiy i??r;lC:t (-e----n+im hemama a pretsxt to ccnderm the Y.-u---c--.-.- ---. entirety of mainstream Palestinian rights and the uprising. But when Israeli violence is the noem, its repressive measures and practices routinized, then Israel expects the international mmmunity ti aguieace. otherwise, as the Israeli representative just mentioned, Israel is subject to a different standard: it is (Mr. Maksoud) almost diplomatically persecuted! That is a total reversal of realities and 5tandards. Therefore the Palestine Liberation Organisation is, along with the Arabs, described as purveyors of blood, as the Israeli representative just menticxted. And we, as Arabs, become involved in a "paroxysm of hate". This is language that even professional racists have used, that anti-Semites have used against Jews, that the perpetrators of pograms and the holocaust have wed, that the professional racists of apartheid , who even refuse some of the more moderating policies, have used. This sort of thinking, this description of an entire national reaction, being attributed to a "paroxysm of hatee", to the opportunity of purveying blood, undoubtedly justifies our anger and frustration. Vhat kind of entity are we dealing with that relentlessly describes the Palestinian people as Palestinian Arab inhabitants of "the territories*# as if those territories have no naroa, have no designation, have no history, have no territorial patrimony? And then , with utter arrogance, Israel has *the exclusive responsibility" in these areas. By what right? By whwe mandate? Exclusive responsibility as an occupying Power, perhaps. But does Israel recognise that it is an occupying Power in those tecrftories? The answer came this afternoon in the dismissal of what is "labelled* the occupying Pouer, as if this is not the correct description, as if this is not the legal description, as if this is not incremental jurisprudence describing the etatue of Israel in the occupied territories. 0y what authority, if not as an occupying Power, does Israel claim exclusive jurisprudence and juri5dfaion in) the occupied territories? That question has not been answered by Israel. But that question has been answered by every single ember of the unitid Nations ma every single metier of the security Council. (Mr. Mksoud) Yet Israel wants to have exclue’ive ccntrol. unt-il i&en? ltatael does not answer . If&r&d. is obsessed with the notion of having exclusive control, period. Until when? No answer. By whose authority? NO answer. That is the rub in this question1 that is the core issue we ace facing. And, as I stated in Geneva, ~sca& does not consider the Palestinians enemies, SO that the rule of enmity and belligerency can be resolved. Israel &es not consider the Palestinians to be adversaries but the human obstacleS t0 fts translating its exclusive jurisdiction into exclusive annexation. That is the cential issue that we have ccmtinuously avoided addressing because we have scught to accomdatr. CR&. e&k soud) Acoocdinq to Israel, the PLO incites. Put why does tile populakion of Palestine respond if they ace so alienated, if, as Israel in its political hallucination believes, the PLO is something separate from the Palestinian people? The PLO, once and for all, is the framework of Palestinian peoplehood. The people 02 Palestine under occupation, in the refugee camps and the diaapora, ace all constituent seotors of the PLO. The PLO is therefore the framework of our peoplehood. The bitter antagonism that Israel exhibits towards the PLO arifses fcom the fact that recognition of the PLO means that there is a Palestin ian people. They are not Palestinian Arab inhabitants of unnamed territories. That is the situation. That is the issue. The PLO is the national identity of the Palestinians in the absence of their passports and identities. It is their state of mind in tie absence of their independent State. Yet the Israeli representative comes here and distorts the realities of the historical reconciliation in which the President of Palestine - in Algeria, in Geneva in 1988 and subsequently - provided peace with a historical opportunity by cecognizing the two-state system in historic Palestine, by ceoognizing Israel and its right to exist within the lS67 bordet5. Israel refuses to aoknowledge that gesture of reconciliation for a peace that has long eluded the Middle East, a gesture having the tbtal approval of the Palestine National Council, the representatives of the Palestinian people, who have endured many frustrations in the refugee camps, and Who Catl no longer claim Jaffa, Nazareth and the Galilee as their State in order to accommodate that historic act of reconciliation. What it wants to hear is 4klnnlmml V4exiMCI. *i+* up p11 &h--a - -_---p---- _ - -----, -..-I”. Paleetine as a geographical entity and historical reality is pact of our collective national meroocy. That cannot be abused. That cannot be removed. Therefore, for the Israelis mOce or less ex oathedra to remove Palestine as a geograPhica entity, aa a historical memory for Palestinians &o have been forcibly (Me. mksoud) evicted frm their homes and homeland, in order to accommodate, as X menticned in Geneva, a historical grievance of people of Jewish faith 89 a result of anti-semitism, persecution and the holocaust, does not mean that they have abandoned their legitimata rights to an equal status and an equal state in historical Palestine. That act of reconcilation is being deliberately distorted because Israel does not want to recognise that the Palestinians are a People, that they have a legitimate representative, that they are entitled ti a State that can be independent and to Part of their patrimony. That is the reas<m why the Israeli representative, with total implnity, can come and turn the focus from Israel’s occupation and pradtices, can come and insult India, Pakistan, Jordan and everybody else without any inhibition and then, in a moment of utter intellectual arrogance characteristic of Ztcnist ideology, say that Israel is willing to be judged by a different, “higher” standsed. Israel has TV be judged by a narmal standard. It has to answer the question whether it is oc is not an occupying Power. xs it cc is it not willing to -ply with internationat and United Nations resolutions? Is it or is it not willing to recognise the right of Palestinians to self-determination? Just as it is eager to have Soviet Jewish ismigrants, is it or is it not willing to aWePt the right of return of Palestinians in their diespore and refugee camps, a right that has been clearly spelt out by the internationul community and the United Nations? That right to return has been systematically denied for ane single teaaon - tk%?e Palestinisn refuaeee whose right to return has been denied are not of the Jawfsh Perouasion. yet the Israeli delegatiar goes around describing Arab8 aa racists and anybody who doea not comply with fsraeL*s will and diktat3 as entertaining lingering anti-Semitism and CL ist attitudes. The Israelis consider that they Can &my the rfght of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes in (Mr. Maksoud) Nszaceth aud the Galilee because they are not Jews. rf that is not a form of raciern I don’t kncu what is. But ue have aode a historical reconcil.ation. Tha ~rsb League at its sumit caoferuma mly a couple of days ago recognised and te-recognized the Fez and camblanui cesolutions. They recognised that the 1967 borders should stand and that xauael should withdraw from the occupied territories. Nobody asked for thhe disennt.l.eSient Of Israel. why does Israel not listen to that act of recognition? Why does Xsrael not recogrize that au& is our ccwnitment? We might have done it . grudgingly, we night have out ersotional attachments to the Palestine of yeeteerday, but ve have reoomized the inttWIatiU& comsmity*s concern for peace and stability in the Middle Ef%as t. That is why we have continuously and sepeatedty ame to the -ited Nations and the Security Council, uhid, is entruseed with resolving critical issues and with the caslpnsibility for law curd order aud stability in the world. We have come because we believe in it aud because we believe #at the intetnatfonal amensus, in it8 collective visdxn, might not always seek absolute justice. EUt we are conEident that at least the international community, in its collective wisdom, would seek to mitigate the injustice inflicted upon the Palestinian people. That is why the Palestinians were eager t0 accammDdate% they believed in the Security Council as the body to bring about a political and diplomatic aettlement2. They did not want to engage in violence. They know the asymmetry oE power; they kncm that they do not have the military equilibrium possess& by the Israeli nuclear-armed army. Therefore they realized and believed that the Collective Wisdom of the internaticnal curapunity is also the articulation of the collective fairness of the international commlmity. That is why they have come to the United Nations. That is why they will ame again and again to the unitea Nations, to the Security Council, in order e0 prevent this injustice from being perpetuated and their repression from becoming routine. They corpe here in order that the sense of fairness may relieve them of the ncjony to which Israel wants them to be dOomed. They come in the belief that the liberation struggles and the liberalizing policies taking place all over the world will tardr them with their grace so that they can am3umb in the ummunity of nations the status, the statehood, the dignity and the free&m which everybody else enjoys. For that to be dismioeea in a rhetarical, manner , as if it were a paroxysm of hate, is demeaning to the par2ance in this body. At this mmmnt when the two super-Parsers are having their rummit in Washington, when they are trying to defuse international. tensions, uhen they are trying to address the pcabtema of disarmament and when tie prospects of human development for all of US have a better opportmity of realizatia, and fulfilment, Israel stands alone in total defiance, claiming te be the mly democracy, when its discrimination is instiI;uiiunalized and when it is terrorizing Palestinians in the (Mr. Wksoud) camps. Which other place in the world haS had a 24-hour curfew for a week, as the Israelis have in Gaza? Which country in the world has trampled over the United ‘Nltious forces, as Israel hae done in its imrasion of Lebmnar in 19827 which country in the world does not reoognize &at it is, as I have mentioned, namely, an occupying POWeC? We have called, and the Arab summit has reaffirmed that call, for an international mnference to address and deal with all the issues that have arisen from the Aral%ISraeli conflict in order that we may exhaust all political and diplwtic options to avoid violence. But Israel, with an anachrmistic ideology Serviced with modern tedmo3.ogy, is trying to suppress irrevocably the progressive, liberal, nan-violent uprising of the Palestinians, who do not have the mdern impleruents of tXhnOlOgy . But that has been the fate of all liberalising mvelaents in history and of all the anti-colanial struggles and the asymmetry of pcmer, which only reinforces the liberation gnovement by the moral power and the spiritual resilience of the Palestinian uprising. For thi5 to be disraissed and marginalized, for this not to be protected, will ultimately be a blot CHI our early 1990s at a lmnwnt &en 61e hopes of mankind for a Ned atmca*ere, for a epirit of teccmciliation, for not only rmtual understanding but mutual co-disrmvering eafzb other, for human beings not to be alienated from each other becauae of race, religion or colour, but to rediscover each other - we find that the PaleStiufan8 are e0 be excluded from bking part in ‘this exhilarating jomney 00 diSCQJery of our hummeneas. That is *Ye in Wp approach, we are trying to bring about, through the ~&ere of tie COuneil, a &3&gnlBm tp protect the Palestiniann, -ding rr r@aolutiOn Of thi5 Conflkt, 80 that the Middle east and the region a~ a whole Can partake of the blessings of peace, but peace vith justi@, peace at least with the abeace of obvious injUStice. The Palestinians today arc? experiencing a structuted (Mt. Ehk mud) in justice. Wlat they are asking Ear* is not absdute justice but a mitigating of the injustice that has been inflicted upon them. That is why this draft resolution before the Council ad&asses an immdiate problem. Ii gives the Palestinians hope that their peaceful approach , their non-violent approach, can be politically rewarding - as long ss this poli tics1 reward is for thuminq, suggesting that at the end of the tunnel there is a hope of self-fulfilant, that the patience of Arab mderaticrn will be remunerated, not penalised by Israel% addiction tn its present intransigence. The PRE3SDEHTt I have received a request froar one merrber of the Council for a brief suspension of the meeting. with the cawurrence of the Council, I shall. suspend the meeting. The eneting was suspended at 7.40 p.m. and resumd at 8 p.m. The PRES IDmT: It is my un&rstanding that the Council is ready ts~ proceed to the vote on the draft reeolutim contained in document S/21326. Dnlese S hear an objection, I shall pit the draft r eimlution ta the vote mu. There being no objection, it is so decided. A vote was taken by ehrlw of hands. In favour: Cam*, Chtna, Colonrbia, Cate d’xvoire, Cuba, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Malayst, Rmania, Ihfon of Soviet Socialist mpublics, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Yemen, Zaire Against z Mited States of America Absteininqt N#e The PRESIDENT, The result of the voting ie as follows: 14 votes in favour, me against, ahd no abstentions. The draft rerrolutim haa Dot been adopted owing to the negative vote crf a *rpanent: mmber of the Council. X call now 01 raeabers &ho wish to make statelaantr, following the voting. Mr. PSCICERINC (United States of &mica): fiat n@ first take this opportmity, because I have not yet had the ahanto bo 50, to congratulate, in the name of my Gcwernrnent and following up on the direct Dteseage from my President, the new Stste of the Republic of Yemen , whI& joins us here in the Councilr and to offer it our beet wiehes for its future sucrega upuh unity, Iat im also ConqratuLab you, Mr, President, in the wming hours of your term, on the very important work @hohi& you have done here in the Council this moth. Be are all nUch in your debt for your leadership, and we thank you very mob for it. The United States remaina amaitted to mrking wit the parties in the region fa a just, lasting aDd mmpreheneive peace in the Hiddle Wt. That 16 why the ceoeut even&S irr Ierael ahd in the occupied territories, and the u.nauccmeful terrMi8t attack of 30 May against Israel, have grieved us so deeply. That is why (Mr. Pickering, United States) President Bush stated he was deeply troubled by the events of 20 May and the violent afterrnerth. That is tiy the Dep3rtment of State spokeswoman indicated that the Chited States Gavernment was horrified by yesterday ‘6 premeditated terrorist attack against Israel. President Bush QI 22 May stnted our view clearly: m 1t is not enough, however , to deplore what has happened and to call for restraint. It is essential to address the political issues that lie at the core of the regim’s strife. Based QJI exper fence, we believe that violence in the Middle East will continue, and possibly grow, so long as there is an absence of a promising peace process that nourishes hope amg Israelis and Palestinians alike.” AS Secretary of Stats Baker has made clear , and as we have explained repeatedly for the last 10 days, the ulited States would support practical steps that respond ta the spiral of troubling events. But we have made it clear that the steps must not set back the effort to mve forward an the peace process as soon as possible. Such an approach, which has been under taken in the past by Zhe Secretary-General, aeemg +A be the best way to serve the interests of the UIitel NaCions in examining the situation kr the occupied territories. I want ti be very clears Che UIited States Government continues to support: a special envoy of the Secretary-General to be Bispatched on an urgent basis to 1-k at the situation and to report be& to the Secretary-General. We continue to urge all parties to exhibit the necessary flexibility to permit such a mission ti take place. The draft. r eaolu titm before us today, however , seeks to advance a different vehicle, which we cannot support. We cannot enter&in any Fcpis Cc ftb ---*-* rubL, 0: rspid implementation. It does not focus attention an the real needs of moving the peace process forward, an endeavour that must be undertaken by the parties thelPlelVes in the regiar. Kither, it would too easily becolrne a vehicle which could (Mr. Pickecinq, United states) be raiaused to generate more needlesa coutrovecay and disputi in the area, something clearly inappropr late e especially under present circumstances. It thus appears to us more likely to add to the problem in the region , rather than help resolve them. For those reasons, the United States has voted against the proposal.

I thank the representative of the Wited Stites for the kind WOE& he addressed to me. The representative of Palestine has asked to mke a statesent, and f call cm him now. Mr. TEIRZI (Palestine) : This will be’ a sad day in the annals of the Security Council: &en ane pernanent lperabec invoked its arbitrary powers to deny the Council its respmsibilities and the ability to carry out its basks and duties in response to a truly alarming aituatian. fJe are not sutprisedt we have been through this before. But let me teaseure the Council that our people will maintain their trust and confideme in the need for the Council and in the efficacy of the council, notwithstanding the position taken by a pernranent metier, a permanent m&m whose representitive states that he resorted to a negative mte despite the fact that hi8 Secretary of state had sterted that the United States would eupport practical steps that resparded to the spiral of troubling events. Hou such mote could the Security Council have done to support practical steps that resparded to the spiral of troubling events? How aptch more could the Council have done than amai8eion a delegation from annng its members to go and investige& and report - to examine the eituatim and report to the Security Council? That report sboulo contein reamwndations m way8 and mans in ensure the safew and protection of the Palestinian civilians under Israeli occupation. By casting a negative votejthe United States Govetmnt hae made it very clear that ita pasitim is against such a mve , a &me that would provide for eneuring the safety and protection of the Palestinian civilians mder Israeli occupation. (Mr. mrzi, Palefstfne) I aay it is cad because it will ba cacalled that when the Council adjourned at Geneva lmtwe%k, we had expreeeed the hope and the mnfidena, that remedies would be found and would be reflected in a draft tesolutim to be aQpted by the Council when it reamvamd, and that the prwisione of eu& a reeolution would be accepted and carried art in conforaity with Article 25 of the Charter. (Mr . Ter zf , Pales tine) I should like to express our thanks to the raetiers of the Council for having decided to respond to the request to couvene an immediate meeting. Notwithstanding the obstacles, it convened and met in Geneva , and new it is meeting again here. I wish at this juncture to express our appreciation and thanks to the 14 msc&ets &LO voted in favour of carrying out their responsibilities as prescribed by the Charter. We knaw that in the final analysis me Pcwmr cannot stand as an obstacle to the peace process. The procedure of the Council is su& that we Wet keep our commnta within the ccliltext of the reasan for the ~ouncil’s having aret. We are not here to go into par iphetal w extended discuss ions. Let me recall soarethihg that President Arafat said when he a:deessed the sting in Geneva, having been invited to participate in the Council’s deliberations: (spok@ fn ArabfC) “when the Palestine Liberation Grganization (MB), with the aupport of the Arab Grcup, requested the convening of this urgent meeting of the Security couhcil, its request stemmed from the realisation that the situation has reached BR extremely dangerous and expiosive point. No longer cau hesitation be acceptable or verbal amdemnation sufficient. The situation new requires urgent actfor to enforce reverence for international legitimacy.’ (s/PV.2923, P* 11) At the end of his statement Ptesident Arafat said% *#%.I 4nnt4nn anA ,wuaxdten.snt kfi fh+ hmmsn hor4 tam =A ee t-lo rranmnta efl -e.- =- we--. -.- __-.-- __--..- __-...-_ ..--- -~- - -_ _ - - F -- justice and rightiousness Cp whhldi that heritage has been dedicated require that the Council should deci6 tjo form an international investigation . committee aompeeed of members of the Council tr3 investigate all the crimes (Hr. Ter zi, Palestine) against huamity that have bean perpetrated by the Xorarli Governslant again8t the Palestinian people.* (w.2923, p. 32) (continued in mgl ish) President Arafat made that request after &scribing the plight of the Palestinian people and the visitation that had befallen them. The position of the united Statss government is ti us unpardonablei it is unpardonable that it ebould res%t arbitrarily to its powers to prevent the Council’s hrrying out the proposed mission cn such a humanitarian matter. President Arafat said in Geneva: (spoke in Arabic) *Tile United States, which raises the slogan of human rights, ha8 batally neglected khe Palestinians and their human rights and has ignored the oonpoehensive hum and moral diocensions of the concept of human rights. This has enCOUPaged Iscati to persist in it8 barbaric pactices against t;he PahItinian people in the occupied Palestin ien and Arsb ter I: itot ies .’ (fVPV.2923, p. 26) (can timed iu Sngl feh) I am 8urpri8d. Baw aould the President of the Covermmt of the united Statea, tie Pr88ident of the people of the mited States, the president of the mited StatiS, date talk &UJC human fight8 when his own Goverhmnt is denying the Security Counaofl the oppoctmity to take steps in 8c00tam33 with the powers vested in it by the Charter to w and investigate the violations of humn right8 of the Palestinian people? I wades with what courage the 6wernment and PeeSldent Of iire united 8tates will dare touch on that subject in their deliberations. It 18 very saddming to us that with al the big talk about human rights, when it cam to the test here they have been totally igamed or, I. would gayI denied. Of course, we have been sub jetted to some statements and some talk here. I (Mr. Terzi, Palestine) shall not focus On what the representative of Israel said, but 1 should like to reiterate what we always say. We hold the map of Palestine as it was designed in 1922 and as the literature Of the mited Nations ShoWs it from 1947 to the present day, and we will continue ta hold it like that until such tima as the Wvernarent of Palestine and the Government of Israel can sit at the negotiating table under the auspices of the United Nations - preferably under Security Council auspias - and decide on the borders between the two States. Then, and mly ther,, will the map Of Palestine be drown in our literature, on our letterheads and even cm oUr insignia. until then we maintain that the Palestine that was brought before the Lhited Nations in 1947 is geographically the same State Of Palestine. I wander whether you, Sir, wolald a& the representative of Ierael to tell YOU exactly what are the rewgnized boundaries of Israel - rewgnized, first, by Israel itself. This is not a drallenget it is a question of putting xettere straight, aS they should be. Be that as it may, our people will receive the nws tPniqht, I am suTe, with eadness and grief. They had confidence in the Council. They might, tempOrarily,, simply not think any mOre of the Council, but I am sure tbat cm second thoughts they will still reawize that the 6ecusity Council and the lhited Nations will be their last resort, and they will hope that the ~auncil, when it meets again, will try to rectify the ti justice imposed upon it by a permanent n;esber. We assure you, Hr. President, that we will return to the Council wre and more. Unfortunately, the verbatim record of the lpeeting held on 25 May is not yet Giit, arid ii0 cic118 urw.wCStand why. it Wiii be reCQiied that President Atafat made a very clear tupxst, which I repeat nwI as followsa (Mr. mrzi, Palestine) (spoke in Arabic) “The first step would be the designation by the Secretary-General of a permanent special envoy to nork full-tinre a~ the peaprocess and engage in the contacts necessary to secure a peaceful, just and lasting solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict. alternatively, the Secretary-General might himelf undertake the duties of that mission. *The second step would be a&qtion by the Council of a resolution providing internatioml protection to the Palestinian people to safeguard their lives, property and ho&y places in the occupied territories, under tie flag of the Ihited t&tfona and by means of intermtional emergency forces, to Supplement the United Nations observer force nau Stationed in Jerusalem, with the purpose of ending cxxnpletely the Israeli occupation of our Palestinian land.” (S,‘PV. 2923, pp. 27-28) (cartinued in English) We are in no way dismyed at what happened. We expected the united States tn adopt such 8 positian, but we trust that eVeMUally the Government of the mited States will realize that it ie &ligated by the Char-r to permit the Council br, 3ischatge its duties and regpcneibllitiea in a very equitable way. This is an obsttuctfon of the Security Council’s wx k. Mr. WXOWSOV (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) (interpretation from Russian) t It is a source of great regret for all of IB that we were Unable, throuti our joint efforts, to convince the cepcesentative of the United States not tc block the totally non-cmfrontational, balanced, ecderate and logical draft resolution that has be% before the members of the Security Council. Clearly, the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel are territories in which innocent people are dying. At the very least, it is the duty of the Security council to clacify why this is taking place md to decide what must be done to prstact the civilian population in the occupied territories. It is therefore totally incomprehensible why the Security Council had to be deprived of the opportunity independently to study the state of affairs on site with the assistance of its oun mission. We believe our Organization, the United Rations, cannot side-step the question of protecting the civilian population in the occupied Palestinian territories. If it has not been possible to find a practical solution to this question t~~day, we shall have to take it up tonrrrrow. In conclusion I should like to quote words from the statement of 22 my of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR catained in the document that W&t dlietr ibuted to the Security Ccuncilt “There is a need ta adbpt effective measure , including within the context of the uIited Rations, to protect the Palestinian population tr the occupied territories.’ That will aDntinue to be the position of the soviet Union. Mr. ALARCON DE QURSADA (Cuba) (intsPpr@tatidn from Spa ish)t (lnce again the Security Council has been prevent& from performing its fur.ctions un&r the Char tar. In Geneva my delegation said it disagreed with a procedure that required us to respond belatedly to a eequeat by the representative of Bahrain for an immediatx3 meeting 0E'the Council. wan days after: receiving the reWeat , the Council was still unable to act. it uas unable to act notiithstanding a draft resolutim that only requested that the council send a mission to the Cegim that would report back to it an developments in the situation there. Ohviously, the Council still has an obligatitm to put an end to that situation. Xt has that obligation under the charter. After all, this organisation vQS created in order to rezqmd sviftly and effectively. This organ was created to respond in behalf of all the WerPber s of the Organisation. The VOW was 14 to are. If tiatwete the case in the Gsnetel AsselPbly, the figures would be mcb larger% perhaps there would be a axreeponding negative vote aud we all knew who would cast it. 8ut in any case, we know the feelings, the desiree, the intentions and the will of the Members of the Organization. We were forced to cross the Atlantic to asse&le here. Put what do ue see? Olceagainwe see we are unable toact. In a few hours, Mr. Presi&mt, you will hand over to your succetmor the responsibilities you have disdrarged so brilliantly and in a mimer that has earned the appreciation of all aretiers of the Security Couucil. At that tiDle we shall be beginning the fifth amnth during which the Council has had tn corraider a broader prcblem, a more substantive pmblem, the situation in the territories occupied by Israel. Here I should like to express an idea that perhaps a few observers SWJ~B disagree with. We would hope, Sir, that your successor will enjoy an Outcorm less Erusti’ating than the outcome you and others who have guided the Ceuncil*s work have had to experieme. We are not saying the Security Council should db, mything extraordinary, anything out of the way. We are simply saying the couticil should & &at it was established to do. It was not created ti do anything else. It wm not creat3d (Mr. Alarcon de Queeada, Cuba) to stand in the way of speedy (lecisions regarding problems of peace and security. It was not estiblished to spread ineffectiveness, inefficiency. No. It was created to make it pass ible for the otgm iza tim to reppond swi ftly and effectively. It was not created to iarposo anyone’s views. It was created to respard on behalf of everyare. And I think everycme*s view8 are rather well known to Members of the Orqanization, whether they are me&era of the Council or not. IL% &mwa, uhete we went for reasons familiat to every-e, right at the end of our stay we received a publication available to everyone pesent, a magazine edited by officials who work there. I noticed au announcement, an advertissurent for Finnair, the airline of your COUntfy, Sir, with a very nice pidure intended to appeal to those who have a chance , UC at leaz8t the tim, to visit the northam part of your wuntry, which is obviously very attractive. The advertisment says: (tqxke in English) %31&m SMShhe fo all you me. ranging for nothing. The play starts over and over again.* (continued in Span isbl Returnhg co New York, I wondeeted whether ue would be greeted w&h the saw fa@, discussing the question of Palestine, discussing the inadmissible situation impa3ed on ita people, and X uisndered whether we uould be faced with the game need to go over and over the 8am old material and talk about the 8am things with which we are all 80 faiailiar . I wmld ~01~1ude by wondering aloud, asking members of the Comcil, fnnd the bwtbers of the Orqmizaticm t&o created the colmait to act eff~cicntly and effectively this question: how much langeor? The PRESIDEbJTo I thank the tepresentetive of cube for his kind words addressed to me. Mr. AL-AWE (Yemen) (interpretation fro5 Arabic): Not only is the negative vote cast by the delegation of the wited States n cause of diaappoiutment to u50 we 5ust also try to imagine the reaction of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territories. mat people has up until now hoped to see the Council provide the protection it needs against the occupation and the occupying forces that are causing so nuch suffering. We believe that the negative vol;e on the draft resolution before US can, in fact, only be interpreted as a vote of no cmfidence in the Council, since each time we propose the eatablisharent of a o3mi5sion of three me&ecs of the Council W go to the territories to observe tie situation and submit a report, and then to make tecmanen&Uons cm masures to be taken by the Council, we have not gone inb detail regarding the meroberehip of such a comissiof~. Nevertheless, we Were astonished to 5e5 theveto used. In our opinion, this act on the pact of the Government of the thitsd Stites is not acceptable. we were not expecting it, and it demcnstrates a lack of confidence in the Council. Therefore, tomrrow, wheu the Palestinian people in the occupied territories - a people that had been hoping that the &xmcil would shoulder its responsibflities and take the raeamue5 necessary to ensuze it.5 protection - learns the new5 that a negative vote in the Council prevented the taking of any measures whatsoever, we shall see that nny reactian cn the part of the Palestisiavr people will be met by condemnation of that reaction, as though that people did not have the right to express itself or to enjoy the protection of the ihtemtimal com==ity. This ie tiking place at a time when mre and more is being said about human rights. Yet IBteel is &priving the Palestinian people of those very rights. we have said m numerous occasions that, in our view, this was (~8 have been a ficet step by the Cormcil in answer to the request made by tba representative of Bahrain, the Cheirnzan of the Group of Arab States. We believe that the request is still (Mr. Al-Alfi, Yemen) valid and that the Council should consider measures that it might take eubse¶uently in the light OE requesta that will be made to it. We do not believe that tha item is closed. The item ie still open. We shall give thought to further measures. In the future, we should also expect at the least a radical change in the attitude of the urfted States, allowing it to respard M the wishes of the other 14 members. I should also like to thank and express our appreciation to all those States that Voted in favour of he draft resolution. We believe that their action showed an undersbnding that will be appreciated by the Palestinian people and the Arab wotla as a whole.

There are no further speaker8 inscribed an my list. The Security Council has tht~ concluaed the present stage of ita consideration of the item on the agenda. The meeting rose at 8.35 p.m.