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Statement by
H.E. Mr. Paul Badji
Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise
of the InalienableRights of the Palestinian People
BEFORE THE SECURITY COUNCIL
ON
THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST, INCLUDING
THE PALESTINIAN QUESTION
Headquarters, New York, 21 July 2010
Mme. President,
On behalf of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, allow me to congratulate you on the exemplary manner in which you have been steering the work of the Council during this month. I would also like to express my appreciation to H.E. Ambassador Claude Heller of Mexico for his efficient presiding over the Council during the month of June.
On behalf of the Committee, I would like to express my appreciation toMr. B. Lynn Pascoe, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairsfor today’sobjective briefing which underlined the need for the parties and the international community to engage forcefully at this critical juncture, with a view to creating the conditions for the resumption of serious negotiations on all permanent status issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
While we all would welcome serious direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, our Committee supports the view that they can only be successful in an atmosphere of mutual trust and confidence and if the parties are convinced that they will lead to a comprehensive, just and lasting outcome. This requires from the parties, first and foremost, implementing their respective obligations under the Road Map as endorsed by this Council.
Our Committee remains alarmed by the refusal of the Israeli Government to heed international calls for a complete halt of settlement construction in the OccupiedPalestinianTerritory, including East Jerusalem. In spite of the limited settlement construction moratorium, the pace of construction in certain settlements has not even slowed, as the New York Times reported last week. The Committee calls upon Israel to enforce this moratorium and to extend it indefinitely. The moratorium has to be applied also to East Jerusalem. This would be, without doubt, the most important step the Israeli Government could undertake to contribute to a resumption of direct negotiations between the parties.
Also the situation in East Jerusalem remains of utmost concern to our Committee. Settlement expansion continues, the City’s planning and construction Committee has just last week approved new Jewish housing units in East Jerusalem. House demolitions have resumed, residency rights are being revoked and Palestinian politicians in the City are threatened with deportation. This state of affairs is unacceptable, and calls for a swift reaction by the international community. The Committee would like to reiterate its position that Israel’s dangerous policies implemented in East Jerusalem are prone to spark forceful reactions by large parts of the Muslim world that may lead to violence and even armed conflict. It is the prerogative and the obligation of this Security Council to intervene swiftly and resolutely, in order to prevent a possible escalation.
It has been six years this month, that the International Court of Justice passed the historic Advisory Opinion determining that the construction by Israel of the separation wall within the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, violates international lawon numerous levels. The ICJ concluded that such violations engaged Israel’s responsibility to cease construction, dismantle existing sections located in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and provide reparations, including restitution of confiscated property and compensation for damages incurred. Construction of the wall, however, has continued unabated, leaving thousands of Palestinians cut off from access to their lands, families, schools, and hospitals. Our Committee is disturbed by the impunity with which these legal obligations have been flouted, and calls upon the Security Council to take the required action to ensure respect for, and compliance with, the ICJ’s Advisory Opinion, the Fourth Geneva Convention, and the relevant United Nations resolutions.
Mme. President,
The Israel Defence Forces’ deadly raid of 31 May on the unarmed Free Gaza Flotilla was more than a human tragedy. The incident, and the ease with which Israel has avoided an impartial investigation into its action, underscores the reality that politics often still trump accountability to the law. While our Committee acknowledges the value of internal investigations on the national level, it fully supports the recommendation of the Secretary-General for an international investigation under UN auspices. Only after there has been a truly impartial accounting of the events of 31 May can all parties be satisfied that those responsible for violations of international law will be held to account.
In that regard, our Committee also follows closely the effects of the Goldstone Report. We maintain that the report of the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict, established by the Human Rights Council and led by Justice Richard Goldstone, presents a comprehensive, balanced, and authoritative account of the 2008-2009 Israeli incursion into Gaza. While our Committee recognizes the value of the Israeli Government’s recent examination of some of the Goldstone Report’s specific allegations, it also calls for a comprehensive investigation into the actions of the parties and demands follow-up action. The Committee advocates the creation, by the Security Council, of an independent committee of experts to monitor the ongoing investigations on both sides.
Mme. President,
Since the last open debate of the Council under this agenda item, our Committee has held two international meetings, one in Istanbul, the other one in Rabat, devoted to supporting the resumption of the peace process. Our Committee will remain committed to achieving the two-State solution, whereby Israel and the future State of Palestine will live side by side in peace and security. The United Nations and its Security Council in particular, have a special responsibility for the realization of this vision. I would like to assure the Council of the Committee’s cooperation and support in the implementation of its own resolutionson the Palestinian question.
Thank you.
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