Delivered by: H.E. Ambassador Mohamed Abushahab, Permanent Representative
UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION
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Madam president,
I thank His Excellency Ian Borg for presiding over this meeting and we congratulate Malta for assuming the presidency of the council for this month.
I also thank the Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, for his participation and important brief.
The UAE aligns itself with the statement delivered by Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on behalf of the Arab Group.
Madam president,
The UAE calls on all the Security Council members to vote in favour of the draft resolution that recommends granting Palestine full membership in the United Nations.
When the General Assembly adopted Resolution 67/19 in 2012, expressing its hope that the Security Council would respond to Palestine’s request for full membership, it was clear that the majority of member states supported the request.
So, what is the Council waiting for in order to support this request?
The State of Palestine has proven to be an active member of the international community. Its statehood is already recognized by 140 countries.
Palestine has continually demonstrated its commitment to the United Nations’ Charter, and its support for peace. It has also joined many international conventions and treaties.
The State of Palestine also plays an active role in regional and international organizations, particularly within the United Nations, as illustrated through its successful chairmanship of the Group of 77 and China in 2019.
I repeat: what more is this Council waiting for in order to support Palestine’s bid for full membership?
Mr. President/ Madam president,
Our discussion regarding Palestine’s full membership is an integral part of the historical commitments of the United Nations, and especially this Council, towards the Palestinian people.
By adopting General Assembly Resolution No. 181, this organization committed to establish two States in Palestine – one Arab, one Jewish – and it tasked the Security Council with taking the necessary steps to implement this resolution.
While the State of Israel was subsequently established, the Palestinian people are still waiting for the establishment of their state.
Granting the State of Palestine full membership is a crucial step that would consolidate peace efforts.
It would affirm, through both word and action, that the international community is committed to the two-State solution as the only way to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The events of recent months have proven that international community approach of managing this conflict, instead of taking concrete steps towards a resolution, remains a futile course of action.
Today, Gaza is experiencing a bloody war that has claimed the lives of more than thirty thousand people. As for those who have survived, they continue to face bombardment, famine, disease, and the threat of displacement.
The West Bank is also experiencing its bloodiest two-year period in more than twenty years due to Israel’s continued mistreatment of the Palestinian people.
The continuation of these events will only lead to an increase in violence and dragging the region into new levels of instability. The recent escalation in the region, especially in the past few weeks, confirms this.
Against this backdrop, the international community, and in particular the Security Council, should take carefully considered steps to address the violence and bring peace to the region.
Extinguishing the flames of violence throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory and ending the escalation in the region must be a priority.
This includesreaching an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, saving the people from starvation, and using diplomatic means, negotiations, and dialogue to peacefully resolve conflicts.
Israel must also stop all escalatory and illegal actions in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. It must bring an end to settler violence, including their armed attacks against the Palestinian towns and cities, as we saw occurring in many villages last weekend. These are serious crimes, and perpetrators must be held accountable.
At the same time, we must be firm in demanding that all concerned parties comply with international law, including international humanitarian law. They must take all necessary measures to implement relevant Security Council resolutions, including resolutions 2712, 2720 and 2728.
This means allowing the safe and unobstructed entry and distribution of humanitarian aid, using all available crossings. This also includes supporting the efforts of the Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza, Ms. Sigrid Kaag.
We must ensure UNRWA is able to its indispensable relief efforts.
Further, the need to protect civilians and humanitarian workers, and refraining from targeting civilian facilities, namely health facilities remain paramount.
We reiterate our strong condemnation of the killing of humanitarian aid workers, including during the recent Israeli targeting of the World Central Kitchen convoy, which significantly impacted humanitarian operations in the Gaza Strip.
Finally, we stress that ending the repeated violence in a sustainable manner requires reaching a just, lasting, and comprehensive solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through a viable plan for the two-State solution. We must ensure that the parties return to a serious and credible negotiation process within a clear time frame. This is the only way to guarantee the security, stability, and prosperity of the Israeli and Palestinian peoples, as well as the region as a whole.
Thank you, Madam President.