|
|
Mr. President,
The Pakistan delegation welcomes this timely debate on the Middle East. We thank the Secretary-General for his incisive briefing to the Council.
The Middle East – the cradle of civilization – is today the center of conflict, terrorism and massive human suffering. The causes are both current and historical.
During a half century of occupation Palestine was repeatedly promised statehood. But as we know these promises never materialized and set the stage for its prolonged tragedy. The political injustices and human suffering of the Palestinian people have progressively intensified.
The fires that have ignited across the region in recent years – in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and beyond – cannot eclipse the Palestine question, nor render a solution for its enduring tragedy less urgent or essential.
The plight of the Palestinian people is one of the core causes of the rise and spread of popular anger and alienation across the Arab and Muslim world. Extremist ideologies and violent groups in the Middle East will be difficult to defeat until the essence of their narrative – the injustices against Muslim peoples, especially the Palestinians – is justly and effectively addressed.
Mr. President,
Recent events have reinforced the conclusion that there will be no peace or stability in the Holy Land unless Israel accommodates an independent, contiguous and viable Palestinian State, based on the pre-1967 borders, with Al Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
Unfortunately, Israel has adopted a totally inflexible policy, including the continued take over of more and more Palestinian land for Israeli settlements. This is increasingly rendering a two-state solution more and more difficult to achieve. We share the Secretary General's profound concern at reports of Israel's authorization of the largest land grab in over a year.
The Security Council must mobilize the political will to implement its own binding resolutions requiring Israel's withdrawal from occupied Palestinian and Arab territories and fulfillment of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to a sovereign and secure Palestinian state.
Israeli leaders should realize that a continued conflict in the occupied territories with the Palestinians would eventually erode the very nature of their state. And, the war within will not remain unconnected with the wars raging just across Israel's imposed frontiers.
Mr. President,
The wider wars across the region, while rooted in divisions that span centuries, have been ignited by more recent foreign interventions, in Iraq and elsewhere. The foundations of the old order in the region has been eroded, giving way to disorder spread by state and non-state actors such as Daish or ISIS.
ISIS has emerged as a rogue threat to the entire region and to the world. It must be confronted and defeated. To succeed in this, the states of the region, with the international community’s assistance, must reach the political decisions to end the civil war and suffering in Syria and build a path to peace responsive to the aspirations of all its people; achieve an inclusive structure for governance where there is a need to accommodate the rights and interests of all religious and ethnic groups; halt the fighting in Yemen and rebuild this impoverished and broken country.
As is evident, this will be no easy endeavor. Success requires, first and foremost, an end to regional hostility and rivalry that is polarizing the Middle East. The new and revived tensions are toxic not only for the countries already engulfed in conflict; it could encompass other regional states, home to diverse denominations of Islam and other religions.
Pakistan is making its own modest contribution to promote harmony in the region as illustrated by the recent mediatory mission undertaken by my Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to Riyadh and Teheran.
Pakistan supports the UN peace processes for Syria and Yemen. We are encouraged that all the major regional and global powers remain committed to support these processes. We believe the delay in reconvening the Syria talks does not imply their collapse. We also hope the UN sponsored reconciliation will be realized in Yemen.
Mr. President,
Pakistan believes that a stable order should emerge from the present chaos in West Asia and the Levant. To this end, a consistent dialogue is essential between all the regional states, with the support of the major powers. Such a dialogue can be promoted under the auspices of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation. It can help to promote fair and durable solutions to the conflicts and disputes in the region, and build consensus on collective counter terrorism actions, based on the principles of the UN Charter and the divinely ordained unity of the world's Muslims – the Ummah.
I thank you, Mr. President.