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Mr. President,
Thank you
for giving me the floor.
2. It was not very long ago, Mr. President, that the Security Council adopted
resolution 1397 with its vision of a region where two states would “live side by
side within secure and recognized borders.” It also recalled the two landmark
resolutions, 242 and 338, reaffirming the principle of land for peace.
Resolution 1397 was agreed in the wake of the bold proposal of Crown Prince
Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and of the Beirut Declaration, underscoring the
commitment of the Arab countries to peace and reconciliation in the Middle East.
Together they constituted the configuration of a peace settlement in the Middle
East - an opportunity to move back from the brink of violence and destruction
but also to find a way out of this tragic quagmire. What was required was the
establishment of timelines for the implementation of Security Council
resolutions and the fulfilment of their objectives. Unfortunately, instead of
the sincere implementation of this endorsed vision of peace with sincerity, the
Israeli response was intransigence accompanied by the continuing use of force
and violence. Once again, the prospects of peace in the Holy Land are being
crushed under the tracks of Israeli tanks.
Mr. President,
3. Pakistan condemns Israel’s latest military incursion into Ramallah and the
continuing encirclement of President Yasser Arafat’s headquarters. This
incursion, together with the raids into Tulkarm, Bethlehem, and Jenin, have
resulted in civilian casualties and the destruction of property. All these
Israeli actions constitute serious breaches of its legal obligations and
responsibilities, as an Occupying Power, under Fourth Geneva Convention of 12
August, 1949 and also violate the provisions of Security Council resolution
1402.
4. The goal in the Holy Land is to find a final settlement, not to impose a
final solution. The people of Israel, no doubt, appreciate the distinction.
5. Peace cannot be durable if it is imposed through the barrel of a gun. Durable
peace cannot be achieved by eliminating your interlocutor or installing one of
your own choice. Peace cannot come with one side, literally, calling the shots.
6. When the avenues of dialogue and negotiations are closed, the Security
Council must assume its responsibilities under the Charter to secure the
implementation of its resolutions and decisions. Israel must cease its
aggression against the Palestinian people and their lawful government. The
Security Council has agreed on the nature of the framework of peace; what is
needed now is to identify the specific goals which need to be achieved to
realize the agreed vision of resolution 1397 and the timelines for doing so.
This Council, and the international community, must turn its attention to this
task.
Mr. President,
7. Violence begets violence. It is not the path to peace, in the Middle East or
elsewhere. The present deteriorating situation in Palestine warrants the urgent
attention of the international community. We must act, and act with
determination, to prevent the situation from descending into chaos – chaos in
which neither side can realize their hopes for peace with security. The
prospects of peace in the Middle East will continue to remain bleak without the
immediate cessation of all acts of violence, provocation and destruction. Those
who have the responsibility to maintain international peace, especially the
Security Council, must, therefore, act, and act now, to realize this objective
and revive the hopes of a durable peace in that region.
I thank you, Mr. President.
New York
13 June, 2002