Statement by Chair of the Palestinian Rights Committee at Security Council Open Debate

Video

Arabic: العربية

François

STATEMENT TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL

 **************

BY AMBASSADOR CHEIKH NIANG

CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE EXERCISE OF

THE INALIENABLE RIGHTS OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE

 ****************

OPEN DEBATE 

ON THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST,

INCLUDING THE PALESTINIAN QUESTION

New York, 25 April 2023

Mr. President,

Excellencies,

Ladies and gentlemen,

The Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the

Palestinian People welcomes H.E. Mr. Sergey Lavrov, Russian Federation Foreign Minister, and congratulates the Russian Federation for its able presidency of the Security Council this month.

I thank the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Mr. Tor Wennesland, for his briefing and tireless efforts.

Excellencies,

As mandated by the General Assembly, on 15 May the Committee will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Nakba, which will serve as a reminder of the historic injustice suffered by the Palestinian people, and the outstanding debt of the international community toward them and the over 5.8 million refugees who are registered with UNRWA. We are also reminded of the ongoing Israeli occupation, for nearly 56 years with no end in sight, as reflected in the worrying debates in Israel about the possibility of further annexation and colonization of Occupied Palestinian Territory.

The Committee expresses its concern over Israel’s passing on 21 March of an amendment to the 2005 Disengagement Law that paves the way for Israel to re-establish the former settlement of “Homesh” in the West Bank. The Committee reiterates its calls for a complete and immediate halt to all settlement activities and reminds Israel that all settlements are illegal regardless of their status under Israeli law, that these actions further violate Security Council resolution 2334 (2016) and severely undermine efforts to find a just solution to the conflict.

Excellencies,

This year, Ramadan coincided with Passover and Easter. This should be a time for peaceful reflection and celebration. Unfortunately, tensions rose when Israeli forces entered al-Aqsa Mosque’s al-Qibli prayer hall in East Jerusalem to demonstrate their power during those holy days. Stun grenades, batons, rifles, and rubber-coated metal bullets were used by Israeli security forces and armed civilians to dislodge Palestinian worshippers, leading to 44 Palestinian and 2 Israeli police officers injured in addition to material damage to this holy site.

About 440 Palestinians were arrested and later released and banned from al-Aqsa for the rest of Ramadan. On 5 April 2023, the Committee Bureau issued a statement denouncing the raid, which was seen around the world and drew global condemnation. Additionally, as is customary, Israel imposed restrictions on the attendance of Orthodox Easter on 16 April and used excessive force against Christian worshippers, citing security concerns.

The Committee condemns the violence inside the al-Qibli prayer hall and reminds Israel that the historic status quo of the Holy Sites must be upheld, respecting the special role of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Waqf.

The Committee strongly condemns the Israeli Finance Minister’s outrageous statements denying the existence of the Palestinian people and calling to “wipe out” Huwwara, a Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank, after extremist settlers went on a rampage killing one Palestinian and causing widespread destruction to Palestinian property, including dozens of homes in the wake of the killing of two Israelis. The Committee urges the Israeli authorities to respect international law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention and its obligations as the occupying Power, including in regard to protection of the civilian population.

We call on political, religious, and community leaders on all sides to reject inflammatory rhetoric and provocative actions, and refrain from steps that could escalate tensions. The indiscriminate firing of rockets in civilian population is also unacceptable and must cease. We welcome the UN Special Coordinator’s mediation efforts to de-escalate the situation and urge all parties to work towards reducing tensions.

While the international community will commemorate the Nakba of 1948, Israel continues to entrench its occupation of the Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, with relentless establishment of illegal outposts, settlement advancement, seizures and the demolition of 331 structures, including donor-funded structures, and displacing 388 people, including 89 women and 197 children. In open defiance to the international community and appeals from its own friends, Israel advanced plans for over 7,200 settlement housing units, with approximately 4,000 settlements deep in the occupied West Bank.

Israel’s actions in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem point to what many have described as an ongoing Nakba of dispossession and displacement and denial of the rights of the Palestinian people. The international community, we, must not wait any further.

In this regard, the Committee welcomes the 52^nd Human Rights Council resolutions of 4 April 2023 on the question of Palestine, A/HRC/52/L.42 on Israeli settlements and A/HRC/52/L.32 on the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and calls for their implementation.

Excellencies,

The Committee praised the high-level meetings in Aqaba and Sharm el-Sheikh by Egypt, Israel, Jordan, the State of Palestine, and the United States as well as their commitment to advancing security, stability, and peace as outlined in the Joint Communique. We hope for tangible and verifiable actions to address the crisis.

The Committee reiterates the need for Palestinian unity, based on the Algeria reconciliation agreement, to advance national aspirations and facilitate engagement in resolving the question of Palestine.

On behalf of the Committee, I want to make a strong appeal to the Security Council to demonstrate leadership by taking action to protect the Palestinian people with measures to ensure their human security in the face of constant aggressions and human rights violations by the occupying Power. In this context, the Committee also emphasizes its previous call to all Member States to support UNRWA’s sustainable funding, which is crucial for the well-being and livelihoods of Palestine refugees and overall regional stability.

The Committee believes that a just and lasting peace will only be achieved with the end of Israel’s occupation, the realization of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including the Palestine refugees and the achievement of the two-State solution according to international law and past agreements resulting in the independence of the State of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital.

I thank you.