STATEMENT BY
H.E. AMBASSADOR HUSSEIN HANIFF
PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF MALAYSIA
TO THE UNITED NATIONS
AT THE OPEN DEBATE ON THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST
INCLUDING THE PALESTINIAN QUESTION
UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL
NEW YORK, 21 OCTOBER 2014
Madame President,
Allow me to congratulate you on assuming the Presidency of the Security
Council for this month and I thank you for convening this open debate.
2. I also wish to express my delegation’s appreciation to Secretary -
General Ban Ki-moon for his comprehensive briefing. Malaysia associates
itself with the statement made by Iran on behalf of the Non -Aligned
Movement, and with the statement by Saudi Arabia on behalf of the
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
3. Malaysia welcomes the Secretary-General’s visit to the Middle East
last week, which helped to maintain the attention of the international
community on the urgent need to address the root causes of the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Malaysia fully concurs with the Secretary -
General that the status quo is neither sustainable nor desirable.
Madame President,
4. Last month, the Russell Tribunal on Palestine had convened in
Brussels to examine violations of international law in the recent conflict in
Gaza. Based on the findings made by twelve renowned experts from
various fields and countries, the Tribunal found Israel to have committed
crimes against humanity and genocide.
5. The Tribunal also stated that Israel, as the occupying power in the
Gaza Strip, cannot justify its military aggression in Ga za as self-defence.
Under international law, people living under colonial rule of foreign occupation are entitled to resist occupation. Thus, Israel’s actions were
aimed at perpetuating its occupation and suppressing resistance, rather
than resorting to force in lawful self-defence.
6. Israel was also found to have violated two cardinal principles of
international humanitarian law, i.e. proportionality; and the need to clearly
distinguish between civilian and military targets.
Madame President,
7. In recent months, Israel has announced new expansions of illegal
settlements in occupied Palestinian territory in the West Bank, including
in East Jerusalem. Palestinians continue to be subject to forced
displacement, as their houses and property are demolished by the
Occupying Power. These Israeli settlements are without doubt, illegal
under international law and an obstacle to the creation of a Palestinian
state.
8. Malaysia is also deeply concerned on increasing attacks and
provocations by Israel on various holy sites in Jerusalem including the AlAqsa
Mosque compound. We strongly condemn attempts by Israeli
authorities to change the status and identity of the holy sites in
Jerusalem. We call for such provocations to cease, before the situation
escalates and turns into another senseless and tragic incident.
Madame President,
9. The international community has repeatedly urged the Security
Council to shoulder its responsibilities in view of persistent and flagrant
violations of international law, international human itarian law, UN
Resolutions and Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice by
Israel. And yet, the Security Council remains in paralysis and Israel
carries on its illegal actions with impunity.
10. Since the Security Council continues to shut its door on Palestine, it
should not blame or punish Palestine for trying to open other doors, based
on international law and multilateralism, to attain the long denied right to
self-determination. The Palestinian decision to accede to various
international conventions and treaties earlier this year, including the four
Geneva Conventions, should be welcomed. The move is a step in the right
direction towards making Palestine a responsible member of the
international community, bound by the rules and norms of in ternational
law.
11. While Malaysia agrees that the final solution of the conflict remains
in bilateral negotiations, it is not acceptable to allow negotiations to go on forever as the Palestinian people continue to suffer. We are perpetuating
the historic injustice against the Palestinian people if we insist that their
only hope for a Palestinian state banks on endless negotiations with
Israel, while at the same time, we allow Israel to move further and further
away from a two-state solution.
12. Malaysia thus strongly supports the Palestinian effort to set a time
frame to end the Israeli occupation. We call on the international
community, especially the Security Council, not to shut its door again, but
to back the endeavour to end colonialism and apartheid aga inst Palestine,
for the sake of peace and stability in the region.
Madame President,
13. Malaysia welcomes the outcome of the recent Donors’ Conference in
Cairo. We commend the governments of Egypt and Norway for convening
the Conference. It is heartening to know that the international community
is standing in solidarity with the Palestinians as they rebuild Gaza from
the massive ruins of destruction.
14. Malaysia remains committed in providing and facilitating assistance
to the Palestinian people. As part of our contribution to the reconstruction
of Gaza, Malaysia contributed a sum of USD1.35 million to Palestine, both
bilaterally and multilaterally. This includes USD100,000 to UNRWA Gaza
Flash Appeal and USD100,000 to the OIC Islamic Solidarity Fund from th e
Palestine People’s Humanitarian Trust Fund set up by the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, Malaysia. During the recent clashes in Gaza this summer,
Malaysian NGOs also delivered 40 tonnes of humanitarian and medical
supplies to the Palestinians in Gaza, to help ease their suffering.
Madame President,
15. The international community needs to do more than just rebuild
Gaza. As emphasised by the Secretary-General during his visit to Gaza
last week, the “build-destroy, build-destroy cycle must be broken”.
16. We must end the violence, blockade and humiliation suffered by the
Palestinians under the Israeli occupation. The children of Gaza, who
formed about half of the population in the Gaza Strip, should not grow up
in conditions that breed injustice, isolation, despair and anger.
17. The 50-day conflict in summer 2014 was Israel’s heaviest assault on
the Gaza Strip since the beginning of its occupation of Gaza in 1967. We
pray that it will be the last.
I thank you, Madame President.