Statement by the Hon. Dato' Razali Ismail, Representative of Malaysia, on Agenda Item 41: Permanent sovereignty of Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the Occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources, at the 2nd Committee of the 62nd session of the United Nations General Assembly, New York 22 October 2007
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Madam Chair,
My delegation wishes to express our appreciation to the Secretary-General and the Economic Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) for the comprehensive report on the economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan as contained in Document A/62/75-E/2007/13 of 3 May 2007.
Madam Chair,
2. My delegation recalls that the General Assembly had reaffirmed the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and the population of the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources, and had called on Israel not to exploit, to cause loss or depletion of or to endanger those natural resources. The General Assembly had also recognized the right of these people to claim restitution if those resources were damaged. It is evident that Israel has been unjustly exploiting the natural resources of the occupied territories and their actions have impacted negatively on the environment resulting in land degradation and water resource damage, including water pollution and severe water crisis among the Palestinian population. Essential infrastructure work supported by the international aid community aimed at improving the environment in the occupied territories has also ground to a halt due to Israeli actions. My delegation finds this most unacceptable and calls for necessary action to be taken by the international community to ensure the discontinuance of this state of affairs.
Madam Chair,
3. Malaysia continues to be deeply concerned at the grave living conditions in the occupied Palestinian territory and in the occupied Syrian Golan caused by the continued Israeli occupation. Israeli belligerent attitude towards the Palestinian people in the occupied territory and the Arab population in the Syrian Golan must cease immediately. Its total disregard for International Law, Conventions and UN resolutions, and ignoring calls by the international community to stop their atrocities towards the Palestinians, must be checked. We, the international community, must not and should not allow Israel to continue to use violence on the Palestinian civilian population, civilian infrastructure and strangulate the economic livelihoods or the Palestinians. We cannot allow indiscriminate Israeli military action to arrest or kill Palestinians. Israel must be made in immediately discontinue and reverse the construction of the illegal separation Wall on the Occupied Palestinian Territory in line with the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice and international condemnation. The Israeli Government must not support nor encourage Israeli illegal settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory. Israel must be made to honour and observe International law and norms, and obligations as the occupying power.
4. Israeli continued belligerent actions in the occupied territories and total disregard for International Laws, Conventions and UN resolutions have further aggravated the fast deteriorating living conditions in the occupied territories. This situations has caused enormous hardship and misery to the Palestinian people and has adversely affected their economic and social wellbeing, including denying them any possibility of development in those areas. The report clearly describes the appalling living conditions of the Palestinian people under Israeli occupation where the Palestinians are faced with extreme poverty, living in shelters or homes, under threat of imminent destruction, lack or basic. Needs and medical services, deteriorating health conditions, disruption in education, lack of employment and under constant fear for their lives. More than just living in misery and hardship, sadly the dignity of the Palestinian people and their basic right to live as decent human being are being taken away by the Israeli occupying power. Sadly still, the international community looks on as indifferent this tragedy.
Madam Chair,
5. Israel as a member of the United Nations must respect International Law, Conventions and UN resolutions which Israel themselves was borne out of. Israel must be held responsible for all breaches committed under the norms of international practices and international law. It cannot continue to do whatever it likes with impunity and it total disregard on the demands of the international community. Israel must cease its practice of extrajudicial killings, excessive use of force, and other practices such as destroying civilian infrastructure, economic means, social goods and individual homes, which violate its obligations as an occupying power to protect the civilian population.
6. At the same time, the United Nations must act to ensure that Israel respect and abide by its responsibilities as an occupying power and as a member of the United Nations. Continued acquiescence by the world body of Israeli actions will be interpreted as promoting double standard in terms of international practices.
Madam Chair,
7. Year in and out we continue to discuss the situation in the occupied territories with the hope of finding a just and durable solution, of returning to the Palestinian people their inalienable right to a sovereign state. By now, we should have moved forward. Unfortunately, we are no where to this noble objective. In fact this year marked 40 year of Israeli occupation on Palestinian territories and 50 years of the question of Palestine in the agenda of the United Nations. Surely this could not continue. We the international community must bear the responsibility to rise to the occasion and act accordingly to ensure that the rights of the Palestinian people are restored to them, to live with dignity in their own sovereign stale.
Thank you, Madam Chair. |
