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STATEMENT BY

MR. AZRIL ABD AZIZ
DEPUTY PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF MALAYSIA
TO THE UNITED NATIONS

AT THE SECOND COMMITTEE

ON AGENDA ITEM 64: PERMANENT SOVEREIGNTY OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE IN THE OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY, INCLUDING EAST JERUSALEM AND OF THE ARAB POPULATION IN THE OCCUPIED SYRIAN GOLAN OVER THEIR NATURAL RESOURCES

 

 

Madam Chair,

 

Malaysia wishes to align itself with the statement made by Guinea on behalf of the G77 and China.

 

2.     Malaysia would like to thank the UN Secretary-General for his report on the agenda item.

 

Madam Chair,

 

3.     The report provides harrowing updates on continuous human rights violations committed by the occupying power in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Occupied Syrian Golan. The protracted Israeli occupation continues to have detrimental consequences on the living conditions of the Palestinian and Syrian populations, as well as on social and economic development in the occupied territories.

 

4.     On destruction and confiscation of property and infrastructure, during the reporting period, Israeli authorities demolished 1,015 Palestinian owned structures, including 223 homes. Since 2016, international donors have requested that Israeli authorities return more than 210 seized humanitarian aid structures to Palestinian beneficiaries. None have so far been recovered.

 

5.     On settler violence – repeated, organised settler violence, coupled with other coercive factors have forced Palestinian families to leave their homes in a number of areas. Many settlement outposts, established from the takeover of Palestinian lands are then “legalised” under Israeli legislation. It was also reported that at least 960 incidents involving Israeli settlers in which 10, 000 productive trees were destroyed.

 

6.     On the social and economic conditions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory – approximately 2.45 million Palestinians will require humanitarian assistance, 1.4 million Palestinians in Gaza and another 560,000 in the West Bank suffer from food insecurity. It is estimated that more than 1.6 million Palestinians are suffering from insufficient access to water, sanitation and hygiene services.

 

7.     These figures, along with the following statement from the report bears repeating – “As the occupying Power, Israel has the obligation to take all the measures in its power to restore and ensure, as far as possible, public order and life in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and to protect the Palestinian population from all acts of violence in all circumstance.”  From this report, it is clear that this obligation has not been met.  Rather, the prevailing culture of violence with impunity against the Palestinian people continues under the Israeli Occupation.

 

8.     This situation cannot and must not continue.  Malaysia urges the international community to call upon Israel to immediately end its occupation of Palestinian territories; cease its appalling and colonising practices; and immediately comply with all relevant UN resolutions. Malaysia further calls for the return to meaningful negotiations based on the two-state solution.

 

Madam Chair,

 

9.     We have heard this phrase being said many times during this 76^th Session of the United Nations General Assembly when Member States call upon each other to strive for the attainment of the SDGs – that we should ‘leave no one behind’. My delegation would like to stress that we must not leave the Palestinian and Syrian populations in the occupied territories behind.

 

10.     We need to build peace that is crucial to the conducive attainment of the SDGs. Recognising the indispensable need for funds in these efforts, Malaysia further calls upon all Member States to continue to support the work of United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) by contributing generously to the Agency. On our part Malaysia has decided to extend predictable long-term contribution to the UNRWA, in support of the Agency’s efforts to assist Palestinians. In addition to our previous financial contributions to UNRWA, Malaysia has allocated USD 1 million over the period from 2021 to 2025. In addition, we will be contributing USD 1.2 million for rebuilding of the Al-Rimal Clinic in Gaza. This clinic had a COVID-19 testing laboratory, but was destroyed by the Israeli attacks in May 2021.

 

Madam Chair,

 

11.     In the occupied Syrian Golan, Israel continues to exploit, damage, deplete, and consolidate its control over land and natural resources in the area, including water. Israel cannot be allowed to continue to get away with impunity and must cease immediately all its unlawful activities. Malaysia reiterates its longstanding position on the occupied Syrian Golan Heights – the Golan Heights belong to Syria and thus, must be returned to Syria.

 

12.     With the continued occupation of Israel, it is simply difficult to envision that the Syrian Golan would be able to realise their SDGs or build back better from the pandemic. The people living under Israeli occupation deserve much more.

 

Madam Chair,

 

13.     Malaysia will continue to actively play our role in various regional and multilateral fora to engage, influence and pursue all legal, political and economic channels to find a just, lasting, comprehensive and peaceful settlement affecting the Palestinian and Syrian people in the occupied territories.

 

I thank you.