"The enactment of this law once again proves that racism is in the very
nature of the Israeli regime,” Eshaq Al-e-Habib said, addressing a UN
Security Council meeting on "the situation in the Middle East, including the
Palestinian question” in New York on Tuesday.
"The occupation of Palestine has been the main root cause of the conflicts in
the Middle East,” he further said.
Following is the full text of the Iranian diplomat’s statement:
In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful,
Mr. President,
I thank you for convening this open debate and also align myself with the NAM
statement to be delivered by Venezuela.
The occupation of Palestine has been the main root cause of the conflicts in the
Middle East.
With that in mind, Israel must be compelled to end the occupation; to stop
its expansionist strategies; and to put an end to all its aggressive policies
and criminal practices.
This is the only way to ensure a viable permanent solution to the Middle East
conflict thereby restoring the inalienable rights of Palestinians.
Mr. President,
Since the last quarterly meeting, the Israeli regime, confident with the
unequivocal support of the US and emboldened by the Council’s inaction,
has intensified its brutalities and illegal activities.
So far, it has killed over 140 peaceful Palestinian protestors and
injured around 17,000 others. This includes killing and injuring of over
1,300 women and girls as well as more than 3,100 children.
However, even this vast systematic atrocity did not satisfy the Israeli
Education Minister, who insisted, "The Israeli warplanes should drop bombs
over the heads of Gaza children”. In his radically extremist view, there is
no legal impediment to shoot directly at those children.
Israel also continued striking civilian infrastructures of the Gaza Strip and
placed new restrictions on the only cargo crossing thereto. This will
drastically deteriorate the already grave humanitarian situation due to the
illegal and inhumane blockade imposed there by Israel for more than a
decade.
Likewise, this regime also continued the establishment of illegal settlements.
The latest official data reveals that in West Bank, 99.7% of public land grants
by Israel go to settlers only.
Another example is the Israeli plan to demolish Khan Al-Ahmar village, to expel
its original Palestinian inhabitants and replace them with illegal Israeli
settlement units and settlers.
However, one of the worst developments is the enactment by Israel of its
so-called "basic law”. It declares that only Jews have the right of
self-determination. It also downgrades Arabic of its designation as an official
language.
In practice, this means Jewish supremacy over others; this means that others who
have been treated as second-class citizens for far too long, are now, legally,
second-class citizens as well; it also means racism; this means apartheid; this
means the legalization of such racism and apartheid; and ultimately, it means
legitimizing exclusion, segregation and systemic inequality.
This is against the 1963 Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial
Discrimination, according to which, "Any doctrine of racial differentiation or
superiority is scientifically false, morally condemnable, socially unjust and
dangerous”.
This should remind us of resolution 3379 of 1975 through which the UNGA
determined "Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination”.
Unfortunately, in 1991, when Israel had made its participation in the Madrid
Conference conditional to the revocation of resolution 3379, the UNGA decided to
revoke that resolution.
Now, after nearly 30 years of the revocation of that resolution, it is crystal
clear that by doing so, the UNGA has only emboldened Israel to legalize racism.
The enactment of this law once again proves that racism is in the very nature of
the Israeli regime. Therefore, the UNGA should not permit itself to be deceived
and blackmailed by the Israeli rhetoric and victim-playing.
The adoption of this racist law has to be condemned in the strongest possible
terms. Israel should be compelled to revoke it as it runs counter to the UN
Charter, international law and the basic principles of international human
rights law.
Mr. President,
The recognition of Al-Quds Al-Sharif, by a certain State, as the Israeli capital
gravely contravenes international law and relevant resolutions of this Council
and the UNGA.
The international community should fulfill its responsibility in rejecting it as
its aim is to legalize the occupation, and to deprive all of the inalienable
rights of the Palestinians, including their inherent right to self-determination
and return to their homeland and to establish their own independent Palestinian
State with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
In conclusion, Mr. President, I would like to refer to the allegations made by
the Israeli and Saudi delegations against my country. Rejecting them all, I do
not want to dignify any of them with a response.
The aim of such allegations is to distract global attentions from the atrocities
they continue to commit in Palestine and Yemen. This is in their common
interests. Nevertheless, no amount of smear campaigning can cover up their
atrocities. They must be held accountable for all their crimes.
I thank you, Mr. President.
Source: Tasnim