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Statement
by H.E.
Mr. Hasan Kleib Chargé
d’Affaires ad interim Permanent
to the United Nations, "Situation in the Middle East" New York, 27 January 2010 Mr. President, Let me begin by extending the appreciation of my
delegation to you and the members of the Council for convening this open debate. This opportunity provides
for the general membership of the United Nations to express again its views on
such an important issue. We
wish to thank Assistant Secretary-General, Mr. Oscar Fernandez-Taranco, for his
briefing. My
delegation wishes to associate itself with the statement delivered by the
Representative of Egypt on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement and by the
Representative of Syria on behalf of the OIC. Mr. President, It is now one year since the
Israeli military incursion in the Gaza Strip. My delegation reiterates its
endorsement of the report of the UN Fact Finding Mission led by Justice
Goldstone. In this regard, Indonesia looks forward to the follow-up of the
adoption of the General Assembly Resolution 64/10 of 5 November 2009. There is no doubt, Mr.
President, that Israel’s excessive
and disproportionate use of force and its policy of collective punishment are crimes against
all we stand for. The values of humanity, the values of respecting the sanctity
of the Charter. A clear violation of international law and international
humanitarian law. Such a sad and
depressing circumstance when we, communities of democracies, communities of
nations are forced to act as bystanders. The list of suffering of the Palestinian
people caused by the Israeli action is long and continues to grow by days, by
weeks, and by years. To be exact, more than sixty long years. The irony of this issue is
that the Council has abundance of patience in taking its time in solving this
very important question. Yet, when it comes to some other issues, it lacks
patience and endurance. It acts decisively with vigor. And, we highly commend
this act of impatience by the Council. We certainly wish this
impatience can be imposed on this Palestine issue. Mr. President, While recognizing the multi-faceted nature of the
Middle East conflict, let me highlight briefly two of the many core issues. First. The humanitarian situation in
the Gaza Strip has continued to deteriorate since the end of the Israeli military
incursion. The situation is pathetic because it is man-made. For years,
Palestinians have deliberately been shut away from true recovery, true economic
growth to reach their potential. The humanitarian
sufferings caused by the illegal blockade and the closure of the Gaza crossings
by the Israeli authorities are well chronicled and unacceptable. Indonesia therefore
joins other countries and the Secretary General in calling on Israel to end its
policies of mayhem and fully respect international law. Second. Israel’s settlement policies and practices, which
have been aimed at altering the demographic composition, physical character and
status of the Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, are nothing but
a blatant violation of international law. As the Israeli occupation of the
Palestinian territories continues, and its settlers keep encroaching further into
the territories, Palestinians watch with horror as their land claims
disintegrate before their eyes, and thus, making a viable Palestinian state
very difficult. Israel
must stop all settlement construction, expansion and planning in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and dismantle the settlements
built therein, in compliance with relevant Security Council resolutions. The settlement
issue is the greatest obstacle to the peace process. Mr. President, The
conflict in the Middle East has indeed been ensuing for far too long. The
Israeli illegal occupation since 1967 has made the region a theater of tension
and violence. For many years, Indonesia
has joined the international community to draw attention to the consequences of
Israel’s continued illegal activity in occupied Arab territories. We
therefore support the current surge in diplomacy aimed at re-launching
negotiations and jumpstarting a comprehensive peace process, including the
ongoing efforts of the United States. We also recognize
the role of the Quartet in the promotion of solutions to the conflict in the
Middle East. And not least, we have been persistent in recognizing the
contribution of countries in the region and the League of Arab States to the
Middle East peace efforts, including through the Arab Peace Initiative. Unfortunately, Mr.
President, the Security Council’s own record on the issue has been less
than sterling. The Council needs
to signal that it is shouldering its Charter mandated responsibilities. The Security
Council must and, indeed, can exert a positive influence on the Middle East
peace process. Mr. President, A truly comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle
East requires a solution not only to the conflict between Israel and Palestine,
but also on the Israel-Lebanon and Israel-Syria tracks. My delegation
therefore wishes to once again express its deep concern about Israel’s on-going
land and air violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty in violation of Security
Council resolution 1701. We call on Israel to withdraw fully from the remaining
Lebanese occupied land. We wish to make a similar call for Israel’s withdrawal
from occupied Syrian Golan in implementation of Security Council 242 and 338. Finally,
Mr. President, let me reiterate that the commitment of Indonesia to an
independent, viable and democratic Palestine—living side-by-side in peace and
security with its neighbours—is absolute. A
just, comprehensive, and lasting peace in the Middle East, based on relevant
resolutions of the Council, must prevail. We fervently hope that the year 2010 will
be the year that the international community will fulfill its obligation to the
Palestinian people, and the year of remarkable progress and transformation in
the history of the Middle East. Thank
you, Mr. President.
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