Debate In UN Human Rights Council Agenda Item Targeting Israel, 45th Session
Algeria: "The Israeli occupation stepped up its institutional repression of the Palestinians through systematic measures including expulsions, destruction, and annexation." PLO: "The occupying power continues its attacks against civilians, targeting children, health workers, women, older persons and cutting down trees. This is completely inhuman." Venezuela: "We reject the colonial policy of the occupying power calling for terror, siege and discrimination." Qatar: "The Palestinians are being forced into exile, being removed from their homes..." Libya: "Palestinians are harassed by the Israeli forces." Syria: "There must be an end to the inhuman blockade of Gaza." UN Watch's Hillel Neuer: Madam Chair, the arc of history in the Middle East is long, but it bends toward peace between Arabs and Israelis. We meet at a singular moment in that history. Only two weeks ago, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed peace agreements with Israel, warmly declaring new relations between their peoples. In the region, the Abraham Accords were celebrated by Egypt, Oman and Saudi Arabia, which itself announced the opening of its airspace to Israeli flights, knocking down a barrier of seven decades. More and more Arab nations are joining the expanding circle of peace. And so I say to the Palestinian leadership: Today you face a choice. You can continue to devote your best minds and resources to assaulting your Jewish neighbors, with deadly Iranian missiles and terror attacks, with boycott campaigns and international show trials such as today’s exercise, or you can walk with your Bahraini and Emirati brothers and sisters along the path of reconciliation, cooperation and hope. You can flail at the Arab League for refusing, at its meeting on September 9th, to adopt your motion to condemn the peace accords, and you can keep holding your people in the desiccated desert of despair — or you can lead them to the oasis of peace, partnership and prosperity. The choice is yours. We appeal to the Palestinian leadership: Take the path of peace. I thank you, Madam Chair. |
