General Assembly Session 61 meeting 61

Mr. Sahel (Morocco)

I should like first of all to sincerely thank His Excellency Mr. Paul Badji, Permanent Representative of Senegal and Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, for the praiseworthy efforts that he has made as head of that Committee.

The Kingdom of Morocco has taken note of the Secretary-General's report on the peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine, and would like to express its deep concern in connection with the pessimistic tone of the report and with the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which is preventing the aspirations of the peoples of the region to sustainable peace and socio-economic development from being fulfilled.

The Kingdom of Morocco, which warmly welcomed the withdrawal of Israel from Gaza as a first step towards the creation of a Palestinian State in conformity with the Road Map, denounces the attacks perpetrated by the Israeli army against the occupied Palestinian territories -- attacks that have resulted in the deaths of a number of innocent civilians.

The escalating Israeli violence against the Palestinian people and the destruction of the economic and social infrastructure have aroused the indignation of Arab Governments and peoples, and are fuelling the feelings of frustration caused by the inertia of the international community. It is high time that the cycle of violence between the Israelis and Palestinians, which has continued for many years and has intensified over the past few months in an alarming manner, cease immediately and that the parties concerned return to the negotiating table with a view to achieving a peaceful resolution of the conflict. It is also important to put an end to any unilateral measures regarding the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the establishment of a security cordon along the Jordan River Valley. Such unilateral measures, which must be denounced, seriously hinder the implementation of a lasting solution.

The policy of impoverishing the Palestinian people through the confiscation of their property and the suspension of international assistance will only serve to increase tension and further inflame the region. It is therefore essential that Palestinian authorities have sufficient financing available to resume economic activity and relive the suffering of the people through renewed social payments, which have declined significantly since the imposition of the financial embargo.

Given the failure of various regional and international initiatives to reactivate the peace process and resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Kingdom of Morocco would like to appeal to the international community to assume its responsibility to take steps towards sustainable peace under the relevant United Nations resolutions and the principle of land for peace.

The Kingdom of Morocco, which currently presides over the Al-Quds Committee, would therefore like to reiterate its principled position regarding the peaceful co-existence of two States -- a Palestinian State existing within the 1967 borders and with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital and an Israeli State living side by side in harmony.

In addition, we condemn the building of the wall, which violates the principles of international law, as well as the restrictions imposed against the Palestinian people through the setting up of checkpoints and other obstacles, which both restrict contact between Palestinian families and hinder organizations and United Nations programmes from providing assistance to Palestinians. That alarming situation is a source of major concern for my country.

The Kingdom of Morocco, which welcomed the conclusion, in Gaza on 25 November, of a ceasefire agreement between the Palestinian President and the Israeli Prime Minister, calls for compliance with that agreement. We also reiterate our rejection of any acts of violence against civilians.

The Kingdom of Morocco is following with great interest the ongoing discussions among the different segments of the Palestinian population. We fervently hope that they will lead to the establishment of a Government of national unity that will unite the Palestinian people and meet their aspirations for peace and prosperity and a life of dignity and peace.

We continue to believe that the resumption of negotiations depends upon the existence of genuine political will on the part of the parties. We underscore the need for the international community, and the Quartet in particular, to spare no effort to achieve a resumption of dialogue.

Yesterday, we celebrated the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, and it is worth recalling that bringing peace to the entire Middle East region depends largely upon a lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The only way to achieve such an outcome continues to be negotiations to establish two States living side by side in peace.

Mr. Diab (Lebanon)

First of all, recalling yesterday's celebration of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, I should like to reaffirm Lebanon's solidarity with the people of Palestine as they fight for their inalienable rights.

For many years, our delegations have met in this Hall to discuss the question of Palestine and the situation in the Middle East and to adopt resolutions, most of them by a wide majority, aimed at prompting Israel to cease its arbitrary practices against the Palestinian people and the peoples of the region, as well as to document such practices. To that end, I have chosen a number of statistics that the Secretary-General cited from the report of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) in introducing the report to the Economic and Social Council during the current session (A/61/67). Those figures very accurately reflect Israeli practices that cause suffering to the Palestinian people and form part of the draft resolutions we will adopt today.

With regard to Israel's practices in Gaza and the West Bank, the report states that

"In 2005, 180 Palestinian fatalities and 1,554 injuries were recorded in the West Bank. In the Gaza Strip, 99 Palestinian fatalities and 266 injuries were recorded." (A/61/67, annex, para. 3)

The report also states that

"Since January 2006, some 50 Palestinian children were injured and 11 died owing to the conflict. Civilian casualties are mainly caused by the disproportionate use of force by the Israeli army". (Ibid.)

The report goes on to say that, "through the course of its work in 2005, UNRWA recorded a total of 224 Palestinian structures demolished by the Israeli army in the West Bank" (para. 11). The Israeli army has also razed 180 hectares of agricultural land in Gaza, and "Israeli forces ... razed 28,882 dunums of agricultural land, uprooting trees and destroying crops belonging to Palestinians and impoverishing 60,101 Palestinians" (para. 18).

With regard to material loses, "Physical capital loss in the occupied Palestinian territory is estimated at $3.5 billion, as a result of destruction of private and public infrastructure ..." (para. 20), and as to refugees, "Registered refugees form 29 per cent of the West Bank's Palestinian population and 70 per cent of the total Gaza Strip population" (para. 8).

With regard to detainees, "Over 9,000 Palestinian political prisoners currently remain in Israeli prisons, including approximately 129 Palestinian women prisoners" (para. 6).

With regard to Al-Quds, the report states that

"At least 60,000 Palestinian residents of occupied East Jerusalem with Israeli identity cards, including 3,600 school-age children, will be closed outside the 'Jerusalem envelope', as the barrier prevents them from reaching the municipal centre. This phenomenon also affects 11,000 persons already separated from their livelihood in the 'closed zone'" (para. 9).

Concerning the separation wall, the report states that "The barrier route places approximately 10 per cent of West Bank territory on its west side" (para. 36), and that, as a result,

"According to UNRWA, 10.1 per cent of some of the most fertile Palestinian land, home to approximately 50,000 Palestinians living in 38 communities, is expected to be isolated between the barrier and the Green Line" (para. 37).

Those sobering statistics reflect the daily and ongoing suffering that the Palestinian people have been experiencing since the outbreak of the Israeli-Arab conflict almost 50 years ago -- suffering caused by the arbitrary Israeli practices carried out against that people. That is exactly the picture painted for us by the Secretary-General in the 2005 ESCWA report entitled "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". Indeed, the report accurately reflects the genuine suffering of the Palestinian people in the occupied territories.

The illegal and inhumane Israeli practices carried out against the Palestinian people, which, incidentally, are documented in reports of the Secretary-General to the General Assembly, are the very practices that the General Assembly is trying to prevent today, as it has done each year, through the adoption of draft resolutions such as the one we are considering today under the items relating to the question of Palestine and the situation in the Middle East.

However, owing to the international community's inability to hold Israel responsible for its actions or to find a just and effective solution to the question of Palestine, Israel continues to defy the international community and the many resolutions adopted by the United Nations, committing ever more violations of the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people, the most recent of which is the crime committed by Israel at Beit Hanoun.

The failure of the international community to shoulder its responsibility to put an end to the aggressive policies carried out by Israel led last July to a barbaric and unprecedented act of aggression against Lebanon by Israel, which resulted in thousands of Lebanese dead and wounded, the vast majority of whom were civilians, children in particular. It also resulted in the destruction of tens of thousands of residential units, and of hundreds of bridges, airports, factories and other infrastructures vital to the Lebanese people.

The situation in the occupied Syrian Golan is a source of great concern for the international community, given that Israel has refused to withdraw from the territories that it has been forcibly occupying since 1976 and that it is continuing to attempt to change the demographic and legal nature of the region by establishing new settlements and by imposing its laws on Syrian citizens, in contravention of all relevant United Nations resolutions and principles of international law. Thus the situation in the occupied Syrian Golan will remain yet another source of tension in the region.

In the face of the sombre realities in the region, the international community, especially the great Powers and the United Nations, must seriously assume the responsibility of reviving the Middle East peace process in order to achieve a just and comprehensive solution to the Israeli-Arab conflict. Achieving peace is the only way to restore stability to the region, stop the bloodshed in Palestine and promote a spirit of moderation. The Arab Peace Initiative, adopted by the Beirut Summit in 2002, reaffirmed that peace is the strategic choice of the Arab people, in the framework of the faithful implementation of the relevant international resolutions, which would allow the Arabs to recover their land and Arab prisoners and Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and homeland, in keeping with the provisions of resolution 194 (III).

In that context, the proposal made by the Arab Council of Ministers, at its extraordinary meeting held on 12 November last at Cairo, to hold a peace conference with the participation of both sides, Israeli and Arab, and of the permanent members of the Security Council, represents an important step towards the revitalization of the Arab-Israeli negotiations, which we hope will receive proper attention by the international community, with a view to achieving a comprehensive and just solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict on all tracks, in keeping with the relevant international resolutions and the principle of land for peace.

Mr. Kittikhoun (Laos)

At the outset, on behalf of the delegation of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, I would like to express our appreciation to the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian people for its report (A/61/35), which provides useful recommendations for the solution to the question of Palestine.

The situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, remains fragile and dangerous. The peace process is now at a standstill. The world community is concerned about the ongoing violence and the disproportionate use of force, which have resulted in a great loss of life and material destruction on an unprecedented scale. In that regard, we urge the parties concerned to stop the violence and all acts likely to increase the tension. Both sides need to exercise maximum restraint, persevere in negotiations and work together towards the implementation of the Quartet's Road Map and of the relevant Security Council resolutions and the principle of land for peace.

My delegation believes that a just, comprehensive and lasting settlement to the conflict can be achieved only on the basis of the implementation of Security Council resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973), 1397 (2002) and 1515 (2003). In that context, we call on the international community, especially the Quartet, to continue to intensify efforts that would support and promote negotiations between Israel and Palestine, with the aim of achieving a viable, peaceful settlement of the conflict.

The Lao People's Democratic Republic reaffirms its unwavering support for the Palestinian people in their struggle to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination, including the right to create their own independent State of Palestine. We therefore urge that the parties concerned engage in serious dialogue, undertake confidence-building measures, settle their conflict and realize the vision of two States, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security, within secure and recognized borders.

We believe that there should be no room for confrontation. Dialogue would bring durable peace and security to all people. The question of Palestine can only be resolved by peaceful means, in accordance with the principle of international law and the United Nations Charter.

Mr. Darwish (Syria)

My delegation supports the report of Mr. Paul Badji, Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. We would like to thank him and members of his Committee for the valuable efforts they have made to provide the international community with a true picture of the tragic situation of the Palestinian people, who are languishing under the yoke of occupation. We would also like to associate ourselves with the statement made by Cuba on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement.

A close reading of the reports of the United Nations Secretary-General, as well as the monthly briefing he has presented to the Security Council and the statements made by States members and non-members of the Council in the longest and oldest dispute inscribed on the agenda of the United Nations -- namely, the Arab-Israeli conflict -- make it abundantly clear that this conflict strongly impacts international peace and security, the Palestinian question in particular.

Against this backdrop, the international community has expressed its belief in the centrality of the establishment of a just and comprehensive peace based on international legality. However, we are all greatly concerned about the lack of progress towards a settlement that could lead to an end to the Israeli occupation and to the establishment of an independent Palestinian State within the boundaries of 4 June 1967 on its national soil, with Al Quds as its capital.

The international community is unanimous in its conviction that continued Israeli occupation of Palestinian, Lebanese and Syrian territories is the main reason for instability, the absence of peace and the escalation of tension and extremism in the region as a whole. Another cause for suffering lies in the direct political and military support by super-Powers for the occupying Power.

The whole world has witnessed the destruction, murder and displacement afflicting the Palestinian people in a manner unprecedented in modern history. This tragedy is the result of Israeli State terrorism. The massacres at Jenin, Nablus, Gaza, Bethlehem, the first and second massacres at Qana and, most recently, Beit Hanoun, and other massacres that date back to the beginning of the occupation, such as Deir Yassin and Kafr Qassim, are still fresh in our memories. No false statements can wipe out the memory of those massacres. The Zionist media war machine and those who forge history and geography will not be able to silence free opinion and the objective reports of journalists and official envoys, who have seen what happened with their own eyes. They were witnesses to what happened, and their sincere and honest testimony will be gloriously recorded in history to be reviewed by succeeding generations.

The United Nations has adopted more than 1,000 resolutions that name Israel, condemn it and call upon it to put an end to its occupation of Arab territories, to cease construction of illegal settlements and stop the Judaization of Arab Jerusalem, as well to stop construction of the racist separation wall. The fact that Israel has not responded to any of these calls is evidence that this occupying Power is the devil of international terrorism and the instigator of tension and instability. Those who provide the tools necessary for Israeli terrorism and blindly support the aggression, occupation, the settlements and the abduction of democratically elected members of the Palestinian Government bear a large part of responsibility for what is happening.

The fact that a super-Power has resorted 44 times to the use of the veto on items concerning Israel reveals a partnership in the aggression and a coercive tool that seeks to prevent the Security Council from discharging its responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security and for the protection of the Palestinian people from the Israeli war machine. It demonstrates an attempt to obstruct the efforts of the international community to establish law, peace and justice. It also feeds the sadistic Israeli mentality of murder in the occupied territories, prolongs occupation and prolongs Israel's defiance of international legality and its disregard for the collective wish for a comprehensive and just peace.

Resolution ES-10/16 on the illegal Israeli practices in Jerusalem and the occupied Palestinian territories, adopted on 17 November 2006 in the General Assembly by a large majority, has sent a clear message to Israel that the international community is fully aware of Israeli practices. The representative of Israel, in a manner considered offensive by all, described those who voted for the draft resolution as accomplices of terrorism. This is yet more proof of the irresponsibility of the policies of Israel and those who represent it.

Despite the fact that the international community broadly condemns the actions taken by Israel as the occupying Power, that country shows no regard for international legitimacy, nor for moral or humanitarian norms. How could it do otherwise, when for decades it has denied the role of this Organization that gave birth to it as a State? It has never followed instructions; instead, it has continued its pack of lies and obfuscations based on the principle of "lie, lie, and lie again, and they must eventually believe you". However, the reality is that nobody believes these Israeli lies, not even within Israel itself.

The massacres perpetrated by Israel against the Palestinians for many decades is clear proof of the fact that this occupying Power is blind to history, is myopic and afflicted by a racist malady that manifests itself in the oppression and suppression of the Palestinian people. What happened in Beit Hanoun a few weeks ago makes it clear that Israel's terrorist approach and its fundamentalist doctrine are based on murder and destruction with a view towards expansion, the consolidation of occupation and the destruction of the voices of right and justice, as well as the continued rejection of the desire to live in peace in the region. In that regard, Israel benefits from the amazing and deplorable ease with which a super-Power uses the veto to protect it.

Israel's desperate attempts to distort facts have not been confined to the moral realm; they have also been extended to the legal area. The claims of Israel and of those who support it in its aggressive pursuit of self-defence are clear evidence of that distortion. Israel is the party that since 1967 has been occupying the land of others, establishing internationally condemned settlements, displacing people and denying them their most basic rights under international law and international humanitarian law. Those bodies of law are the greatest victims of Israeli State terrorism. How can those who occupy the land of others, deny their rights and for decades carry out massacres of defenceless civilians be defending themselves?

We do not wish to see the legitimacy of the United Nations sacrificed on the altar of irresponsible and catastrophic policies. We are among the founders of the United Nations. We will continue to support the Organization, because it is our only option in the face of the outlaws, State terrorism, and the aggressors who are destroying the very foundations of human existence.

Mr. Wang Guangya (China)

During the debate held at this time last year on the situation in the Middle East, nearly all of the delegations present were filled with hope for peace in the Middle East and were looking forward to seeing a year of opportunities for the Middle East gradually materialize. However, as we meet here once again today, we find the window of opportunity for peace in the Middle East still closed. Our hopes remain unfulfilled. Instead, to our profound grief and concern, we are witnessing further bloodshed and destruction.

Earlier this year, the Middle East experienced the darkest moments in its recent history. Two "hot wars" broke out, between Palestine and Israel and between Lebanon and Israel. The situation in the occupied Palestinian territory has been steadily deteriorating. What had been accomplished over many years in the rebuilding of Lebanon was wiped out overnight, and the Israeli people also sustained heavy losses. The international community, focusing its attention on the Middle East, again appealed for an end to the vicious circle of responding to violence with violence. Hatred and violence can mean only the end of peace, and military action cannot bring about peace.

Having endured untold suffering for more than half a century, the people of the Middle East long for the advent of peace and a tranquil life. That is a most fundamental human right and a most basic demand. The international community, as it discusses the responsibility to protect, must not avoid the following question: what protection have we ever provided to the Palestinian people?

China has always maintained that, as a first step towards peace, both the Palestinian and Israeli sides must cease all hostilities. Israel must immediately halt its military actions against Palestine, comply with international humanitarian law and ensure the safety of the Palestinian people and international relief workers. The Palestinian side must stop its rocket attacks against Israel.

In that regard, we welcome the recent ceasefire agreement between Palestine and Israel. We hope that both parties will honour their commitments and effectively implement the agreement. That should be immediately followed by a resumption of political negotiations and talks between the two sides.

China is convinced that the correct approach to resolving the question of Palestine is to establish, through political negotiations, an independent Palestinian State living side by side in peace with the State of Israel, on the basis of the relevant United Nations resolutions and the principle of land for peace. That would serve the fundamental interests of the Palestinian and Israeli sides and those of the people of all Middle East countries, and would foster the attainment of peace and stability in the region as soon as possible.

Peace between Palestine and Israel will not be possible without vigorous support and involvement by the international community. We appreciate the positive efforts of the Quartet to move the peace process forward. We hope that it will undertake further proactive initiatives to press both parties to break the current deadlock and fulfil their obligations under the Road Map. The international community must abide by the principles of objectivity, neutrality and impartiality, giving equal attention and consideration to the legitimate concerns and demands of both sides.

At this juncture, a number of new initiatives are in the making, including those proposed by Arab countries, France, Italy and Spain. China appreciates and supports all initiatives that will help to break the current impasse and bring Palestine and Israel back to the negotiation table. The United Nations and the Security Council, as important entities responsible for world pace and security, should effectively shoulder their responsibilities in that regard.

The negotiations between Syria and Israel and between Lebanon and Israel are part and parcel of the Middle East peace process. Appropriate settlement of the disputes on those two tracks is essential for a comprehensive peace in the Middle East region. The expeditious resumption and progress of those negotiations will help to bring about such peace. We hope that the countries concerned will resume the negotiations at an early date in order to find a mutually acceptable solution that is in keeping with the principles set out at the Madrid Conference.

The fragile Lebanese situation is currently receiving a great deal of attention. China strongly condemns the assassination of Pierre Gemayel, Lebanese Minister of Industry, and hopes that the Lebanese people will remain united at this difficult time. It is also our hope that both sides will effectively implement Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) as an important step towards resolving the conflict between Lebanon and Israel. We look forward to the early submission of a long-term political plan by the Secretary-General aimed at resolving the conflict between Lebanon and Israel.

China is deeply concerned about the Middle East situation. Since the recent outbreak of the conflicts between Palestine and Israel and between Israel and Lebanon, China has been talking to the Israeli, Palestinian and Lebanese sides, calling for restraint and for efforts to settle their differences through negotiation. China has also provided, to the best of its ability, humanitarian assistance to Lebanon and Palestine. In addition, we have participated in the expansion of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, as called for by the United Nations.

As a permanent member of the Security Council, China has always advocated a greater role for the United Nations and the Security Council in pushing the Middle East peace process forward. As always, China will work with all peace-loving forces, continuing to play a constructive role in the quest for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East.

Mr. Akram (Pakistan)

This debate appropriately coincides with the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people. Indeed, the Palestinian people, who have endured a serial tragedy over the past 60 years, deserve the full solidarity and support of the international community. The United Nations, which has played a central role in the recent history of Palestine, certainly must demonstrate such solidarity with the long-suffering Palestinians. They have suffered decades of foreign occupation, repression and humiliation. They have been subjected to targeted killings, collective punishment, arbitrary detention and countless other violations of human rights and of international humanitarian law.

Pakistan has consistently and vigorously supported the just and legitimate struggle of the Palestinian people for self-determination and against foreign occupation. The Palestinian people must be assisted in realizing their rightful quest for the establishment of a sovereign, independent and viable State with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

As President Musharraf of Pakistan has repeatedly stated, Palestine is the core issue of the Middle East. It is this conflict which has, over the years, spawned the ever-widening circle of Israel's confrontations with all its Arab neighbours and the wider Arab and Islamic world. It is this conflict that has contributed most significantly to the anger and frustration among the peoples of the Arab and Islamic world. The resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is essential for peace and stability throughout the Middle East region. It is also essential to end extremism and eliminate terrorism.

Despite the visible implications for peace and security in the Middle East, Israel has persisted, so far, in pursuing actions and policies that have rendered a solution more difficult. Hope was briefly aroused by the unilateral Israeli withdrawal from Gaza last year. But it was soon extinguished -- paradoxically -- as a result of democratic elections in Palestine. The Palestinians and their elected Government were quarantined -- physically and fiscally; Gaza was soon reoccupied; Palestinian legislators and Cabinet ministers abducted and imprisoned. Meanwhile, Israel continued the construction of new settlements in the occupied West Bank and the illegal separation wall. It rejected negotiations, even with President Abbas. The Quartet's Road Map disappeared off the political map.

We see hope in the recent ceasefire declared by the Palestinians and Israelis. We hope this will be sustained and extended to encompass all occupied territories. We trust that this is not a cosmetic step for Tel Aviv, designed to coincide with high-level visits to the region.

It is Pakistan's hope that there will be an urgent endeavour to provide focus and momentum for a just solution to the core issue of Palestine. Only thus can the international community achieve its aims of promoting peace in other areas of the Middle East as well.

Building on the ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, Israel and the Palestinians should take additional confidence-building measures. Israel should release Palestinian prisoners, including Cabinet members and legislators, remove checkpoints and other obstacles to facilitate access and movement of civilians and humanitarian workers, halt and reverse construction of the separation wall, freeze settlement activities and dismantle outposts, release customs and value added tax payments to the Palestinian Authority and accept negotiations with the Palestinian Authority, led by President Mahmoud Abbas.

We appeal to the Palestinians to take firm steps to stop maverick rocket attacks, secure the release of the captured Israeli soldier, achieve internal cohesion and establish a national unity Government with powers delegated to the Palestinian Authority and to President Abbas, to negotiate peace with Israel. In that regard, we welcome the efforts under way for establishing such a unity Government.

Such confidence-building measures could pave the way for resumption of the peace process with the support and, as necessary, the intercession of the Security Council, the Secretary-General, the Quartet, and all others who are in a position to assist this peace process. Pakistan remains ready to contribute to such a process. We also support the call, reiterated by the Organization of the Islamic Conference, for an international conference to achieve a comprehensive peace in the Middle East. The basic framework and elements for such a comprehensive peace are already present in previous agreements, the relevant Security Council resolutions, including 242 (1967), 338 (1973), 1397 (2002) and 1515 (2003), the principle of land for peace, the Arab Peace Initiative, and the Quartet's Road Map.

We are confident that genuine progress on Palestine will contribute to progress on other aspects of the Middle East crisis including the Israeli-Syrian dispute over occupied Golan, the stabilization of Lebanon, the staunching of the complex and chaotic conflict in Iraq and the reduction of tensions throughout the region. This will require determined and visionary diplomacy, especially by those who wield power and influence with the principal parties. Such diplomacy is essential if we are to defy the dire predictions of disaster in the Middle East that abound today.

Mr. Kariyawasam (Sri Lanka)

I would like to thank the Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, Ambassador Paul Badji of Senegal, for presenting the Committee's report. We appreciate the Committee's efforts to promote the full realization of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and the mobilization of international support for their cause. We thank Ambassador Badji for his initiative and leadership in this regard.

Sri Lanka has consistently supported the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and their right to an independent sovereign State based on Security Council resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973), 1397 (2002), 1515 (2003) and other relevant resolutions. In this regard, I wish to quote the message from the President of Sri Lanka, His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa, a friend of the Palestinian people, issued on the occasion of the observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People:

"Sri Lanka has been a consistent advocate for the realization of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. We have extended our firm and unequivocal support to the just struggle in obtaining their rights, including the right to statehood.

"For over 30 years, I have associated myself with the cause of Palestine and supported activities aimed at promoting the rights and freedoms of the Palestinian people.

"Reports of the continued hardships and deprivations suffered by the people in the occupied territories almost on a daily basis fill me with profound sorrow. It is my most sincere hope that efforts to pursue an end to violence will soon succeed, leading to the emergence of peace in the Middle East.

"On behalf of the Government and the people of Sri Lanka, I take this opportunity to reaffirm our continuing solidarity with the Palestinian people. We share their aspirations and their hopes of seeing an end to foreign occupation and the achievement of a lasting solution for the realization of a Palestinian State and a durable peace."

Last year we welcomed the removal of Israeli settlements from the Gaza Strip and parts of the northern West Bank and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and hoped that those and other confidence-building measures would enhance the prospects for reviving negotiations in the context of the Road Map. Regrettably, there was no progress on this account either immediately after the pull-out or in the months that followed. On the contrary, violence increased and the situation in Gaza deteriorated to unprecedented levels. We are also concerned about the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the continued construction of a separation wall in the occupied Palestinian territories.

However, the reported agreement reached between President Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel to establish a mutual ceasefire in Gaza is a welcome development. We hope that the parties will abide by their commitments and refrain from any action that could dim prospects for peace in the region.

We support the efforts by the Quartet to reopen the peace negotiations between the parties and encourage the parties to move forward towards sustained discussions to arrive at a durable settlement of all issues of concern. It is of the utmost importance that all parties respect their obligations and put an end to all violent acts. Serious efforts must be made for the early resumption of negotiations among the parties concerned with the objective of reaching a final agreement for Palestinians and Israelis to live side by side within secure and recognized boundaries. We urge all parties to take concrete steps and confidence-building measures towards achieving this objective.

Mr. Hoang Chi Trung (Viet Nam)

It is a great honour for me to speak on behalf of the Vietnamese delegation on agenda item 14, entitled "Question of Palestine". At the outset, let me to join all those who have spoken previously in expressing sincere thanks to the Secretary-General for his report, contained in document A/61/355. Our delegation also wishes to thank the Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People for his report, contained in document A/61/35. My delegation fully endorses the statement made by the representative of Cuba on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement.

The resolution of the question of Palestine is the key to a lasting peace in the Middle East. It has been the focus of the United Nations, as well as the international community, for many decades now. Unfortunately, the question of Palestine remains unresolved, and the Palestinian people are still deprived of their inalienable rights, which include the rights to self-determination, national independence and sovereignty, as well as the right to return to their homeland.

It is truly disheartening to see the escalation of violence in the region. The year 2006 has been marked by a steady deterioration in the security, economic and humanitarian situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem. We are particularly concerned about the Israeli incursions into Gaza during recent months and their destructive effects on the Palestinian people. We were particularly shocked by the indiscriminate killings of women and children by the Israeli military forces in Beit Hanoun on 8 November. That act of violence would be deplorable under any circumstances. In this respect, we welcome the decisions of the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council to send fact-finding missions to investigate the incident. In our view, Israel must do its utmost to cooperate with those missions so that there can be justice for the victims.

Our delegation joins many other delegations in calling upon Israel to put an immediate end to its military operations in the occupied Palestinian territory. We fully endorse the statement contained in the report of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People that Israel, the occupying Power, is squarely bound by the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. In order to facilitate the dialogue between the belligerent parties and to pave the way for fruitful negotiations, it is imperative that Israel end its incursions into Gaza, cease offensive military operations in the occupied Palestinian territory, withdraw its forces to their original positions outside Gaza and release, immediately and unconditionally, all imprisoned cabinet ministers and parliamentarians, as well as other Palestinian prisoners. It is also incumbent upon the Palestinian Authority, for its part, to take effective action to put an end to violence, including the firing of rockets into Israeli territory.

Our delegation calls on Israel to cancel all settlement expansion activities in the West Bank, as well as efforts to complete the construction of the wall on Palestinian land. We wish to reiterate that the settlements and the wall constructed by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, are contrary to international law and numerous resolutions of the Security Council and the General Assembly, as well as the provisions of the Road Map. Our delegation welcomes the signing of the National Conciliation Document by the major Palestinian political organizations and the decision to form a national unity government. At the same time, we feel strongly that the international community should focus on practical and meaningful measures to engage all parties in support of major international peace efforts, including the Arab Peace Initiative and the Road Map.

Finally, we wish to underline that only a negotiated solution can bring about a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement to the question of Palestine, through the establishment of two States, Israel and Palestine, living side by side within secure and recognized borders, in line with the principle of land for peace and on the basis of Security Council resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973), 1397 (2002) and 1515 (2003).

My delegation wishes to reaffirm the consistent support of the Government and the people of my country for the just cause of the Palestinian people in their heroic and tireless struggle for independence, sovereignty and statehood. In this connection, we would like to express our strong support for the relentless efforts made by the United Nations and the Quartet to promote the peace process in the Middle East. We strongly believe that peace will ultimately prevail in the region.

Mr. Oegroseno (Indonesia)

Allow me at the outset to align my delegation with the statement delivered yesterday by the representative of Cuba on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement.

Two weeks ago, the General Assembly met here at its resumed tenth emergency special session to consider the situation in Palestine as a result of the unfortunate failure of the Security Council to adopt a resolution in response to the renewed violent assault by Israeli forces in Gaza, in which a total of 82 Palestinians were killed in one week. Nineteen of that number, mostly women and children, were wiped out in one swift attack in the town of Beit Hanoun.

Despite this senseless violence and horror, which were condemned worldwide, the Council was still unable to do the decent and correct thing, for which we expressed our deepest regret.

My delegation is pleased that at the resumed tenth emergency special session, this Assembly did as was expected of it. In its resolution ES-10/16, it deplored the Israeli military actions in the Gaza Strip and urged Israel to immediately withdraw its troops. The Assembly also called for an immediate cessation of Israel military operations that threaten the civilian population in Palestine and all acts of violence, incitement and destruction between the parties, as well as for the dispatch of a fact-finding mission to Beit Hanoun.

We recall that the Human Rights Council held a special session early this month to review this tragic event. That was the third special session of the Commission since the Council was established in June -- all of them on Israel. This consistent appearance on the Council agenda is because Israel's military's policy has not changed; it only changes in the way it is expressed from one location to another and from one event to another.

As a result of Israel's militarism, the entire peace agenda in the Middle East is in danger. The humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate and the area is poised to return to full-scale conflict. This development tells us quite forcefully that the time has come for further actions to be taken by the international community to move forward on the situation in Palestine.

In this respect, the mutual ceasefire agreed at the weekend is a positive window of opportunity to be sustained. It is the responsibility of all concerned parties to capitalize on this momentum in order to revive the peace process, as experience has proven that there is no military solution to this conflict. Similarly, Israeli's unilateral policy of withholding Palestinian taxes and customs collections -- which only worsens the already dire humanitarian situation of the Palestinian people -- must be terminated without delay. On this point, we certainly support the Palestinian people's endeavour to establish a new coalition Government, as it would pave the way for the alleviation of the dire humanitarian situation that has been inflicted on the Palestinians as a result of the exercise of their democratic choice.

The international community should also seize this momentum so as to strengthen it and to bring the desperate humanitarian situation in Palestine under control. We should look beyond the current crisis and focus on the broader issue of implementing the Road Map of the Quartet, the Arab Peace Initiative, as well as relevant resolutions of the United Nations.

We reiterate that the realization of two States, Palestine and Israel, living side by side within secure, internationally recognized borders, remains the only way to end the cycle of violence in the region. In the efforts to generate a new approach to revive the new process, we support the proposal of the League of Arab States for an international conference to find a comprehensive framework for larger peace in the Middle East.

Finally, we are grateful to the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People for its work under very difficult circumstances, as well as the Division for Palestinian Rights of the Secretariat and the Department of Public Information, for their continued support to promote the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people for self-determination and independence. With that in mind, my delegation is pleased to support the balanced text of the draft resolutions before us.

Mr. Yousfi (Algeria)

The report of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People that our Assembly is considering today (A/61/35) describes, in a clear and detailed way, the daily humiliations of the Palestinian population under Israeli occupation. The vain attempts to discredit the work of the Committee only validate the facts related and the serious accusations made in the report against the occupying Power.

My delegation wishes here to renew its full confidence in and to pay tribute to the Committee for the excellent work that it has done in order to allow the Palestinian people to enjoy their inalienable rights, including the right to self-determination.

In the name of self-defence and the fight against terrorism, Israel has engaged in all kinds of subterfuge to justify its repeated attacks against the Palestinian population, and has adopted the policy of collective punishment to try to quell the will of an entire people seeking to implement its objective of establishing an independent State that enjoys full and complete sovereignty within safe and internationally recognized borders, living side by side with its neighbours in peace and security.

Through the inhumane and degrading practices affecting all segments of the Palestinian population on a daily basis and which have spared neither women nor children, nor the legitimately elected representatives of the Palestinian people, Israel is only confirming the doubt that world public opinion has regarding its sincerity in looking for a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian problem.

After having methodically busied themselves for years weakening the painstakingly established Palestinian institutions and diminishing the already reduced capacity of the Palestinian Authority to govern, Israel this year found a new pretext for making a hostage of the entire occupied Palestinian territory, in particular by transforming Gaza into a vast prison by systematically closing off the territory, by increasing the number of its fixed and mobile checkpoints, by closing points of passage for goods and individuals and, especially, by blackmailing the Palestinian Authority by suspending money due in the form of duties and taxes.

In fact, it has happened that the democratic choice made by the Palestinian people about its leadership was not to the liking of the occupying Power, which, since the Palestinian legislative elections, has attempted to put forth all manner of obstacles to impede the normal operation of Palestinian institutions, a fact that has contributed to an exacerbation of the tragic situation in the occupied Palestinian territory.

The unabated construction of the separation wall, regardless of the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice, the policy of illegal expropriation of Palestinian lands and settlement expansion are jeopardizing the chances of survival for a future Palestinian State, as well as harming the idea of two independent States, living side by side in peace and security, even though the Israeli leaders claim to be devoted to this principle.

The international community, including the Quartet, must not remain passive in view of the deteriorating situation in humanitarian and security terms and the aggravation of economic and social conditions in the occupied Palestinian territory owing to Israeli practices. The abusive and disproportionate use of force, which has claimed numerous victims among the civilian population and which, on 8 November 2006, culminated in the massacre at Beit Hanoun, is a brutal reminder of the need for the international community to assume its responsibility and compel Israel to conform to the rules and principles of international law, including international humanitarian law.

The United Nations has an ongoing responsibility, with respect to the question of Palestine, to assure that the issue will be resolved in all its aspects in compliance with international law. The Security Council, in particular, must become more active, play its full role given to it under the United Nations Charter for the maintenance of international peace and security and ensure that Israel complies with its obligations under the Road Map and adheres to Security Council resolutions.

Algeria continues to believe that the peaceful resolution of the question of Palestine can be based only on a negotiated solution that is compatible with international law, with the relevant United Nations resolutions, and in particular Security Council resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973), 1397 (2002) and 1515 (2003). We call for an immediate resumption of negotiations aimed at a final settlement, as called for by the Road Map and the Arab Peace Initiative adopted in Beirut in 2002.

We believe that unilateral actions under the false pretext that there is no credible negotiating partner are liable to further complicate the situation and bring us further away from the chances for a negotiated settlement for good.

The periods of turmoil that roil the Middle East confirm that peace and stability cannot be established in the region unless there is a peaceful, just and lasting settlement of the question of Palestine, which is at the heart of the Arab-Israeli conflict, based on the principles of land for peace and Israel's withdrawal from all Arab territories, including the occupied Syrian Golan and Sheba'a Farms in Lebanon. We believe here that the illegal decision dated 14 December 1981 and all measures imposing Israeli legal and administrative authority on the Golan are null and void, and we would ask the occupying Power to apply international law and withdraw from the occupied Syrian Golan in accordance with the relevant United Nations resolutions.

The Israeli aggression in Lebanon during last summer, with its procession of loss of life and destruction, are proof of the fragility of the situation in the region and shows how vain all attempts to resort to force are, as they seek to circumscribe the will of the people to free themselves from occupation.

Mr. Maema (Lesotho)

First of all, the delegation of Lesotho aligns itself with the statement that was delivered by the Permanent Representative of Cuba on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement.

As we commemorate the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, Lesotho wishes to reiterate its solidarity with the Palestinian people and our support for its inalienable rights.

My delegation commends the Secretary-General for his comprehensive report. Our congratulations also go to the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People for its enlightening report and insightful recommendations.

My delegation recalls that, last year, when this agenda item was considered by the Assembly, some notable events had just taken place in parts of the occupied Palestinian territory and had given a glimpse of promise and hope that a political dialogue between the relevant parties could resume. Indeed, with the removal of the Israeli settlements from the Gaza Strip and parts of the northern West Bank; the withdrawal of the Israeli Army from the Gaza Strip in September 2005; and the opening of the Rafah crossing on 25 November 2005, a true and lasting peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine seemed feasible. My delegation is, therefore, perplexed that, as this Assembly discusses this important issue again at its current session, the overall situation in the occupied Palestinian territory remains serious and has, in fact, deteriorated in some areas, including in the Gaza Strip.

It is a hard fact that the Palestinian people's struggle for self-determination, national independence and sovereignty has been going on for far too long and that the cost in terms of human lives has been very high. It is, therefore, very regrettable that the year 2006 has witnessed the highest level of disrespect for international humanitarian law, carried out in the form of major military incursions and air strikes that have targeted the Palestinian civilian population, while the international community, particularly those tasked with the maintenance of international peace and security, remained paralyzed or indifferent. The massacre in Beit Hanoun on 8 November 2006, is just one case in many. We appeal to all parties to the conflict to honour the recent fledgling ceasefire and to show restraint.

As we approach the fortieth anniversary of the occupation of the Palestinian territory, my delegation appeals to members of the international community, particularly the United Nations membership, to approach this issue with renewed vigour and determination in order to put an end to the plight of the Palestinian people. We appeal to the international donors that have stopped assistance programmes to the Palestinians to reconsider their decision and to adopt measures that would improve the humanitarian situation and not have a punitive effect on the entire Palestinian population, including women and children. On another level, my delegation encourages the relevant parties to the conflict to resume meaningful negotiations for a true and lasting peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine. In this regard, my delegation asserts that, with the assistance of the international community, all parties to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must adhere to the relevant principles of international law; all relevant United Nations resolutions must be implemented. All measures aimed at addressing this issue should first and foremost recognize the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, particularly the right to self-determination.

We join previous speakers who stressed that the Quartet Road Map remains the only path towards a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the question of Palestine. We also share the same views as speakers who have expressed support for a vision of two States, Israel and Palestine, living side by side within secure and recognized borders. Above all, my delegation views the withdrawal of Israel from the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, as the cornerstone for bringing the question of Palestine to a final, true and sustainable peaceful settlement.

Mr. Ba-Omar (Oman)

On behalf of the delegation of Oman, it gives me pleasure to express our sincere thanks and appreciation to Ambassador Paul Badji, Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, on the Committee's comprehensive report contained in document A/61/35. I cannot fail to express our special appreciation for his efforts, made with the other members of the Committee, to support the Palestinian people. I would also like to thank him for his inclusive statement on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories.

It is clear that our meeting today is of special significance, since it deals with a question that the international community has failed to resolve for decades. The situation in the occupied Palestinian territories continues to worsen day by day, a situation that obviously cannot continue. More than 50 years of killing, displacement and destruction of infrastructure have not discouraged the brave Palestinian people from continuing to demand their legitimate rights, namely, the right to establish their independent State with Jerusalem as its capital.

Yesterday marked the twenty-ninth annual observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, which, since 1977, has expressed a strong international stand in support of the Palestinian people in their tireless endeavours to attain their legitimate and inalienable rights. On the occasion of that international day, we reiterate the support and solidarity of the people and Government of Oman with the brotherly people of Palestine, until the attainment of all their legitimate aspirations, namely, the elimination of the occupation and the exercise of their right to self-determination.

Yesterday was also the fifty-ninth anniversary of the adoption of General Assembly resolution 181 (II), on the partition of Palestine into two States, in 1947. Israel, one of those States, came into being; the other, Palestine, has not yet seen the light of day. The people of Palestine continue to be denied their legitimate rights and their independence, national sovereignty and the right to self-determination.

This situation has led to the suffering by more than four million Palestinian refugees of the pains of diaspora, exile and deprivation. The Palestinian people have always looked to this international Organization, to protect them from repeated Israeli aggression.

Those practices have exceeded all limits. The international community must take a strong, serious position by sending a clear, unambiguous message to Israel, calling upon it to desist forthwith from those practices, and to engage in genuine negotiations. Such negotiations would lead to the establishment of stability and security on the basis of the terms of reference of the peace process, namely, the principle of land for peace, Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973), and the Arab Peace Initiative of 2002.

The option of peace requires political will on the part of all parties, in order to establish genuine peace based on justice and equity. Peace cannot be achieved through killing, violence and the exercise of all forms of terrorism against defenceless people who have no support for the attainment of their rights but that of God and the international community. Peace is a strategic choice that requires taking a long view in order to enter into a real partnership, the purpose of which is to put an end to violence and recognize the right of others to live in peace.

The world felt optimistic when the parties concerned decided to engage in the peace process that started in Madrid, under the auspices of the United States and the Russian Federation. That process culminated in the signing of the Oslo Accords between the Israeli and Palestinian leaderships, as well as subsequent agreements. However, that optimism evaporated when one of the parties reneged on its commitment, preferring to resort to military power and oppression as a means to settle differences.

The Government of Oman continues to be among the first to welcome the peace process and has considered that process, consisting in essence of dialogue and negotiations, to be the civilized and natural way to settle differences. Therefore, we call upon the parties concerned and the sponsors of the peace process to act effectively to settle the conflict in the Middle East, in view of the gravity of the situation and the current escalation of the tension there.

The Security Council and the Quartet must discharge their responsibilities by responding to the recent initiative of the League of Arab States calling for a peace conference attended by the Arab parties, Israel and the permanent members of the Security Council in order to reach a just and comprehensive solution of the Arab-Israeli conflict on all tracks, in accordance with the relevant international resolutions and the principle of land for peace. Such a conference must result in the realization of the vision of two States, Palestine and Israel, living side by side in peace within internationally recognized borders. This vision was reiterated by the relevant resolutions, the Israeli-Palestinian agreements, the Road Map and the Arab Peace Initiative of 2002.

In this regard, we welcome the ceasefire reached recently in Gaza between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel. This agreement might be a good start to revive the peace process. It might also help the Security Council and the parties concerned to play a more effective role in breathing new life into all the tracks of the Arab-Israeli peace process, namely, the Palestinian track, the Syrian track dealing with the occupied Golan, and the Lebanese track dealing with the Sheba'a Farms.

Finally, we call upon the international community to support all efforts for the establishment of peace in the Middle East. This goal can be achieved only by recognizing the legitimate right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent State and live in peace in an internationally recognized sovereign State. We call upon the international community to continue to support the Palestinian people and the relevant United Nations agencies and bodies that deal with achieving justice for the question of Palestine.

Mr. McNee (Canada)

Canada has always been and remains wholly committed to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East. We support Israel's right to live within secure borders, free from the threat of violence, conflict and terror. We support a negotiated solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the establishment of an independent, viable and democratic Palestinian State living side by side in peace with its neighbours.

Canada has thus been deeply disheartened by the dramatic deterioration in the security and humanitarian situation and the consequent tragic human toll in the region over the past year. The dynamics in the region must change. International law must be respected by all.

The Palestinian Authority and Israel need to take immediate steps to bring peace, stability and security to their peoples. The Palestinian Authority must take measures to address Israel's security concerns by controlling and preventing terrorist violence. While Israel has the right to defend itself, it must exercise the utmost restraint in order to avoid casualties among innocent civilians and damage to civilian infrastructure.

The resolution of this crisis depends on an end to terror and violence. It depends on the acceptance by the Government of the Palestinian Authority of Israel's fundamental right to exist and of previously signed agreements. It depends on an end to the launching of Qassam rockets into Israeli towns and on the return of the Israeli corporal to his family in Israel. It depends on the Government of Israel's recognizing and meeting its obligations under international law to prevent harm to the Palestinian civilian population and damage to civilian infrastructure. It depends on Israel's refraining from taking actions that could prejudge the outcome of final status negotiations, including those relating to settlements.

The international community, with the Quartet in the lead, must do everything in its power to encourage renewed political dialogue and a return to negotiations. The United Nations and its Member States, too, must play a more constructive role in supporting Middle East peace efforts if we are to achieve long-term security and stability in the region.

United Nations agencies make a particularly important contribution to development and humanitarian assistance in the region, and they require our continued support. Canada, however, does not believe that all the work that is being done within the United Nations is contributing to resolving the conflict. Resolutions on the Middle East that come before the Assembly, for example, are rarely helpful in achieving the goal we all seek: peace in the Middle East. We believe that, as States Members of the United Nations, we have to act with the greatest responsibility in our work in the General Assembly and elsewhere in the United Nations system. Canada has criticized inflammatory and divisive language in resolutions, and we will not support resolutions that use emotive and provocative language in place of the plain facts.

Mr. McNee (Canada)

We believe that, in the final analysis, a negotiated settlement is the only way to establish peace. Both sides must one day agree to sit down at the negotiation table to reach a final status agreement. Such an agreement must recognize that Israel is a legitimate neighbour and must ensure the long-term security and integrity of that country. It must also provide the Palestinian people with an independent and viable State that fulfils their right to self-determination.

Certainly, nothing can replace the efforts of the parties themselves, including their resolve to act and their political will to make progress. However, the States Members of the United Nations, which we represent here, can and must create the momentum, the framework and the political perspectives needed to settle the conflict and establish a lasting peace.

Canada welcomes with much satisfaction the agreement reached recently between President Abbas and Prime Minister Olmert. We commend them for their leadership, and we reaffirm our support for a negotiated two-State solution. To build hopes for peace, this important first step must be followed with decisive action by both parties.

Mr. Malhotra (India)

Thank you, Madam President, for scheduling sufficient time for a discussion on an issue that warrants the attention of the international community to the extent that few others do: the question of Palestine, set, as it is, in the larger context of the situation in the Middle East.

We have listened with attention to the many preceding speakers. The grim perspective that has informed most statements is particularly striking. The same pessimistic outlook is visible in the report of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (A/61/35) and in the Secretary-General's report of September this year on the question of Palestine (A/61/355). Sadly, despite repeated and detailed consideration of this matter in this forum and elsewhere within these premises, we remain no closer to a solution than we were at this time last year.

The events of the past few months have been deeply distressing for all concerned, set, as they are, in the tragic context of a growing humanitarian crisis, a collapsing Palestinian economy, the absence of dialogue and an intensification of the vicious circle of attacks, reprisals and counterattacks. All of that has an immediate and long-term impact on the lives and the psyche of the people, as well as on the infrastructure of daily life in the entire region. No justification makes any of those developments more palatable, irrespective of whether the victims are Israeli or Palestinian. The current context not only reduces the possibility of productive dialogue; it also lessens the prospects of any genuine efforts to move towards a solution in the near future.

Violence and the use of force not only will fail to produce a durable solution but could well postpone moves towards any solution, quite apart from creating conditions for further exacerbation of the situation. While it has been stated several times before and in many eloquent ways, this central truth bears repetition: a just, fair, durable and credible solution to this vexing problem can come only from meaningful, sincere and results-oriented dialogue -- not a session of recriminations based on the apportioning of blame, but a dialogue that is genuinely forward-looking.

It is in that context that India has consistently urged the resumption of a direct, face-to-face dialogue of principals based on the Quartet principles. We also remain convinced that the Road Map, as endorsed by Security Council resolution 1515 (2003), remains a valid framework of reference for an eventual settlement, even though its originally envisioned target date for a settlement already passed last year.

To that end, we are with the overwhelming majority of countries that consistently affirm their commitment to a negotiated two-State solution, accepted by the two principals, that would result in a viable, contiguous, sovereign and independent State of Palestine, existing side by side with Israel in peace and security. We support the call of the Secretary-General for the consideration by all sides of innovative ways to fully implement the Road Map, thus leading without delay to a just, fair, equitable and mutually acceptable solution to this conflict, based on the relevant United Nations resolutions, including Security Council resolutions.

We cannot but be deeply concerned by the heavy humanitarian cost that is sometimes overshadowed by the larger, more gruesome headlines that violence begets. The spiral of chaos has long-term implications for the stability of the entire region. We reiterate our call for the adoption of urgent measures to improve the living conditions of the Palestinian people. The impact of the collapsing economy, outlined in the Secretary-General's report, carries the portents of a dramatic humanitarian disaster in the making. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that such a disaster is averted at all costs.

In conclusion, we would like to express once again our sincere hope that the Quartet and all States in the region will resume efforts to de-escalate the situation and will take proactive steps to avert a humanitarian crisis, which otherwise appears inevitable. We also believe that our overall objective must be to move the dialogue forward -- if nothing else, by creating a favourable environment for its resumption by the principals.

As the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process said last week, only the Palestinians can convince Israel that they can be peaceful neighbours, and only Israel can persuade Palestinians that a two-State solution is available and can be worked towards. We must work to make that happen in the shortest possible time.