Two-State Solution ‘Disappearing Before Our Very Eyes’, Palestinian Lawmaker Tells Rights Committee, Noting Israel’s Announced Annexation of West Bank Territory
Relief Agency Official Describes ‘Extremely Traumatic and Testing Time’
;The two-State solution was “disappearing before our very eyes”, while the world was falling short of protecting Palestinians and holding Israel accountable for its actions, the Palestinian Rights Committee heard today in a briefing.
Describing “a system of enslavement” in occupied Palestine, Hanan Ashrawi, a Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council who also serves on the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), told the Committee — known formally as the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People — that Israel’s Government was seeking to impose “Greater Israel” on occupied Palestine.
Providing updates on political developments and the overall situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Ms. Ashrawi said the State of Palestine was still coming to grips with the latest events in Gaza, which amounted to “nothing less than a human tragedy”.
The recent announcement of further annexation of land by Israel was “the latest affront to the international community”, and a purported response to the killing of three Israel settlers, she said, adding that she thought the killing of 19 Palestinians, as well as the destruction without due process of the suspects’ homes, was supposed to have been the response.
Ms. Ashrawi went on to say that the international community owed the Palestinian people remedial action to counter the “grave historical injustice” perpetrated against them when Israel was created. It could redeem itself by ending preferential treatment of Israel and rising to the challenge of ensuring a just peace. She stressed that the conflict’s root causes and injustices must be addressed because “no amount of violence, cruelty or military force” would stop Palestinians’ pursuit of their rights.
The State of Palestine, she said, would continue the path of multilateralism as an alternative to a flawed peace process. Absent a multilateral approach, there would be no hope of non-violent means bearing fruit. Recent such efforts had included a request to convene a meeting of the High Contracting parties of the Geneva Convention, as well as a request for a meeting of the Human Rights Council. Palestinian efforts to accede to international conventions, including the Rome Statute, would continue, as would Palestine’s pursuit of membership in bodies like the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice.
Meanwhile, she expressed hope that the indirect talks taking place in Egypt would be a launch pad for future talks to alter the current situation. Saving lives was the priority, but the “building blocks of violence”, such as the occupation and the continued siege, must be removed. Crossing points had to be opened, as well as territorial waters, and security zones that affected farming should be dismantled. Israeli security concerns could not be the overarching objective of talks, she said, stressing the need for a firm deadline for their successful completion.
Internally, she said redefinition of the Palestinian Authority was also being pursued, particularly in terms of its functions and its relationship with Israel, including on security and economic cooperation. Work to achieve reunification among Palestinians would continue, as would efforts to strengthen institutions and improve involvement of women and youth in decision-making. The Palestine Liberation Organization needed reform and reactivation, she said, vowing to continue the pursuit non-violent popular resistance and global networking.
During an interactive dialogue that followed, Richard Wright, representative of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), in New York, described the Agency’s losses in Gaza, calling the present period an “extremely traumatic and testing time”. Many people remained displaced, with no homes to which to return, and UNRWA schools were unable to open for the new school year as they were still being used as shelters.
Several delegations expressed concern over Israel’s recent announcement to appropriate land from the occupied West Bank, including the representative of Pakistan, who called Israel’s announcement to seize more Palestinian land in the West Bank “unacceptable and condemnable”. He said Ms. Ashrawi’s briefing was “depressing”, although it undoubtedly depicted an accurate picture of the situation in Gaza. The two-State solution was the only viable and sustainable path to peace and security in the region, he added.
The Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine, Riyad Mansour, welcomed the briefing and said it was timely, as the next General Assembly session would begin in just a few weeks and provide an opportunity for the international community to again re-visit the possibility of a two-State solution.
Asked by the representative of Iraq about international aid donations and plans of the Palestinian leadership to capitalize on momentum and good will following the atrocities in Gaza, Ms. Ashrawi said specific reconstruction proposals and projects were of great importance and would require wide-ranging efforts across several disciplines. The development of the West Bank was crucial for Gaza’s survival, as the two places were inextricably linked, she said, warning of ripple effects far beyond Gaza in the absence of peace.
Reviewing the recent United Nations Seminar on Assistance of the Palestinian People, held in Nairobi, Kenya from 1 to 2 July, Yusra Khan, speaking on behalf of Desra Percaya, the representative of Indonesia and Committee Vice-Chair, said the gathering had been held under the theme, “Fostering Active International Solidarity with the Palestinians — Solidifying the Economic Underpinnings of an Independent State”. The Secretary-General, in a message, had condemned the violence of June and July and called on Israeli and Palestinian authorities to work together for a return to negotiations. A representative of the State of Palestine had urged continued support for the Palestinian cause, despite the dire nature of the situation.
In other business today, the Committee approved several civil society organizations for accreditation, following on the recommendation of its Working Group. All had been recognized national non-profit organizations and had demonstrated that they had concrete programmes in support of the achievement by the Palestinian people of their inalienable rights.
Committee Vice-Chair, Zahir Tanin of Afghanistan, thanked Abdou Salam Diallo of Senegal, whose term as Committee Chairman would end on 4 September, for his wise stewardship over the years. His highly successful tenure, said Mr. Tanin, had been marked by several important milestones, including the Committee’s expanded membership and, among others, its resolute support for Palestine’s application for full membership in the United Nations.
Mr. Tanin then announced that the Committee’s next meeting would be held on 3 October, as he reviewed the calendar of significant dates. He noted that the Committee would host Noam Chomsky on 14 October and would meet on 24 November to observe the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
Representatives of Indonesia, Turkey, Nicaragua, Malaysia, and Morocco also took part in the interactive dialogue.