Israel’s Practices against Palestinian Economy Exacerbating Dire Living Conditions in Occupied Territory, Syrian Golan, Senior Official Tells Second Committee
The Sustainable Development Goals will be meaningless if people in the occupied Palestinian territories and the Syrian Golan are left behind, delegates warned the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) today as it took up the issue of those lands.
Tarik Alami, Director of the Emerging and Conflict‑Related Issues Division of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), introduced the Secretary‑General’s note on the “Economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan” (document A/77/90–E/2022/66). He noted that Israel has escalated its use of force against the Palestinians, including illegal unwarranted force, amounting to arbitrary deprivation of life.
He further shared that Israel has denied Palestinians access to their natural resources, including shared water resources and an estimated 1.5 billion barrels of oil reserves in the West Bank as well as more than $2.5 billion worth of natural gas off the Gaza coast. “Israel’s system of policies and practices has systematically stripped the Palestinian economy of vital elements for its healthy operation, whose productive base continues to shrink, thereby exacerbating dire living conditions,” he emphasized. The Syrian Golan has also suffered from discriminatory policies regarding land, water and zoning, he added.
The observer for the State of Palestine, noting that over 2 million Palestinians living in Gaza continue to suffer from the illegal blockade, deepening poverty and unemployment, stressed that Israel continues to allow “terrorist settlers” to kill her people in plain sight, destroying their homes and attacking their agricultural land, fruit and olive trees. Ending the illegal occupation is key to ending the suffering of the Palestinians so they can achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, she stated, further urging the international community to fulfil its legal obligations to end the apartheid regime.
Syria’s representative emphasized that the occupying Power is imposing its tax laws on Syrian farmers, while preventing those with work injuries to access health benefits under the compensation law, adding that lands of displaced Arab Syrians are being confiscated. Pointing out that Israel has buried 1,500 barrels of radioactive nuclear waste in 20 locations in the occupied Syrian Golan, he highlighted that cancer deaths in the area have increased by 30 per cent. He called for immediate implementation of relevant United Nations resolutions to end that country’s long‑term occupation.
Similarly, Iraq’s delegate, speaking on behalf of the Arab Group, stressed that “the list of Israeli violations of international law is very long and cannot be counted” as Israel continues to exploit mineral resources in the West Bank and prevents Palestinians’ access. Noting that the continuing blockade and the import ban on raw materials seeks to “almost annihilate the export sector”, he emphasized that the situation exacerbates the high level of unemployment and poverty in the region as 60 per cent of the population in Gaza live below the poverty line.
The representative of Saudi Arabia, speaking on behalf of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf countries of Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, stated that the Charter of the United Nations advocates for the rights of all peoples including the Palestinian people, adding that the occupation has had deleterious effects in violation of all relevant resolutions. Pressing Israeli authorities to engage in serious negotiations, he also called for the establishment of a Palestinian State according to 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The representative of Pakistan, speaking on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, said that Israel must cease its confiscation of Palestinian property, construction and expansion of Israeli settlements and demolition of Palestinian homes. He called on the international community to shoulder its responsibility and protect the Palestinian people while exerting pressure on Israel to cease its repeated attacks on civilians and infrastructure.
Malaysia’s representative, stressing that the systematic oppression of Palestinians is tantamount to the crime of apartheid and clearly inconsistent with the pursuit of peace and peaceful coexistence, urged the international community to call upon Israel to immediately end its occupation of Palestinian territories and cease its apartheid practices. He further called for the return to meaningful negotiations based on the two‑State solution.
From a different perspective, the representative of the Maldives noted that the escalation in May 2021 had shown that the international community is not well equipped to address the needs of displaced women and girls suffering from forced displacements and a lack of shelter. Referring to the 2030 Agenda, she underscored that the Palestinian people and the Syrian population in the Golan show that “we are in fact leaving them behind, so long as they have no sovereignty over their natural resources and their land”.
Also speaking today were the representatives of Qatar, South Africa, Namibia, Bangladesh, Kuwait, Cuba, United Arab Emirates, Iraq (in national capacity), Russian Federation, Indonesia, Egypt, Venezuela, Oman, Algeria and Libya.
The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 25 October, to conclude today’s agenda item and meet with regional commissions of the United Nations system for the annual dialogue.
Introduction of Reports
TARIK ALAMI, Director of the Emerging and Conflict‑Related Issues Division of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), introduced the note by the Secretary‑General on “Economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan” (document A/77/90–E/2022/66). He noted that during the reporting period from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022, Israel escalated its excessive use of force against the Palestinians, including illegal unwarranted force, amounting to arbitrary deprivation of life coupled with lack of accountability.
In particular, he outlined that April to May 2021 saw an eruption of tensions across the occupied Palestinian territory and military escalation against Gaza that resulted in extensive civilian deaths and injuries as well as the destruction of infrastructure. In the West Bank, he continued, the Israeli security and military failed to protect Palestinians from the highest level of settler violence since 2017. He added that Israel also continued punitive home demolitions of families and neighbours of Palestinians suspected of carrying out attacks, which amounts to collective punishment prohibited by international humanitarian law. He further highlighted that Israel has denied Palestinian access to their natural resources, including shared water resources and an estimated 1.5 billion barrels of oil reserves in the West Bank as well as more than $2.5 billion worth of natural gas off the Gaza coast.
“Israel’s system of policies and practices has systematically stripped the Palestinian economy of vital elements for its healthy operation, whose productive base continues to shrink, thereby exacerbating dire living conditions”, he emphasized. In 2022, he detailed, approximately 2.1 million Palestinians are estimated to need humanitarian assistance, including three quarters of people living in Gaza. The Syrian Golan suffered from discriminatory policies designed to benefit Israeli settlers at their expense, especially regarding land, water and zoning policies, he said. Stressing that Israel’s occupation policies and practices have fragmented the Palestinian economy and rendered it dependent on Israel and foreign aid, he reiterated that adherence to international law is an absolute imperative for ensuring that no party enjoys impunity and for securing justice and peace for all those living in the region.
SAHAR J.O. ABUSHAWESH, observer for the State of Palestine, associating herself with statements to come from the “Group of 77” developing countries and China and the Arab Group, said the report illustrates the repressive, destructive and colonial practices and apartheid policies perpetrated by Israel against her people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, in deliberate violation of international law. The illegal occupation continues to displace and dispossess people from their homes and confiscate land and resources, obstructing independence and development, for over 55 years of socioeconomic, humanitarian and human devastation. She noted that over 2 million Palestinians living in Gaza continue to suffer the wrath on an inhumane illegal blockade, deepening poverty, hunger and unemployment, an unimaginable toll. Israel continues to allow “terrorist settlers” to kill her people in plain sight, destroying their homes and productive infrastructure, attacking agricultural land, fruit and olive trees — cornerstones of the Palestinian economy for centuries. She further cited Israel’s exploitation of 90 per cent of transboundary water resources, allocating less than 10 per cent for Palestinian use. As a result, a Palestinian receives on average less than 73 litres of water per day, compared to 300 litres for an Israeli — meaning Palestinians survive on less than the minimum of 100 litres per day and per person recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Ending the illegal occupation is key to ending the suffering of the Palestinians so they can achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, she stated, further urging the international community to act to fulfil its legal obligations to end the apartheid regime.
MUHAMMAD IMRAN KHAN (Pakistan), speaking on behalf the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, said Israel must cease its confiscation of Palestinian property, construction and expansion of Israeli settlements and the wall, demolition of Palestinian homes, forced displaced of Palestinian civilians and all measures of annexation, calling on that country to fully respect international law and all relevant United Nations resolutions. The Palestinian people continue to face severe restrictions on planning, building and access to natural resources in Area C, he pointed out, adding that any investment or economic activity in the area requires Israeli occupation‑issued permits. Such permits are nearly impossible for Palestinians to obtain, he said, noting that nearly 99 per cent of Palestinian building permit applications have been rejected over the years, which make it extremely challenging for them to build and develop communities in their own land.
In Gaza, Israel’s blockade and repeated military aggression have made development goals even more elusive, he said, urging Israel, the occupying Power, to cease the exploitation damage, cause of loss or depletion and endangerment of natural resources in the occupied Palestinian territory, including in East Jerusalem and occupied Syrian Golan. He also called on the international community to shoulder its responsibility and provide international protection to the Palestinian people and exert pressure on Israel to cease its repeated attacks on innocent civilians and on infrastructure. He emphasized the need for urgent mobilization and deployment of multilateral efforts to achieve a just and lasting solution for the Palestinian people based on the two‑State solution.
HUMAM LUAI ABDULMUHSEN AL‑SHAIKHLI (Iraq), speaking on behalf of the Arab Group and aligning himself with the Group of 77, stated that “the list of Israeli violations of international law is very long and cannot be counted”, as Israel continues to exploit mineral resources in the West Bank and prevents Palestinians’ access. Noting that the continuing blockade and the import ban on raw materials seeks to “almost annihilate the export sector”, he stressed that the situation exacerbates the high level of unemployment and poverty in the region as 60 per cent of the population in Gaza live below the poverty line.
Highlighting that education is key to achieving sustainable development, he pointed out that Israel’s policies and practices continue to make access to education a major challenge in Area C, where more than a third of residential communities lack primary schools. While about 37 per cent of the West Bank’s land is of high agricultural value, he continued, Palestinians are not allowed to use about 17 per cent due to restrictions placed on their access to water, fertilizers and other agricultural inputs. He called on the international community to take practical and concrete measures to hold Israel fully accountable for the violations and breaches of the Charter of the United Nations along with relevant laws and resolutions, including Security Council resolution 2334 (2016).
ABDULAZIZ M. ALWASIL (Saudi Arabia), speaking on behalf of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf countries of Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, stressed that the Charter of the United Nations advocates for the rights of all peoples including the Palestinian people, adding that the occupation has had deleterious effects in violation of all relevant resolutions. Calling for Israeli authorities to engage in serious negotiations, he said the international community must therefore take all appropriate measures to protect those people. The Gulf States have always been strong supporters of peace and development in the Middle East, he stressed, insisting on the right of return of refugees and the sovereignty of the Palestinian people over their resources. He called for the establishment of a Palestinian State according to 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, noting the Gulf States continue to support funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
ABDULRAHMAN ABDULAZIZ F. A. AL‑THANI (Qatar), associating himself with the Group of 77, Arab Group and the Gulf Cooperation Council, condemned the closure of schools and the obstructions to children’s schooling. Given the importance of education, his country increased support for UNRWA, he said, adding that the Qatar Fund for Development also supports the Agency in the provision of health services, electricity and energy supply, as well as enhancement of infrastructure. Moreover, its donations to the Gaza Reconstruction Committee exceed half a billion dollars. Underscoring the right of Palestinians to enjoy their right to achieve sovereignty over their occupied territories, he said Qatar will continue its efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region.
XOLISA MFUNDISO MABHONGO (South Africa), aligning himself with the Group of 77, pointed out that the lack of control over its natural resources to address the dire water and energy needs, including infrastructure development, has impeded Palestine’s recovery from the COVID‑19 pandemic. In this regard he emphasized that “the Palestinian dossier, unfortunately, remains a protracted conflict that has demonstrated double standards that are perpetuated in the Security Council and other organs of the United Nations”. He reiterated his support of the two‑State solution and international efforts aimed at the establishment of an independent, fully sovereign and viable Palestinian State, existing side by side in peace with Israel within internationally recognized borders.
NEVILLE MELVIN GERTZE (Namibia), associating himself with the Group of 77, voiced concern about Israel’s continued occupation of Palestine and its continued use of force and natural resource exploitation in the occupied Palestinian Territory and the occupied Syrian Golan. He called on Israel’s Government to immediately cease its unlawful actions and urged the international community to denounce them collectively with real action, stressing that “mere remarks of concern and expressions of empathy are simply not enough”. He further called on Israel’s Government to stop the destruction of Palestinian houses and property and to comply with all relevant Council resolutions.
WISSAM AL NAHHAS (Syria) stressed that Council resolution 597 (1981) confirms that Israeli laws, mandate and administration in the occupied Syrian Golan is null and void and has no legal effect. Israel’s building and expansion of building settlements in the occupied Syrian Golan are threatening the safety of Syrians living there. The occupying Power is imposing its tax laws on Syrian farmers, while preventing those with work injuries to access health benefits under the compensation law, he said, adding that lands of displaced Arab Syrians are being confiscated. Moreover, Israel has buried 1,500 barrels of radioactive nuclear waste in 20 locations in the occupied Syrian Golan, putting the lives of Syrian citizens at risk of cancer, he stressed, noting that cancer deaths in the area have increased by 30 per cent. He condemned Israel’s illegal settlement policies in the occupied Syrian Golan and occupied Palestinian territories, calling for immediate implementation of relevant United Nations resolutions to end that country’s long‑term occupation.
KAZI NABIL AHMED (Bangladesh), associating himself with the Group of 77, noted that poverty and food insecurity in Palestine affect 53 per cent and 64.4 per cent of the Palestinian population respectively. Gaza’s socioeconomic fabric is faltering due to 15 years of sea, land and air blockade, restricted trade and access to resources. The international community has a responsibility to ensure that the Palestinian people and the Arab population of the occupied Syrian Golan can benefit from their natural resources and claim restitution for the harms already caused by the occupying Power. He noted there is also a sharp decline in the volume of foreign aid to Palestine in past years, as the World Bank estimates that the Palestinian economy annually loses nearly $3.4 billion of potential revenue due to Israel’s restrictions. There is an urgent need to scale up cash transfers, food aid and project grants targeting poverty alleviation, education, women’s empowerment and health care.
SULAIMAN HAMADAH (Kuwait), aligning himself with the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Group of 77, pointed out that while the Palestinian issue has been the subject of many resolutions, none of these have been implemented for more than 50 years due to “Israel’s intransigence”. Stressing that the occupying Power continues to hamper the sustainable development of Palestinian people by confiscating their land and exploiting natural resources, he condemned such practices and reiterated his support for the Palestinian and Syrian people to recover their legitimate rights and sovereignty over their natural resources.
PEDRO LUIS PEDROSO CUESTA (Cuba), associating himself with the Group of 77, said Israel’s occupation since 1967 deprives the State of Palestine of its means of development. He denounced practices that violate human rights, international law and international humanitarian law, noting unemployment in the Palestinian territories reached 26 per cent in 2021. He stressed that Palestinian children under the age of 5 suffer from malnutrition, and that unless the living conditions there are radically changed, it will be difficult to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The denial of human rights is the result of a system of apartheid, he stated, demanding the total withdrawal of Israel from the Syrian Golan and all occupied Palestinian territories, and the end of all aggressive colonialist policies.
ABDULLAH ALHAMMADI (United Arab Emirates) said his country contributed more than $684 million to the Palestinian people. It also provided to UNRWA more than $165 million of which $143 million is allocated for education and $11.7 million for aid and social services programmes for commodities in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, he said, further detailing its financial and other support. He called for efforts and actions that will advance negotiations and the prospects for a two‑State solution, he said, stressing the need to overcome the stalemate in the political process and to relaunch a concrete and effective peace process.
HUMAM LUAI ABDULMUHSEN AL-SHAIKHLI (Iraq), speaking in his national capacity, emphasized that Palestinians have the right to reject the exploitation of their natural resources and to seek compensation for the damage to those resources due to practices undertaken by the occupying authority. The discriminatory practices of the occupying force in the Palestinian territories and occupied Syrian Golan contravene international human rights law and negatively impact the socioeconomic situation of the people. While the international community works to advance the 2030 Agenda, the situation of Palestinians in the occupied territory moves them further away from that agenda, he said, calling for international support to stem their suffering imposed by the injustices of the occupying Power.
NAAHY MOHAMED RASHEED (Maldives) pointed out that the escalation in May 2021 had shown that the international community is not well equipped to address the unique needs of displaced women and girls, who are suffering from forced displacements and a lack of safe shelter. While all Member States had unequivocally committed to the 2030 Agenda, she continued, the Palestinian people and the Syrian population in the Golan show that “we are in fact leaving them behind, so long as they have no sovereignty over their natural resources and their land”. She condemned the violence and oppression in the occupied Palestinian territory as well as those towards the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan, which fully disregards international human rights law.
EVGENY Y. VARGANOV (Russian Federation) stated that his country has always supported the two‑State solution based on the establishment of an independent State of Palestine, according to the pre‑1967 border lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital. However, he cited dangerous trends on the ground and aggressive postures by influential Powers, including the United States moving its embassy to Jerusalem. He affirmed that the Syrian Golan is an integral part of Syria, criticizing actions carried out by Israel in the territories including the destruction of property and arable land, and disproportionate and arbitrary use of force. Expressing full support for UNRWA, which plays both a stabilizing humanitarian and political role, he criticized attempts to discredit and underfund the Agency as counterproductive and dangerous. He further condemned attempts to relaunch trade between Arabs and Israelis without the fundamental Palestinian question being settled.
MOHAMMAD KURNIADI KOBA (Indonesia), associating himself with the Group of 77, said that in the last 16 years his country has provided more than 184 training sessions attended by more than 2,000 participants from Palestine and covering various fields, including small and medium‑sized enterprises, finance, agriculture and health. It is ready to further enhance development in cooperation with Palestine, he said, stressing the crucial need to provide continued support, protection and assistance to the people of the occupied Palestinian territory. He called on Israel to stop its illegal policies and practices that threaten the people there as well as those in the Syrian Golan and urged the early resumption of multilateral negotiations to arrive at a peaceful Palestine based on the two‑State solution.
AHMED MAGDY MOHAMED RASHAD ABDELAAL (Egypt), aligning himself with the Arab Group and the Group of 77, stated that the situation in the occupied territories will not improve unless the Palestinian people are ensured of their legitimate rights. That includes sovereignty over natural resources and access to Area C, as well as those outlined in economic and financial agreements between the two parties notably on the transfer of tax returns to the Palestinian Authority. He then urged the international community, especially donor countries, to continue to provide support to the Palestinian people.
ASBINA MARIN SEVILLA (Venezuela) outlined a string of harmful practices committed by Israel against the Palestinians, among them arbitrary detention including of girls and boys, torture, extrajudicial execution and the building of settlements — amounting to collective punishment and a war crime against innocent people. Since 1967, Israel has militarily controlled all water resources, prohibiting Palestinians from building new water infrastructure, exploiting resources and withholding permits for Palestinian companies in Zone C since 1994. Israel also withholds energy resources on Palestinian lands and in coastal waters. She noted the situation in the occupied Syrian Golan is similar, in violation of international law, with the expansion of illegal settlements and the exploitation of natural resources — a discriminatory policy in violation of international law. She reasserted the sovereignty of the Palestinian people.
AZRIL BIN ABD AZIZ (Malaysia), aligning himself with the Group of 77, stressed that the systematic oppression of Palestinians is tantamount to the crime of apartheid and clearly inconsistent with pursuit of peace and peaceful coexistence. Urging the international community to call upon Israel to immediately end its occupation of Palestinian territories and cease its apartheid practices, he further called for the return to meaningful negotiations based on the two‑State solution. He emphasized that the Sustainable Development Goals will be “meaningless if our Palestinian and Syrian brethren that face daily hardships and oppressions are left behind”.
AHMED DAWOOD ALI AL ZADJALI (Oman) voiced concern about Israel’s exploitation of the natural resources in the occupied Palestinian territory and Syrian Golan, which is devastating the Arab land, orchards and water resources of the peoples there. His country will continue to support the establishment of a just and permanent peace in the Middle East, which can be achieved only with the establishment of a viable independent Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital. He called on all States to abide by international law and relevant resolutions concerning the occupied Palestinian territory and the Arab Syrian Golan.
MOHAMED-ESSEGHIR LATROUS (Algeria), noting that the occupying Power has violated resolutions by continuing its illegal occupation, stressed that this has exacerbated the socio‑ and economic situation of the Palestinian territories already suffering from the COVID‑19 pandemic. He further pointed out that by imposing taxes that restrict the movement of services and goods, Israel has prevented the Palestinian people from having access to their resources. This has added to the financial burden of the Palestinian economy and has had a negative impact on the Palestinian people at all levels, he underscored.
ASHRAF A. O. HAMED (Libya), associating himself with the Group of 77 and the Arab Group, stated that inhumane Israeli policies have deepened frustration, consolidating a loss of confidence in the United Nations. Citing the ESCWA report, he expressed concern over Israeli policies to expand settlements, destroying buildings and homes, building barriers and imposing restrictions in flagrant violation of international law and preventing Palestinians from utilizing resources. The unjust blockade of Gaza has led to unemployment, lack of food and medicine and major deficits in electricity, fuel and potable water. Palestinians cannot achieve minimum rates of development, which runs counter to the 2030 Agenda. He called on Israel to end its brutal occupation and stop plundering Palestinian resources.
LACHEZARA STOEVA (Bulgaria), Chair of the Second Committee (Economic and Financial), then stated that, due to circumstances preventing some delegates from attending the meeting and speaking, the general debate on item 56 would reconvene and conclude at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 25 October.