Israël, lundi 3 décembre 2012 -
בס''ד
Mr. President,
Today I stand before you tall and proud because I represent the
world’s one and only Jewish state. A state built in the Jewish
people’s ancient homeland, with its eternal capital Jerusalem as
its beating heart.
We are a nation with deep roots in the
past and bright hopes for the future. We are a nation that values
idealism, but acts with pragmatism. Israel is a nation that never
hesitates to defend itself, but will always extend its hand for
peace.
Peace is a central value of Israeli society. The bible calls on
us:
« seek peace and pursue it ».
Peace fills our art and poetry. It is taught in our schools. It
has been the goal of the Israeli people and every Israeli leader
since Israel was re-established 64 years ago.
srael’s Declaration of Independence
states, “We extend our hand to all neighbouring states and their
peoples in an offer of peace and good neighborliness, and appeal to
them to establish bonds of cooperation and mutual help…”
This week was the 35th anniversary of President Anwar Sadat’s
historic visit to Jerusalem. In a speech just before that visit,
President Sadat famously stood in the Egyptian parliament in Cairo
and stated that he would go « to the ends of the earth »
to make peace with Israel.
Israel’s prime minister at the time, Menachem Begin, welcomed
President Sadat to Israel, and paved the way for peace. This morning
Prime Minister Netanyahu stood at the Menachem Begin Center at said
this about the resolution that you are about to vote on:
« Israel is prepared to live in peace with a Palestinian
state, but for peace to endure, Israel’s security must be
protected. The Palestinians must recognize the Jewish State and
they must be prepared to end the conflict with Israel once and for
all.
None of these vital interests, these vital interests of peace,
none of them appear in the resolution that will be put forward before
the General Assembly today and that is why Israel cannot accept it.
The only way to achieve peace is through agreements that are reached
by the parties and not through U.N. resolutions that completely
ignore Israel’s vital security and national interests. And
because this resolution is so one-sided, it doesn’t advance peace,
it pushes it backwards.
As for the rights of Jewish people in this land, I have a simple
message for those people gathered in the General Assembly today, no
decision by the U.N. can break the 4,000-year-old bond between the
people of Israel and the land of Israel. »
Mr. President,
The People of Israel wait for a Palestinian leader that is willing
to follow in the path of President Sadat. The world waits for
President Abbas to speak the truth that peace can only be achieved
through negotiations by recognizing Israel as a Jewish State. It
waits for him to tell them that peace must also address Israel’s
security needs and end the conflict once and for all.
For as long as President Abbas prefers symbolism over reality, as
long as he prefers to travel to New York for U.N. resolutions, rather
than travel to Jerusalem for genuine dialogue, any hope of peace will
be out of reach.
Mr. President,
Israel has always extended its hand for peace and will always
extend its hand for peace. When we faced an Arab leader who wanted
peace, we made peace. That was the case with Egypt. That was the case
with Jordan.
Time and again, we have sought peace with the Palestinians. Time
and again, we have been met by rejection of our offers, denial of our
rights, and terrorism targeting our citizens.
President Abbas described today’s proceedings as “historic”.
But the only thing historic about his speech is how much it ignored
history.
The truth is that 65 years ago today, the United Nations voted to
partition the British Mandate into two states: a Jewish state, and an
Arab state. Two states for two peoples.
Israel accepted this plan. The Palestinians and Arab nations
around us rejected it and launched a war of annihilation to throw the
« Jews into the sea ».
The truth is that from 1948 until 1967, the West Bank was ruled by
Jordan, and Gaza was ruled by Egypt. The Arab states did not lift a
finger to create a Palestinian state. Instead they sought Israel’s
destruction, and were joined by newly formed Palestinian terrorist
organizations.
The truth is that at Camp David in 2000, and again at Annapolis in
2008, Israeli leaders made far-reaching offers for peace. Those
offers were met by rejection, evasion, and even terrorism.
The truth is that to advance peace, in 2005 Israel dismantled
entire communities and uprooted thousands of people from their homes
in the Gaza Strip. And rather than use this opportunity to build a
peaceful future, the Palestinians turned Gaza into an Iranian terror
base, from which thousands of rockets were fired into Israeli cities.
As we were reminded just last week, the area has been turned into a
launching pad for rockets into Israeli cities, a haven for global
terrorists, and an ammunition dump for Iranian weapons.
Time after time, the Palestinian leadership refused to accept
responsibility. They refused to make the tough decisions for
peace.
Israel remains committed to peace, but we will
not establish another Iranian terror base in the heart of our
country.
We need a peace that will ensure a secure future for Israel.
Three months ago, Israel’s Prime Minister stood in this very
hall and extended his hand in peace to President Abbas. He reiterated
that his goal was to create a solution of two-states for two-peoples
— where a demiliteralized Palestinian state will recognize Israel
as a Jewish State.
That’s right. Two states for two peoples.
In fact, President Abbas, I did not hear you use the phrase « two
states for two peoples » this afternoon. In fact, I have never
heard you say the phrase « two states for two peoples ».
Because the Palestinian leadership has never recognized that Israel
is the nation-state of the Jewish people.
They have never been willing to accept what this very body
recognized 65 years ago. Israel is the Jewish state.
In fact, today you asked the world to recognize a Palestinian
state, but you still refuse to recognize the Jewish state.
Not only do you not recognize the Jewish state, you are also
trying to erase Jewish history. This year, you even tried to erase
the connection between the Jewish people and Jerusalem. You said that
Jews were trying to alter the historic character of Jerusalem. You
said that we are trying to « Judaize Jerusalem ».
President Abbas, the truth is that Jerusalem had a Jewish
character long before most cities in the world had any character!
Three thousand years ago King David ruled from Jerusalem and Jews
have lived in Jerusalem ever since.
President Abbas, instead of revising history, it is time that you
started making history by making peace with Israel.
Mr. President,
This resolution will not advance peace.
This resolution will
not change the situation on the ground. It will not change the fact
that the Palestinian Authority has no control over Gaza. That is 40
percent of the territory he claims to represent!
President Abbas, you can’t even visit nearly half the territory
of the state you claim to represent.
That territory is controlled by Hamas, an internationally
recognized terrorist organization that rains missiles on Israel’s
civilians. This is the same Hamas that fired more than 1,300 rockets
into the heart of Israel’s major cities this month.
This resolution will not confer statehood on the Palestinian
Authority, which clearly fails to meet the criteria for
statehood.
This resolution will not enable the
Palestinians Authority to join international treaties, organizations,
or conferences as a state.
This resolution cannot serve
as an acceptable terms of reference for peace negotiations with
Israel. Because this resolution says nothing about Israel’s
security needs. It does not call on the Palestinians to recognize
Israel as the Jewish State. It does not demand an end of conflict and
a termination of all claims.
Let me tell you what this resolution does do.
This resolution violates a fundamental binding commitment. This is
a commitment that many of the states here today were themselves
witness to. It was a commitment that all outstanding issues in the
peace process would only be resolved in direct negotiations.
This resolution sends a message that the international community
is willing to turn a blind eye to peace agreements. For the people of
Israel, it raises a simple question: why continue to make painful
sacrifices for peace, in exchange for pieces of paper that the other
side will not honor?
It will make a negotiated peace settlement less likely, as
Palestinians continue to harden their positions and place further
obstacles and preconditions to negotiations and peace.
And unfortunately, it will raise expectations that cannot be met,
which has always proven to be a recipe for conflict and instability.
There is only one route to Palestinian statehood. And that route
does not run through this chamber in New York. That route runs
through direct negotiations between Jerusalem and Ramallah that will
lead to a secure and lasting peace between Israelis and
Palestinians.
There are no shortcuts. No quick fixes. No instant solutions. As
President Obama, said in 2010, « Peace cannot be imposed from
the outside. »
The real message of this resolution
for the people of Israel is that the international community will
turn a blind eye to violations of these agreements by the
Palestinians.
Mr. President,
In submitting this resolution, the Palestinian leadership is once
again making the wrong choice.
65 years ago the Palestinians could have chosen to live
side-by-side with the Jewish State of Israel. 65 years ago they could
have chosen to accept the solution of two states for two peoples.
They rejected it then, and they are rejecting it again today.
The international community should not encourage this rejection.
It should not encourage the Palestinian leadership to drive forward
recklessly with both feet pressing down on the gas, no hands on the
wheel, and no eyes on the road.
Instead it should encourage the Palestinians to enter into direct
negotiations without preconditions in order to achieve an historic
peace in which a demilitarized Palestinian state recognizes the
Jewish state.
Mr. President,
Winston Churchill said, “The truth is incontrovertible.
Panic may resent it … ignorance may deride it … malice may
distort it … but there it is.”
The truth is that Israel wants peace, and the Palestinians are
avoiding peace.
Those who are supporting the resolution today are
not advancing peace. They are undermining peace.
The U.N. was founded to advance the cause of peace. Today the
Palestinians are turning their back on peace. Don’t let history
record that today the U.N. helped them along on their march of folly.
Thank you, Mr. President.
