Statement by H.E. Aharon Leshno-Yaar
Permanent Representative of Israel
to the 9th Special Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council
Geneva, 9 January 2009

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I am addressing the Council today not only as the Permanent Representative of Israel, but as the voice of one million Israeli citizens living within range of daily Hamas missile attacks. Their suffering has long been overlooked by this body and by the Office of the High Commissioner.

Mr. President,

I have five minutes at my disposal today.  In comparison, Israeli citizens have 15 seconds warning to run to shelter from Hamas’s rockets. Fifteen seconds make the difference between life and death.  Fifteen seconds would not give the members of this Council time to leave the room.

Mr. President,

In August 2005, Israel left Gaza, in a painful process that carried a huge political, emotional and financial toll. This was a courageous step towards peace, with the hope that Gaza could provide a blueprint for Palestinian autonomy, a precursor to a Palestinian state. Tragically, Hamas chose violence. Missiles from Gaza have blighted the lives of Israeli civilians since 2001.  Operation “Cast Lead” is therefore a necessary measure, in line with Israel’s legitimate right of self defense and its responsibility to protect its civilians from the scourge of terror.

On 19 December 2008, Hamas declared an end to the truce brokered by Egypt six months earlier. Israel has spared no effort, including supporting endeavors by Egypt, to restore the truce. Yet in response, Hamas only intensified rocket launches against the Israeli civilian population. Both Egyptian and Palestinian leaders had warned Hamas publicly of the consequences of their provocations. After eight days of self- restraint, the Government of Israel decided on the 27 of December to end the nightmare for its civilians.  No responsible Government could do otherwise.

Mr. President,

Hamas uses the Palestinian population as human shields, hiding in schools, mosques and homes in Gaza, also turning them into ammunition warehouses. For Hamas, a “civilian” is nothing more than a sophisticated and efficient method of warfare and defense.

Hamas has chosen military build-up over the welfare of the Palestinian people, while masquerading as a legitimate government. It has cast terror on the Palestinian population and Israeli civilians alike.  Its endeavors are aided by partners Iran, Syria and the Hezbollah, who supply Hamas with a vast arsenal of weaponry instead of donating money and materials that could be used to build infrastructure, or aid development.

Many delegations in this room will agree, albeit quietly, that Hamas poses a threat not only to Israel, but to any other moderate society in the region and beyond. This is not only Israel’s war.

The government of Israel has repeatedly stated that the Palestinian population in Gaza is not the objective of this military campaign. The military campaign is against Hamas targets. Israel has done its utmost to minimize harm to the civilian population, often at the cost of operational advantage.  Israeli forces place thousands of telephone calls to Palestinian civilians prior to launching operations, and provide them with advance notice that a Hamas stronghold in their vicinity is about to be targeted.

Moreover, the Israeli military is running a humanitarian coordination center, in close cooperation with international humanitarian organizations. Since the beginning of this military campaign, Israel facilitated the entry into Gaza of over 540 trucks, delivering over 10,000 tons of humanitarian supplies, despite the danger of deliberate Hamas attacks. Palestinian patients, some injured by Hamas, receive treatment in Israeli hospitals. As of this week, Israel established a Humanitarian Recess, to allow Palestinians to acquire basic supplies, replenish stock and seek aid from humanitarian organizations.

Mr President,

The resolution proposed for this Special Session will only further erode the barely remaining objectivity and credibility of the Human Rights Council. For anyone who naively believes that Hamas gives any credence to the words of this Council, let me quote from Article 13 of the Hamas Covenant from 1988: “Initiatives, and so called peaceful solutions and international conferences, are in contradiction to the Islamic Resistance Movement. There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are all a waste of time and vain endeavors.”

During this session we will no doubt hear emotional and inflammatory statements condemning Israel’s actions. Negotiations have always been, and will always be, Israel’s preferred path. We hope that in the aftermath of the unavoidable military operation in Gaza a new and peaceful reality will prevail. A reality that will allow the renewal of the peace process and a better future for both peoples.