Statement by Ambassador Dan Gillerman
Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations
Agenda Item 37: The Question of Palestine

59th Session of the General Assembly
New York, 29 November 2004

Mr. President,

The Question of Palestine is not rhetorical.

It should not be an endless philosophical inquiry, or an eternal thorn in the sides of all those who reside in the Middle East. On the contrary, it is a question that has an answer - a problem that can be solved.

In fact, Mr. President, we do stand today at a critical juncture in the history of the Middle East. There is a window of opportunity, and through it shines a ray of hope. It is up to us to grasp it. For the sake of our children, and their fragile futures, we have no choice but to reach towards the promise that it heralds. Rather than remain stuck in the dark abyss of the past as the previous speaker tried to do.

The answer to the Question of Palestine is mutual understanding, mutual acknowledgement, and mutual respect. It is a commitment to negotiations, to the renewal of the Road Map's implementation, and to the responsibilities that it demands of all parties. Only in this way can we reach the goal of a region where two states, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace and security.

For too long, our region has been dominated by conflict, often reflected in this hall by hostile recriminations. Perhaps this is due to an unwillingness of all parties to look inward, and take responsibility for their own actions. If we are to move forward, we must work together, not against each other - directing our energies against common enemies and towards common goals. Every party must take ownership of their obligations - and be conscious of their responsibilities as much as their rights.
It is only in this manner that we can answer the questions that our troubled region poses to us.

Mr. President,

It is, of course, no accident that this discussion occurs on this day. It was on the 29th of November, 57 years ago, that this organization recommended the establishment of two States - one Jewish and one Arab. Especially coming as it did on the heels of the Holocaust, Jews wholeheartedly welcomed this action, celebrating in the streets of our cities, and calling for peace. Unfortunately for all, at the time the Arab world did not share our acceptance and hope for the future. Unfortunately for all, they chose obstinacy over cooperation, and rejectionism over hope. It is indeed a sad paradox that today the General Assembly commemorates the effects of that rejection.

But Israel believes that the winds of change are blowing in the Middle East. We are hopeful that, despite all the difficulties, a new spirit of understanding will emerge.
As Prime Minister Sharon recently said to the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament,

"Israel is interested in renewing the political negotiations under the Roadmap," because "the Roadmap was and is the only political plan accepted by the State of Israel, and we adhere to it."

Prime Minister Sharon also said that:

"We have no desire to permanently rule over millions of Palestinians…The Disengagement Plan presents the possibility of opening a gate to a different reality."

The Israeli Government's Disengagement Plan is a courageous initiative, both domestically and internationally, and it can help to pull the region back towards negotiations. By giving the Palestinian people greater control over their lives, improving the security and humanitarian situation for both peoples and working to take terror out of the equation we are hopeful that it will help to usher in a new era of negotiations and reciprocal accommodations. As well as a physical move, the Disengagement Plan is a symbolic one - signifying that Israel is committed to creating opportunities for a better future. We have respect for the Palestinian people, and we seek a future where both peoples can live in respect and prosperity, free from fear and from bloodshed.

The coming elections of the Palestinian Authority are a critical opportunity and an important test. Israel will make it possible for international observers to monitor the elections, and will do all that it can to facilitate a smooth, fair, transparent and democratic electoral process. We are hopeful that the Palestinian people will be able to elect a leadership who will serve their interests, working towards peace and development, and pushing forward to construct an architecture of peace and an end to terrorism.

In the lead up to the election, there are signs of increasing cooperation. For example, last week the Israeli and Palestinian tourism ministers signed an agreement on collaborative measures to ensure safe and smooth passage of pilgrims and tourists visiting our region, especially during the Christmas season. As the Palestinian tourism minister, Mr. Mitri Abu Aida, observed, this was a "step toward better cooperation."

Both Israelis and Palestinians have suffered for too long - physically, economically, and psychologically. For too long, corruption has plagued the Palestinian leadership and denied the Palestinian people of accountable leaders that are committed to the welfare of their people and to the path of co-existence and peace. The morally bankrupt strategy of terrorism and the idea that violence can bring political gains has produced nothing but bloodshed and poverty. I truly believe that most Palestinians, though sadly for them, not the voice on their behalf, in this hall, realize that it is not poverty that breed terror, but terror that breeds poverty. Terrorism has endangered both Israeli and Palestinian lives. It is our common enemy. As the Road Map recognizes, its early eradication is indispensable to progress.
Israel recognizes that it has responsibilities - and it is ready to fulfill them - but it is not alone. It is time for a new Palestinian leadership to emerge that meets the needs of its population, the imperatives of peace, and the expectations of the international community.

Recognizing the import of this moment in history, the Secretary General himself said last week that the Palestinian elections are "an opportunity to really come together and move ahead with the implementation of the Road Map and we believe that the Israeli Government is also ready to do this."

He spoke truly, Mr. President. The Israeli Government, and the Israeli people, have long been ready to do this - and we are ready to do this now.

Mr. President,

There are no shortcuts in this process. We must learn the mistakes of the past, and refuse to appease or neglect the forces that seek to undermine any genuine and peaceful settlement.
The Palestinian leadership must end incitement in their media, religious and educational institutions where Jews and Israelis are routinely dehumanized in the foulest of images and words. They must also halt the use of cultural and sporting events as rallies encouraging further terror.

They must finally put an end to an educational system that glorifies murder as martyrdom and tries to de-legitimize the right of the Jewish people to self-determination in their ancient homeland side by side with their Palestinian and Arab neighbors. Both societies must educate towards tolerance, co-existence and mutual respect. While Israel answers the Question of Palestine in the affirmative, Mr. President, this educational system seeks to cultivate generations of new terrorists who answer the Question of Israel only with murder. Finally, this new Palestinian leadership must work to eliminate terrorism and the elements that fuel its engine. As the Foreign Minister of the State of Israel, Silvan Shalom, recently said:

"It is our hope that whoever leads the Palestinians, will fight terror. This is a requirement included in Phase I of the Roadmap and endorsed by the entire international community, and it is the only way we can get back to the direct negotiations needed for peace."

Mr. President,

There are many forces that seek to undermine any hopes for progress. Terrorist organizations - such as Hizbollah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad - devoted to Israel's destruction, as well as the regimes that support them such as Iran, are opposed to any prospect for peaceful co-existence. What the world sees as an opportunity they see as a threat. And they will try no doubt, as they have before, to undermine every effort at reconciliation. Indeed, we are aware of specific efforts by Hizbollah, with the assistance of its State sponsors, Syria and Iran, to intensify their cooperation with local Palestinian terrorist groups, in order to scuttle the hopes for peace. We , the international community, must not let them succeed.

Mr. President,

In place of terror and violence, we must weave a culture of peace and compromise. For the sake of our children, we can do no less.

Today, as I survey the assembled representatives of the international community, I know that the world is anxious for Israelis and Palestinians to move forward. As I stand here before you, I extend my hand, on behalf of the State of Israel, to our Palestinian neighbors. And I say, let us be partners in peace, facing firmly away from the acrimonious past and towards a hopeful future.

We can only do this through mutual acknowledgment and respect, not through baseless recriminations. We can only do this through negotiations and dialogue, not through endless one sided resolutions. And we call on the international community, and this Assembly, to support this common agenda.

Let us cast away the politics of blame, for the pointing of fingers has never shown us to the path to peace. Let us cast away the false narrative of victim and villain that denies that both sides have rights and both sides have responsibilities. Let us cast away the darkness of violence and terror, for it is of light that the Israeli and Palestinian peoples are now in need.

Thank you, Mr. President.