Statement by Ambassador Gad YAACOBI Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations

on the SITUATION ON THE MIDDLE EAST

(Agenda Item 44)

50th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
1 December 1995

Mr. President,

I feel obliged to begin my speech this year by referring to the brutal assassination of the Prime Minister of Israel, Yitzhak Rabin, less than one month ago. This event traumatized the State of Israel and sent shock waves throughout the entire Middle East and the whole world. Israel lost a leader, a man who devoted his life to the defense of the State of Israel. He will be remembered as a soldier who fell in the battle for peace.

Despite the pain of Rabin's assassination, the people of Israel and the government of Prime Minister Peres are determined to push forward and achieve a comprehensive regional peace. We will not allow terrorists from any quarter to stop the peace process. This is our commitment.

We have been traveling long in our search for peace. The policies which Yitzhak Rabin's government pursued led to dramatic breakthroughs in Israel's relationships with its neighbors. The ultimate achievement was the signing of the Declaration of Principles with the PLO on 13 September 1993. The process which began on that date represents the best, perhaps the only, opportunity the peoples of our region have for peaceful coexistence. When Israel and the Palestinians signed the DOP, we chose to reshape our future by taking history into our own hands. We chose to transform decades of conflict into a new era of peace and cooperation.

The subsequent agreements reached by Israel and the Palestinians, the Gaza Jericho Agreement (Cairo Agreement) and the Interim Agreement (Oslo B) are forging a new reality in the Middle East. Another significant event was the signing of a peace treaty with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, in October 1994. Israel now has working relations with other Arab and Muslim states in North Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

At this time, I would like to reiterate the invitation issued at this podium, less than two months ago, by then-Foreign Minister, now Prime Minister, Shimon Peres, "I would like to use this occasion to turn to the Syrians and to turn to the Lebanese to ask that they stop hesitating, stop wondering... Experience has shown that through negotiation on all levels, embracing all issues, without timidity, without fatigue, we can achieve peace."

Mr. President,

Syria and Lebanon need peace as much as Israel and the rest of the Middle East. Peace will allow them, and us, to invest in people instead of weapons; in security instead of war; in economy and development instead of confrontation. There is no way other than through direct negotiations at the decision-making level. This is how peace was achieved with Egypt; with Jordan; this is how understanding and agreements were achieved with the PLO. If Syria follows this course, peace will be achieved.

The international community should give expression and voice its support for the changes in the Middle East. We strongly support the draft resolution "the Middle East Peace Process" being proposed by Norway, the Russian Federation and the United States. At the same time, Israel will continue to oppose attempts to bring issues to this body which should be discussed bilaterally between the parties themselves. We believe that the peace which we are creating with our neighbors will translate into full regional cooperation. Last year, a process of extensive regional economic cooperation began with the convening of the first Middle East/North Africa Economic Summit in Casablanca under the auspices of His Majesty King Hassan of Morocco. Last month, a second Summit was held in Amman under the auspices of His Majesty King Hussein of Jordan.

Two thousand participants came from sixty-one countries, including most of the countries of the Middle East and many Muslim countries from outside of the region.

The goals of the Summit as outlined in the Amman Declaration were, "to facilitate the expansion of private sector investment in the region, to cement a public-private partnership which will ensure that end, and to work to enhance regional cooperation and development." Business leaders from Israel, many Arab states and Muslim states from outside of the region concluded a number of projects at the Summit that will "help augment the productive capacity of the region and contribute to its broad based economic development." Government representatives agreed to establish a Bank for Economic Cooperation and Development in the Middle East and North Africa in Cairo. Next year's economic summit will be held in Cairo, Egypt. The following summit will be held in Qatar.

Peace and development are leading us to a better future. Those who are trapped in the past punish future generations and deprive them of peace and prosperity.

In the long run, we believe that regional cooperation is the best way. I believe that the opportunities for regional cooperation are great:

* Through regional cooperation, we can gradually work towards a Middle Eastern Common Market.

* Through regional cooperation, we can establish a coordinated network of infrastructure; including ports, airports, railways and energy plants, electricity grids, phone networks and computer communications.

* Through regional cooperation, we are opening borders for tourism. Not only can open tourism create hundreds of thousands of jobs, it can create the built-in interests to preserve peace.

Mr. President,

The path before us is difficult, but our destination is clear: Peace and security, cooperation and prosperity. Israel, Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinians as well as other Middle Eastern and Maghreb countries are already working together. The international community must help ensure that this is the future of the Middle East.

Prior experience has taught us that agreements between leaders are not enough, and that peace means more than just the absence of war. We have always believed that a peaceful environment will enable all countries in the region to divert their human energies and economic resources away from conflict and toward better education, health, human progress, science, technology and economic development.

Peace and stability will not only save lives and money, they will generate growth. Shifts from military to civilian expenditure will create economic and human progress. And the threat of war will no longer deter foreign investment and tourism. We can divert thirty billion dollars annually away from armaments and other costs of conflict in the Middle East.

Mr. President,

Israel feels that the UN has an important role to play in fostering the bilateral agreements and in promoting multilateral projects. Israel has been fully cooperating with UNDP, UNRWA and UNICEF, and with other international organizations as well, in implementing programs aimed at the improvement of living conditions of the Palestinian People in the West Bank and Gaza. We welcome and encourage their continued participation.

During the last three years, we have seen a positive change in UN resolutions referring to the Middle East, the most important of which is the resolution regarding the Middle East peace process. But, there are still resolutions that are contrary to the new reality in the region. We expect that the UN Member States will eliminate these anachronistic resolutions from the general Assembly's Agenda. The time has come to refrain from the rhetoric of years gone by.

Mr. President,

In his address to the Special Session of the General Assembly commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the UN, the late Prime Minister of Israel, Yitzhak Rabin said, "We are grateful to the international community for your encouragement at this historic moment which is unfolding on our little plot of land."

"The road is still long. However, we are determined to continue until we have brought peace to the region. For our children and our children's children. For all the peoples of the region. That is our mission. We will fulfill it."

Yitzhak Rabin gave his life in pursuit of this vision.

It is our obligation to continue on this course. Israel's new government, headed by Prime Minister Shimon Peres, is committed to peace and will continue to work in its pursuit. This is

our policy; this is our hope. It has to be the obligation and the goal of the entire international community.

Thank you, Mr. President.