Statement by Ambassador Gabriela Shalev, Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations Security Council
Debate on the "Situation in the Middle East"

Thank you, Mr. President,
 
At the outset, let me congratulate you on your leadership of the Council for the month of July, and thank Assistant Secretary-General Fernández-Taranco for his informative briefing.

Mr. President,

I shall begin my statement by citing from a letter sent by courageous residents of Khirbat Silim to the President of Lebanon in the aftermath of the explosion in their village earlier this month. The letter appeared in the Lebanese newspaper Al-Mustaqbal on 16 July, and I quote:

"The explosion of the arms depot in our town Khirbat Silim is a most dangerous and worrisome matter, which brings into the open what everyone is trying to black out, to obfuscate, and to conceal, namely the illegal arms and their storage in our civilian areas and in basements near our children by an organization which has begun to pose a threat to our interests and to our tranquil lives. The policy that we are adopting thus far, of concealing what is happening in reality, due to various security pretexts, in effect allow the armed elements to fulfill their interests at the expense of ... the welfare and the prosperity of ...'the people of the Lebanese nation.'"

And the letter continues: "To the leaders of Hizbullah we say: we are not so naïve. We distinguish very well between the sounds of regular fire and the sounds of an explosion of cluster bombs and other explosive materials. We have had enough of the pain and the disasters of the July 2006 [so-called] 'victory!' If you, as you claim, tie your activity with the religion and with Allah, then you must empty the residential areas of weaponry and ammunition and of all else that threatens our lives."

Mr. President,

This explosion, which occurred just thirteen days ago, exposed the world to a dangerous phenomenon that Israel has been warning about for years. It demonstrated that the Hizbullah terrorist organization, together with its two sponsors - Member States of this organization - continue to operate actively south of the Litani River in overt violation of resolution 1701, as noted to this council last week by Under-Secretary-General LeRoy. This severe incident - the most grave in a series of violations by Hizbullah during the last three years - demonstrates to the world the volatile reality on the ground.

It further shows the challenges towards the implementation of resolution 1701 which are: an unenforced arms embargo along the Lebanese-Syrian border and the presence of Hizbullah on the ground. This terrorist group threatens Israel, Lebanon and the region, as it continues to build its military infrastructure, both north and south of the Litani River.

Above all, the Khirbat Silim explosion demonstrated that the work of the Security Council in Lebanon is necessary and urgent.  In this regard, Mr. President, I congratulate you for convening the consultations and briefing by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, held on 23 July. However, there is more to be done.
Mr. President,

The repeated breaches of Hizbullah of this Council's demands are indicative of the danger posed to our region by Iran. From southern Lebanon to Gaza, arming, training and financing of terrorism bear the same certificate of origin: Tehran. The Iranian government remains the world's greatest sponsor of terrorism. It sabotages the peace process; it threatens the stability of countries in the region.

Moreover, Iran continues to pursue development of nuclear weapons, together with long-range missiles. This is a clear threat to peace and to security. Such grave realities reflect an unsustainable future.

The Security Council has already addressed this dangerous phenomenon, but there is more to be done on this issue, too. We call upon the Security Council to act urgently and effectively in order to put an end to the Iranian nuclear threat and to stem Iranian terrorist interference. This Council must consider more effective ways to impose its arms embargo along the Lebanese-Syrian border. It should strengthen UNIFIL and the Lebanese Armed Forces, and establish clear benchmarks to disarm and dismantle Hizbullah. 

Turning to Gaza, Mr. President, this Council cannot ignore the second terrorist front that Israel confronts: the Hamas rulers of Gaza. We cannot ignore the smuggling of deadly weapons and arms into Gaza that sadly hasten a future military conflict. As acknowledged in a recent report by Mr. Robert Serry, Israel advised that it had detected the smuggling into Gaza of no less than 330 mortars, 37 rockets, roughly 40 anti-tank weapons, 46 anti-aircraft missiles, as well as 17 tons of explosives.

These numbers reflect only part of Hamas' military build-up and demonstrate its desire to provoke another conflict. The Hamas terrorist organization continues to reject terms established by the international community, namely: recognition of the state of Israel, an end to violence and acceptance of previous agreements between Israel and the Palestinians. 

Mr. President, Distinguished Members of the Council,

Israel desires peace. Our desire for peace is rooted in our yearning for a future in which Israelis and Palestinians will put an end to suffering and bereavement, which has afflicted our region for too long. We seek a brighter future; a future in which Israel and all of its Arab neighbors can better fulfill their aspirations and pursue their dream of leading normal, peaceful and creative lives. 

Peace is built solely through direct negotiations between the parties themselves. Our partners to the peace process must recognize that Israel has always been and will continue to be the eternal homeland of the Jewish people.

As Israel's Prime Minister recently stated: "If the Palestinians recognize Israel as the Jewish state, we are ready to agree to a real peace agreement, a demilitarized Palestinian state side by side with the Jewish state." 

This year, Israel took a number of successful security coordination steps that extend Palestinian movement, strengthen Palestinian Security Forces, and improve the Palestinian economy. Thus, 152 roadblocks were dismantled or have extended their hours of passage. Such measures offer improvements to the lives of Palestinians in the West Bank and serve as important confidence building measures.

A special ministerial committee - headed by the Prime Minister - was established to facilitate economic projects and integration between Israel and the West Bank. Such efforts - including an industrial zone in Jenin, an agricultural export venture in Jericho, and the creation of tourist infrastructure along the Jordan River - are only the beginning. Yet they offer concrete ways to build a foundation of coexistence in our region. 

Earlier this month, the Quartet's Middle East Envoy, Mr. Tony Blair, publicly applauded Israel's concrete efforts to promote peace. He noted that such steps have not been appropriately commended - or even acknowledged - by members of the international community.

Israel continues to call for the immediate resumption of a political dialogue with the Palestinian Authority. Israel will continue to build a foundation of peace that promotes progress on economic, political, and security-related matters. We call upon all our neighbors to translate into actions the spirit of the Arab Peace Initiative.

Admittedly, dangers and risks still remain. In the West Bank, Israeli and Palestinian security forces have successfully curbed terrorist activities. However, such success does not yet significantly diminish the threat at hand.

Mr. President, Members of the Security Council,

We now stand at a critical junction. One is the way of terrorism and hatred. It is the way of Hamas, the way of Hizbullah, the way of terror. It is the way of Iran. It offers violence, not vision; confrontation, not coexistence. 

A second way lies ahead of us, as well. It is the way of peace, prosperity, and mutual respect. It is a way that represents a better future for all in our beleaguered region. It offers hope to our peoples. Israel, for its part, has made a clear choice: to pursue the way of peace.

Thank you, Mr. President.