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Before I begin, I would like to bring to your
attention, an attack on Israeli citizens that occurred just this afternoon. A
Palestinian terrorist shot and killed a couple. When you hear about this on the
news, you’ll hear “Israeli settlers”, they were an Israeli couple. Naama and
Eitam Henkin driving with their children, 9-year old, 7-year old, 4-year old,
and 4-month old baby, who were themselves injured in the attack. This just one
day after Mahmoud Abbas declared in the UN, “we are working on spreading the
culture of peace and coexistence between our people and in our region”.
Mr. President,
Ali
Salem, an Egyptian writer and playwright who was a courageous voice of
friendship between the Egyptian and the Israeli people, died last week in his
home at the age of 79.
In an interview soon after the September 11th
attacks on the United States he said, and I quote “There is no first world, there is no second or third world;
there is a village called this planet.” In our world today, disease, terror,
and conflict are no longer local. They are collective challenges that must be
met by collective action.
Mr. President,
As we sit here
today, nation-states are disintegrating before our eyes- Libya, Syria, Yemen,
Iraq. Bashar Assad
continues to slaughter his own people with chemical weapons and barrel
bombs. Waves of
refugees arrive on European shores. ISIS, Boko Haram, the Taliban and al-Shabab
are on the offensive.
And yet, too
often the focus of too many in this institution is on flag poles and false
promises.
The time has
come to ring down the curtain on these political theatrics, and roll up our
sleeves for the challenges ahead.
No longer can
this organization give a free pass to regimes that restrict freedom of
religion, that violate human rights, and that suppress free speech and free
expression. The only place where these countries permit any exercise of freedom
of speech is here, at the United Nations and they use it to deflect
responsibility, to defame Israel, and to degrade the work of this organization.
The global
landscape is changing before our eyes. If we use old maps to
navigate these new challenges of peace and security, we will end up on the road
to nowhere.
Mr. President,
This week,
we’ve heard many world leaders talk about the need to fight ISIS. In this
chamber, I want to pay a special tribute to the brave Kurdish men and women who
are courageously fighting on the frontlines, and on a daily basis, against the
vilest form of extremism and terrorism. The international community must
embrace their cause, support their efforts, and recognize Kurdish aspirations.
Mr. President.
We were all moved by the statement of President
Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria in the General Debate this week. To paraphrase President Buhari, the war
against terrorism is a war between the values of democracy and the rule of law
on the one hand, and chaos and oppression on the other.
From Garissa in Kenya to Gao in Mali, violent
Islamic extremism has destabilized states across Africa and terrorized innocent
civilians. This past summer, we saw terrible attacks by Al Shabab and Boko
Haram targeting innocent civilians who simply strive for stability and seek a
brighter future, for themselves and for their families.
As the one country with a land border with the continent
of Africa, and as an ally and partner of many African countries, Israel is
deeply concerned with the security and stability of states facing the scourge
of terrorism.
It is a threat they will not face alone. We
know, all too well, the devastating impact of terror on families and
communities. Israel stands shoulder to shoulder with our African friends, and
stands ready to continue sharing our counter-terrorism expertise in every area,
from aviation security to border protection.
Mr. President,
This past year, we were reminded that the
stability of states is threatened not only by large-scale violence, but also by
the smallest of nature’s organisms. Tragically, we witnessed how diseases like
Ebola can devastate entire countries.
The Ebola experience taught us many lessons,
not the least that in our global village, a united front can stop a deadly
disease.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Terrorism is a deadly disease. Only if we join
together, and fight, can we defeat the disease of terrorism.
A threat to peace and security, whether it be
human terror or microscopic terror, whether in Cona-kry or Maiduguri ,
is a threat to all of us.
Mr. President,
This week, the Jewish people celebrate the
festival of Sukkot, when we remember the 40 years that the Israelites wandered
through the desert on the way to the Promised Land. It’s been 70 years since
the UN charter, and we are still wandering on the way to the promise of peace
and security for all. Let us refocus the direction of this institution, and live
up to the commitment of the charter, to quote “save succeeding generations from
the scourge of war”.
Thank you Mr. President, merci beaucoup."