Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Mr. Mladenov.
To my colleague from Germany, I do agree with you. I do agree with you – it’s about time we leave the statements aside, and we will speak directly.
It is really easy to speak about “both sides” showing restraint, but rockets are flying into cities. The last rocket that landed in Israel – it landed in my community; where I live in Israel; one hundred feet from my house; from where I raised my children.
So it’s comfortable to come and speak about – let’s speak about ideas, implementations. But once rockets are flying into our cities, we will defend our people. It is the first thing we will do. And then we will talk.
We will continue to have a dialogue. But the first thing we are committed to do is to defend our people, defend our children – who, last night, had to sleep in shelters because of the rockets that came from Gaza – and for us, we are determined to do whatever is necessary to protect our people, even if it means to bury the leaders of Hamas in the tunnels of Gaza.
And I want to challenge you. Next month, you will preside over the Security Council. So, we should have – maybe – a closed session, without the cameras; you call both sides; we can leave the statements in our missions and come here and talk. We are here to talk.
We will continue to defend our people, but at the same time, we are here to talk.
Mr. President,
On Monday, March 25, at five AM, Hamas fired a long-range rocket from Gaza into Israel. The rocket traveled over 120 kilometers – past Tel Aviv – and landed directly on a private home in the farming community of Mishmeret.
The home was completely destroyed. Neighboring houses and cars sustained damage. And seven civilians, including a grandmother, her baby grandchild, and two children were injured.
This was an act of terror for which the Hamas terrorist organization is responsible.
Hamas terrorists manufactured this long-range rocket, filling it with steel bullets and metal fragments, to maximize the damage. They fired it from the center of a Palestinian civilian area in Rafah. And they sent it into a civilian area populated by families in Israel.
On either side, and from start to finish, Hamas placed innocent people deliberately in the line of fire, making it guilty of a double war crime.
Throughout the day, Hamas continued to fire over 130 rockets into Israel. In response to these sustained terrorist attacks, Israel took swift action, targeting Hamas military infrastructure in Gaza.
Israel will continue to act forcefully, so long as these attacks continue.
Mr. President,
For twelve years, since 2007, Hamas has fired over 12,000 rockets and mortars into Israel. 1000 rockets and mortars per year, launched from civilian areas into civilian areas.
Hamas’ stated goal in firing rockets and mortars into Israel is to destroy my country.
But Hamas’ other goal is to distract the world – all of us – the world’s attention from its oppressive rule of Gaza.
Over the past week, Hamas arrested, beat up and shot at Palestinian protestors demonstrating against the terrorist regime. You didn’t see it on CNN, BBC. You don’t hear about it. But they were killing people on the streets of Gaza.
We heard nothing from UNRWA. We heard nothing from the so-called UN Human Rights Council, which did not even mention Hamas in its recent Commission of Inquiry report, along with Agenda Item 7. Instead, it blamed Israel for all of the ills in Gaza.
These bodies simply reaffirmed what has always been true: for the UN, all people deserve human rights, except for the people of Israel. And it is the Palestinian people in Gaza who pay the heavy price for the crimes of their leadership.
Not here, but ask the Palestinian representative what he really thinks about Hamas’ regime in Gaza. About the way they handle the Palestinian people in Gaza.
Mr. President,
We have entered a new reality. Hamas has gained the ability to launch long-range rockets deep into Israel, past Tel Aviv, and into Mishmeret.
For me, this terror attack on Mishmeret, where the last rocket landed, hits too close to home. Because Mishmeret is my place of residence. It is where my family lives and where I raise my children. I know the family whose home was hit, and my house is only a few hundred feet away.
Imagine if a rocket was fired at your home. Think about it – targeting your kids.
Now imagine if the terrorists that launched the attack said it was an accident, as Hamas did!
You would never accept it. You would not think twice about taking action.
Just think about a rocket in Paris, in Lima, in Berlin…in all of the capitals. If a rocket would land tomorrow morning, and somebody will say “no, it was an accident.”
You would put your people first – and you would likely have the support of this body behind you.
So, let me be very clear.
Monday’s events were no accident.
Hamas committed a heinous crime against Israel: a deliberate and direct act of terror against our people, just like every one of the 12,000 attacks before it.
And we will not hesitate to take action.
Mr. President,
Israel’s expectations of the international community are twofold: for the Security Council to issue a clear condemnation and a prompt designation.
The UN must condemn Hamas and its terrorism against Israel unequivocally.
The Security Council must designate Hamas as a terrorist organization – 12,000 rockets and mortars should be enough evidence to warrant such a designation.
Some countries will claim – and we heard it in the last hour – will claim the moral high ground by telling Israel to “exercise maximum restraint.” They will try to rationalize the attack with the argument of “both sides.”
I don’t see both sides. I see a terror organization, and I see a country that is defending its people.
Make no mistake.
We will not accept a reality in which our children become targets of Hamas. We are determined to protect our people.
If these terror attacks continue, the leaders of Hamas will feel the might of the IDF and will be buried in the tunnels of Gaza.
I thank you.