Originally posted in The Daily Worker
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas delivered the following speech to the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly
May the peace, blessings, and mercy of God be upon you.
I come to you today while my people have been subjected for almost a year now to one of the most heinous crimes of our time, a comprehensive war crime and genocide waged by Israel, the occupying state. This crime has so far claimed the lives of more than 40,000 martyrs, with thousands still under the rubble. More than 100,000 others have been wounded, hundreds of entire Palestinian families have been wiped out and erased from the civil registry, and thousands have lost their lives due to the spread of diseases and epidemics and the lack of medicine and water. In addition, more than two million Palestinians have been displaced from their homes many times in search of safety from the systematic killings carried out by the Israeli occupation army. As the war of aggression continues, dozens of our afflicted people in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Jerusalem continue to be killed every day, and many times more are wounded.
I am not here to respond to the lies of the Israeli Prime Minister, in his speech before the US Congress last July, when he claimed that his army does not kill innocent civilians in Gaza. For God’s sake, who is the one who killed more than 15,000 children and the same number of women and elderly from our people and is still killing? Answer me!
Stop this crime, stop it now. Stop killing children and women. Stop the war of extermination. Stop sending weapons to Israel. This madness cannot continue. The entire world bears responsibility for what is happening to our people in Gaza, as well as in the West Bank, which is being subjected to continuous daily Israeli aggression, a fierce and barbaric settlement campaign, and terrorism by settler gangs sponsored and supported by the Israeli government and the occupation army, which is demolishing hundreds of homes in the land of the State of Palestine, in addition to what Jerusalem, our eternal capital, is being subjected to, from Judaization campaigns and aggression against the city, its holy sites and landmarks, in order to change the historical and legal status there.
Recently, an extremist terrorist Israeli minister came out and called for building a synagogue in Al-Aqsa Mosque. This reckless minister and others like him who want to ignite a religious war that will burn everything must be condemned and stopped. Al-Aqsa Mosque and its surroundings, ladies and gentlemen, are the exclusive property of Muslims, as was stipulated by the League of Nations in 1930, and we will not accept anything less, no matter the circumstances.
Ladies and gentlemen,
We have repeatedly warned before your esteemed assembly that the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory threatens to explode, and this explosion occurred on October 7 of last year and what followed.
Since the first day, I stood up and stressed the need for an immediate cessation of the war. I also stressed our rejection of targeting civilians, whoever they may be. I demanded the release of prisoners and detainees from both sides, and an immediate sitting at the negotiating table to implement the two-state solution on the basis of international legitimacy resolutions.
Instead of listening to the voice of reason, the Israeli government exploited what happened to launch a comprehensive war of genocide on the Gaza Strip, and committed and continues to commit war crimes recognized by the international community. Today, Israel is launching another aggression against the brotherly Lebanese people, and we condemn this aggression and demand that it be stopped immediately.
Israel has reoccupied the entire Gaza Strip and almost completely destroyed it, rendering it uninhabitable, after most of the homes, buildings, health and educational facilities, economic establishments, roads, churches, mosques, water and electricity stations, wastewater treatment plants, and others were destroyed. If Israel thinks that it will escape accountability and punishment for these crimes, it is mistaken. The international community must immediately begin imposing sanctions on it. The massacres, crimes, and genocide that Israel has committed against our people since its establishment until today will not pass without accountability, and will not be forgotten, for no right is lost if someone demands it.
Despite our repeated and urgent demands, the world has not succeeded in forcing Israel, the rogue state, to stop its genocidal war and war crimes against innocent civilians. We regret that the US administration has three times blocked Security Council draft resolutions calling on Israel to cease fire by using its veto, and on top of that, it has provided it with deadly weapons that have killed thousands of innocent children, women and elderly people, which has encouraged Israel to continue its aggression.
This is the same United States that was the only member of the UN Security Council that voted against granting the State of Palestine full membership in the United Nations. I do not understand how the United States insists on standing against our people, and insists on depriving them of their legitimate rights to freedom and independence.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Israel, which refuses to implement the resolutions of the United Nations, is not worthy of membership in this international organization. Israel, whose representative in this international organization says that this United Nations building, in which we are now, must be removed from the ground, is not worthy of being a member of your organization. It has, from the beginning, not fulfilled the conditions for membership. It was required to implement General Assembly Resolutions 181 and 194 as a condition for accepting its membership, and it pledged to do so in writing but did not do so. Therefore, I call upon your esteemed Assembly to freeze Israel’s membership in the General Assembly until it fulfills its obligations and the conditions for accepting its membership, and implements all the resolutions of the United Nations and its bodies. We will submit a request to the President of the United Nations General Assembly in this regard.
I take this opportunity today to commend the member states of the United Nations, which voted by a majority of more than two-thirds in favor of the draft resolution submitted by the State of Palestine, supported by a large number of friendly and sisterly countries, to adopt the historic advisory opinion issued on 19/7/2024 by the International Court of Justice to end the illegal Israeli occupation of the State of Palestine within twelve months, including the immediate cessation of annexation and settlement activities, the dismantling of existing settlements, the removal of settlers from the Palestinian territories, the return of lands and resources confiscated since 1967, redress and compensation for the damages suffered by the Palestinians as a result of the illegal policies and practices of the occupation, and many other issues mentioned in the Court’s advisory opinion, and obligating Israel to implement.
We count greatly on your decision, which embodies the international will and principles of international law, and on the mechanisms adopted in this regard to ensure implementation.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Today, I also feel grateful as I see this great shift in the positions of the member states of the United Nations, as they support the Palestinian right to obtain an independent state and recognize it, and grant it full membership in this international organization, like the rest of the peoples of the world who yearn for freedom and love peace. On behalf of the Palestinian people, I thank you for these positions in support of truth and justice to achieve peace in our region, and I call on you to implement the provisions of international law, each according to his responsibilities and sovereignty.
I also feel gratitude and appreciation for the protests against the war of extermination on Gaza, and in support of Palestinian rights, that have taken place and are taking place all over the world, including the United States of America and European countries, and for the honorable solidarity activists who come to Palestine risking their lives. In this context, I offer my condolences to the martyred Turkish-American citizen, Aisha Nour, who was killed in cold blood by the occupation army.
I say to them that the Palestinian people will not forget your honorable positions, and we will remember you with pride and honor on the day the occupation ends and our people enjoy freedom and independence.
Ladies and gentlemen,
There has been a lot of talk lately about the day after the end of the war in the Gaza Strip. I take the opportunity today to present to you our vision of what needs to be done immediately and for the day after the war:
First: A comprehensive and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, and the military attacks and terrorist settler attacks in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Second: Bringing in relief aid urgently, regularly, in sufficient quantities and without conditions, and delivering it to all areas of the Gaza Strip.
Third: Complete Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, rejection of establishing buffer zones or seizing any part of its lands, halting forced displacement procedures inside or outside the Gaza Strip, and the return of the displaced to their areas of residence and providing them with shelter.
Fourth: Protecting UNRWA and humanitarian organizations from Israeli arbitrariness and providing political and material support to them so that they can perform their role and provide their services to Palestinian refugees until they return to their homes.
Fifth: Providing international protection for the Palestinians on the occupied land of their state.
Sixth: The State of Palestine shall assume its responsibilities in the Strip to exercise its full jurisdiction over it, including the border crossings, most notably the Rafah International Crossing between Egypt and Palestine, as part of a comprehensive plan.
Seventh: Within the framework of the comprehensive national reform process, we are rebuilding the infrastructure and state institutions that were destroyed by Israel, reviving the economy, sustainable development, reconstructing the Gaza Strip, and holding the occupying state responsible for that.
Eighth: Extending the authority of the State of Palestine, the Palestinian government, and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, over all Palestinian territories in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, in preparation for holding general presidential and legislative elections there, and forming a Palestinian government, in accordance with the results of these elections.
Ninth: Continue to mobilize the greatest international support for the State of Palestine to obtain full membership in the United Nations as soon as possible.
Tenth: Full implementation of the General Assembly resolution regarding the legal advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, leading to the end of the occupation within twelve months, as stated in the advisory opinion.
Eleventh: Holding an international peace conference under the supervision of the United Nations within a year to implement the two-state solution, and embody the independence of the Palestinian state on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and the return of Palestinian refugees, on the basis of international law, international legitimacy resolutions, and the Arab Peace Initiative.
Twelve: Adopting international peacekeeping forces by a Security Council resolution between the State of Palestine and Israel, to ensure the security of the two states.
These are the elements of our vision for the day and the day after the war in the State of Palestine in general. I appeal to you to adopt this plan and provide all the necessary capabilities to make it a success.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I announced a few weeks ago that I had decided to head the Palestinian leadership to the Gaza Strip, to be with our people who have been exhausted by the Israeli genocidal war. I appeal to you to support our decision by issuing a UN resolution on this matter and to pressure the occupation government not to obstruct our efforts. I welcome all of you who wish to join us in going to steadfast and patient Gaza to witness the crime committed against it and to contribute to achieving peace and stability.
A salute of respect and appreciation to our heroic people who sacrifice everything precious and dear for the sake of Palestine, in sacrificing Gaza, the steadfast West Bank, Jerusalem the jewel in the crown and the capital of the state, our people in the refugee camps and diaspora, and to our brave prisoners in Israeli prisons, who are today subjected to a blatant violation of their human dignity.
Palestine will be liberated, and our people will continue their lives in the land of their fathers and grandfathers as they have done for more than six thousand years, and will continue their legitimate struggle for independence, and the occupation will inevitably come to an end.
