Speaking at a UN Security Council Briefing on the Palestine-Israel Issue held on August 26, Chinese Ambassador Fu Cong said that: “Recently, the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory has continued to escalate, with a sharp increase in violence, repeated trampling of fairness and justice, and repeated breaches of the moral bottom line, casting an even darker shadow over the prospects for resolving the Palestinian question. The Palestinian people have endured immense suffering, with generations waiting for historical injustices to be redressed.”
He made three points:
- No effort should be spared to uphold the ceasefire in Gaza and restore peace and stability at an early date. Recently, the Board of Peace announced progress on the arrangements for the second phase of the ceasefire agreement. Israel not only openly rejected them but went even further by escalating its deadly attacks on Gaza, undermining the fragile situation there. The facts have made it abundantly clear that the fundamental reason why lasting peace has yet to be achieved in Gaza is the lack of political will for peace, and that the biggest obstacle is the dangerous attempt to deliberately prolong the hostilities.
- Acts of violence and annexation must be stopped and tensions in the West Bank eased. The security situation in the West Bank is becoming increasingly precarious and acts of violence against Palestinian civilians are appalling. In recent days, settlers in the West Bank have besieged Palestinian residents for days in an attempt to drive them out and seize their homes. China strongly condemns such acts. Any attempt at the de facto annexation of the West Bank is unacceptable. All settlement activities violate international law and Security Council resolutions and must cease immediately.
- International fairness and justice must be upheld and the implementation of the two-State solution advanced. Palestine is the homeland of all Palestinians. Governance of the West Bank and post-war reconstruction in Gaza should be advanced in accordance with the principle of Palestinians governing Palestine. The international community should act on the basis of international law, with the aim of addressing both the symptoms and root causes and through practical actions, support the just cause of the Palestinian people in pursuing their legitimate national rights… The legitimate right of Palestinian leaders to attend the general debate of the United Nations General Assembly should be safeguarded.
In his conclusion, Fu Cong noted: “The Palestine question has been on the United Nations agenda for more than 70 years. Its resolution is long overdue.”
The following is the full text of his speech. It was originally published on the website of China’s Permanent Mission to the UN. A related report was carried by the Xinhua News Agency.
Remarks by Ambassador Fu Cong at the UN Security Council Briefing on the Palestine-Israel Issue
President,
I thank Acting Special Coordinator Ramiz Alakbarov, Mr. Nickolay Mladenov, and Ms. Athena Rayburn for their briefings.
Recently, the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory has continued to escalate, with a sharp increase in violence, repeated trampling of fairness and justice, and repeated breaches of the moral bottom line, casting an even darker shadow over the prospects for resolving the Palestinian question. The Palestinian people have endured immense suffering, with generations waiting for historical injustices to be redressed. The international community must act in a timely manner to prevent further harm to the Palestinian people, salvage the political prospects of the two-State solution, and make every effort to achieve lasting peace. I would like to make three points.
First, no effort should be spared to uphold the ceasefire in Gaza and restore peace and stability at an early date. Recently, the Board of Peace announced progress on the arrangements for the second phase of the ceasefire agreement. Israel not only openly rejected them, but went even further by escalating its deadly attacks on Gaza, undermining the fragile situation there. The facts have made it abundantly clear that the fundamental reason why lasting peace has yet to be achieved in Gaza is the lack of political will for peace, and that the biggest obstacle is the dangerous attempt to deliberately prolong the hostilities. We urge the relevant parties, particularly Israel, to sincerely and fully implement the ceasefire agreement and take positive steps toward lasting peace. Countries that have significant influence over the parties concerned should uphold an impartial position and make concrete efforts to advance the Middle East peace process. The international community, especially the Security Council, should earnestly shoulder its responsibilities, work to protect civilians in Gaza, ensure humanitarian assistance, and prevent an even more severe humanitarian disaster.
Second, acts of violence and annexation must be stopped and tensions in the West Bank eased. The security situation in the West Bank is becoming increasingly precarious, and acts of violence against Palestinian civilians are appalling. In recent days, settlers in the West Bank have besieged Palestinian residents for days in an attempt to drive them out and seize their homes. China strongly condemns such acts. Despite strong opposition from the international community, Israel has persisted in going its own way and launched tenders for settlement construction in the E1 area. This move will seriously undermine the territorial integrity of Palestine and the foundations of the two-State solution. Any attempt at the de facto annexation of the West Bank is unacceptable. All settlement activities violate international law and Security Council resolutions and must cease immediately. We urge Israel to fulfill its obligations as the occupying power and curb settler violence, rather than tacitly condoning or abetting it. Economic conditions in the West Bank are deteriorating. Israel should return the clearance revenues as soon as possible and lift unreasonable restrictions on the movement of people and goods. Yesterday, Israel further escalated its suppression of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), forcibly entering and occupying the Kalandia Training Centre. China expresses grave concern over this and urges Israel to respect UNRWA’s privileges and immunities and its normal discharge of duties.
Third, international fairness and justice must be upheld and the implementation of the two-State solution advanced. The fundamental way to resolve the Palestine-Israel issue is to stay committed to a political settlement, remain firmly anchored in the right direction of the two-State solution, promote the resumption of peace talks between Palestine and Israel, achieve the early establishment of an independent State of Palestine, and realize harmonious coexistence between the Arab and Jewish peoples. However, voices rejecting and denying the two-State solution continue to emerge, which is deeply concerning. Palestine is the homeland of all Palestinians. Governance of the West Bank and post-war reconstruction in Gaza should be advanced in accordance with the principle of Palestinians governing Palestine. The international community should act on the basis of international law, with the aim of addressing both the symptoms and root causes and through practical actions, support the just cause of the Palestinian people in pursuing their legitimate national rights, reject any unilateral action that undermines the foundations of the two-State solution, and work for the early realization of a comprehensive, just, and lasting solution to the Palestinian question. The legitimate right of Palestinian leaders to attend the general debate of the United Nations General Assembly should be safeguarded.
President,
The Palestine question has always been at the heart of the Middle East issue. It must not be marginalized or instrumentalized, still less should the Palestinian people become victims of political maneuvering. The Palestine question has been on the United Nations agenda for more than 70 years. Its resolution is long overdue. China stands ready to work with the international community to promote a ceasefire and an end to the fighting, alleviate the humanitarian disaster, and implement the two-State solution, and to make greater contributions to bringing an early end to the suffering of the Palestinian people and achieving lasting peace and stability in the Middle East.
Thank you, President.
