General Assembly General Debate (3rd to 6th Meetings) – Press Release (GA/11947) (Excerpts)

SEVENTY-SECOND SESSION, 3RD TO 6TH MEETINGS (AM, PM & NIGHT)
GA/11947
19 SEPTEMBER 2017

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Statements

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MICHEL TEMER, President of Brazil, said…On the Middle East, he expressed concern that talks between Israel and Palestine had come to a halt

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ALPHA CONDÉ, President of Guinea, said…The Union reiterated its unfailing support to the people of Palestine and to their right to independence.

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SHEIKH TAMIM BIN HAMAD AL-THANI, Amir of Qatar, said…Israel still stood in the way of a lasting, just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East, he said.  The international community must give high priority to the resumption of peace negotiations that would end the Israeli occupation of Arab territories within a specified time frame in accordance with the two‑State solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian State with Jerusalem as its capital.  He appealed to Palestinian brothers to complete national reconciliation and to speak with unity.

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RECEP TAYYIP ERDOĞAN, President of Turkey, said…The issue of Palestine and the preservation of the historical status of Jerusalem and Haram al-Sharif remained significant concerns, he said.  The peace process could only continue if Israel immediately stopped illegal settlement activities and took steps towards a two-State solution.  He called upon the international community to support Palestinians in East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza in their struggle for an independent and geographically unified Palestinian State.

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BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, Prime Minister of Israel, said…However, concerns persisted, he said.  Noting the Security Council’s anti-Israel resolution adopted in December 2016 and the World Health Organization’s (WHO) support for a Syrian-sponsored resolution on health conditions, he said there were “no limits to the absurdity” of the United Nations stance on Israel, including that UNESCO had deemed as a Palestinian World Heritage Site parts of Hebron.  Despite a repetition of similarly farcical events, there were some signs of change, even at the United Nations.  Denying Israel’s right to exist was anti-Semitism, he reiterated, echoing the Secretary‑General’s statement earlier today.  The marked change was due in part to the United States, he said, thanking the United States President and Ambassador for “speaking the truth” about Israel.

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Expressing a commitment to advancing and achieving peace with all Arab neighbours, including the Palestinians, he said recent discussions had been held with Egypt and with the United States President on those and related issues.  A century ago, the Balfour Declaration had advanced Theodor Herzl’s vision for a homeland, which the United Nations had subsequently recognized.  Mr. Herzl was “our modern Moses and his dream has come true,” he said, highlighting Israeli contributions around the world.

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ABDEL FATTAH AL SISI, President of Egypt, said…He went on to underline that the question of Palestine must be addressed promptly, as the time had come for a comprehensive and final settlement of the longest outstanding crisis in the Arab region.  “The closure of this chapter through a just settlement is a necessary precondition for the entire region to transit into a new phase of stability and development,” he said, adding that peace would eliminate one of the main pretexts used by terrorists.

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ADAMA BARROW, President of the Gambia, said…Noting that his country remained deeply concerned over the lack of a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, he emphasized that the Gambia continued to promote a two-State solution,

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EVO MORALES AYMA, President of Bolivia,…The Palestinian cause could not be abandoned, he said, demanding implementation of the two-State solution.

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ISSELKOU OULD AHMED IZID BIH, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Mauritania,…He called on the Assembly to work towards the establishment of an independent Palestinian State

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Right of Reply

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The representative of Iran, speaking in exercise of the right of reply, said the representative of the Israeli regime had made unfounded allegations against his country.  The nature of that regime was founded on aggression, occupation, suppression, violence and terror, he said, adding that in the information age, “weapons of mass deception” were becoming more useless day by day.  That representative could have explained why his regime had invaded all its neighbours, and even countries outside its region, waging 15 wars in its short lifetime.  Why did that regime continue to disrespect resolutions adopted by the Assembly, the Security Council and other United Nations bodies, he asked, and why was it a State sponsor of terrorism, including support for ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) with arms and other military assistance.  It was the world’s last apartheid regime and the warden of its biggest prison, arresting and jailing Palestinians and imposing an inhumane blockade on the Gaza Strip.

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For information media. Not an official record.

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