Statement by Sir John Sawers, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the United Nations

Thank you very much Mr President and can I begin by thanking Under Secretary-General Pascoe for his briefing and also warmly welcoming the Palestinian Foreign Minister Mr Maliki here today and thank you for your statement.  I am also grateful for the statement from the Israeli Permanent Representative and her kind remarks.

The three months since the Council’s last debate on the situation in the Middle East has seen further intense efforts to launch negotiations to deliver the peace, security and justice which Palestinians and Israelis so desire.  Our goal remains not simply another process, but genuine negotiations which have a real prospect for reaching a lasting solution.  President Obama of the United States made his commitment clear speaking to the General Assembly and we continue to offer him and his team and all those genuinely seeking peace our full support.

The parameters of a solution are well known:  two-States, with an independent, democratic, contiguous, and viable Palestinian State, based on the 1967 borders, living side by side in peace and security with the State of Israel.  Jerusalem as the capital for both States, and a just settlement for refugees.

Delivering this goal will not be easy.  All sides will have to meet their obligations and commitments.  We need to see an Israeli freeze on settlement buildings.  We need to see continued Palestinian efforts on security and institution building, and we would warmly welcome Arab moves to normalise relationships.  

Mr President,

A genuinely viable Palestinian State will be key to securing a successful settlement.  The Palestinian National Authority’s Two-Year Plan, launched in August, represents a determination to deliver such a Palestinian State and the institutions to underpin it – not in some distant future, but soon.  And President Abbas and Prime Minister Fayyad will have our continued backing as they work to implement this vision.

Mr President,

The situation in Jerusalem increasingly has the potential to threaten the progress we all desire.  There is absolutely no room for inflammatory gestures or actions, in Jerusalem above all, because extremists will take advantage of them.  We have followed with great concern the disturbing incidents of violence around the Temple Mount, Haram es-Sharif.  We are also deeply concerned at on-going settlement activity in East Jerusalem which can only make it more difficult to achieve our common goal.  All sides must act to calm the situation and avoid provocation.  

The situation in Gaza also continues to concern us.  The lives of Gazans will only become harder as the Winter sets in.  Despite repeated representations from the international community, the Israeli Government has not eased border restrictions sufficiently to allow the passage of all essential humanitarian aid or significant reconstruction material.  I repeat our call on the Israeli Government to relax these restrictions.

Mr President,

I repeat our call also for Hamas to release Gilad Shalit without further delay or conditions.  We note the videotape evidence provided by Hamas on 2 October in exchange for 20 prisoners, but it is simply unacceptable that Gilad Shalit should remain in detention without Red Cross access three years after he was first seized.  

Mr President,

We must also address the conclusions of the UN Fact Finding Mission on Gaza.  They raise important issues that are of serious concern.  We believe that the Goldstone Report itself did not adequately recognise Israel’s right to protect its citizens nor did it pay sufficient attention to Hamas’s actions.  But the concerns raised in the Report cannot be ignored.

Rocket attacks by Palestinian militants targeted at innocent civilians in Southern Israel constitute a breach of international humanitarian law.  It is deplorable that these acts continue.  They must cease immediately.  

Israel has the right to defend its citizens from such attacks, but must do so in accordance with international law.  The Goldstone Report makes serious allegations about Israeli conduct during Operation Cast Lead.  Incidents where individual soldiers are alleged to have acted unlawfully, for example allegations of the shooting of civilians; and overall Israeli tactics, such as the targeting of Police Stations and Infrastructure.  

My Government regrets that Israel did not cooperate with the Mission, which therefore lacks an authoritative Israeli perspective on the events in question, which will be so crucial to determining the legality of the actions.  We note that the Israeli Defence Force has already conducted and is continuing to conduct a number of investigations.  However, concerns remain.  We urge the Israeli Government to carry out full, credible and impartial investigations into the allegations reported in the Goldstone Report.

The United Kingdom is committed to ensuring accountability for violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law wherever they occur.  We look forward to further discussion in the Human Rights Council.

Mr President,

Turning briefly to Lebanon, we welcome the undertaking by UNIFIL and the Lebanese Armed Forces to investigate the reported explosion that took place earlier in the week in Tyar Felsey.  And we underline our call for all parties to implement Security Council Resolution 1701 in full.

Mr President,

In conclusion, there is little doubt that the prospects for a lasting peace in the Middle East have been tested:  the reactions to the Goldstone Report and the events in East Jerusalem, for example, have dampened the cautious optimism generated by the increased diplomatic efforts to relaunch the peace process.  But we urge the parties, the region and the international community as a whole to maintain and increase momentum towards a solution. All peace processes are tested by events.  What separates the successful processes from the unsuccessful is the political will to push forward despite events or setbacks.

I thank you Mr President.

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