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Statement to the UN Security Council by Ambassador DS Kumalo of South Africa in His Capacity as Chairman of NAM on the Situation in the Middle East 3 April 2002 Mr. President, My delegation is pleased to see you preside over this emergency meeting of the Security Council, which we joined in calling for today in response to the full-scale military operations that are underway in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem. We would like to express our appreciation to the Council for scheduling the open debate during the day when all Member States have an opportunity to express their views before this Council. We also note with appreciation that the Security Council has taken a step in taking action on our suggestion that the Council consider meeting with Prime Minister Sharon and President Arafat by instead meeting with their representatives here in New York. However, we believe that more may need to be done. We would like to remind the Council of the suggestion by some of the NAM Members that the Security Council visit the region to obtain a first hand impression of events on the ground. A visit to Israel and Palestine by this Security Council at this time would be another signal that the international community is very concerned about the deteriorating situation. Mr. President, The Non-Aligned Movement is concerned that Israel has for many years refused to comply with Security Council resolutions. This cannot be allowed to continue if the Security Council is to fulfil its role of maintaining peace and security. At some point this Council will have to stand up to all countries that do not obey its resolutions. We believe that this time is right now. The Non-Aligned Movement has consistently maintained that there can be no military solution to the Middle East conflict and that occupation, settlement activities and collective punishment of the Palestinian people are the root causes of violence and insecurity in the region. In other words, the enemy in the Middle East is not President Arafat or the Palestinian Authority. The enemy is the lack of peace between Israel and Palestine. We are, therefore, deeply distressed by the fact that the Israeli Government has chosen to respond to the symptoms of its own military occupation by using disproportionate lethal force, with resulting escalation in conflict and tragic consequences for the civilian populations of both Palestine and Israel. Clearly Israel’s decision to destroy Palestinian infrastructure, to humiliate and humble Palestinian civilians and to threaten the life of the legitimate, elected, and internationally recognised leader of the Palestinian people cannot be justified as acts of counter-terrorism or even self-defense. Israel’s militaristic approach is all the more inexplicable and inexcusable since it is taking place against a backdrop of renewed efforts by the international community to mediate a peaceful solution to the conflict. The Government of South Africa found it inexplicable that Israel had seen fit to prevent President Arafat from traveling to Beirut to endorse and support the Saudi initiative. This action was shortsighted and provocative. It played directly into the hands of extremists whose sole goal was to prevent the conditions being created that would allow the achievement of a cease-fire and forward movement towards a substantial dialogue about peace in line with the requirements of the Mitchell Report. It is also deeply troubling to the South African Government that at precisely the time that both the Israeli and Palestinian leadership were engaged in discussions with General Zinni about establishing the conditions for the implementation of a cease-fire, extremists had once again targeted Israeli civilians in attacks that left scores of dead and injured. Israel’s response to these killings was once again the same massive predictable military escalation witnessed in the past, which sought to target President Arafat as an enemy, to destroy Palestinian infrastructure and try to humiliate and bludgeon the Palestinian people into submission. Mr President, Despite these setbacks the United Nations Secretary-General, the Arab League, the Non-Aligned Movement, the European Union, the Russian Federation and the USA and others continue to intensify their efforts to encourage dialogue between the Palestinians and the Israelis. We therefore remain convinced that it is possible to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the crisis. However, the trauma, intense mistrust and fear generated by the current spasm of terrorist acts and military attacks will not be easily overcome and a credible, multi-national monitoring mechanism will be required on the ground to monitor the implementation of agreements between the two parties. Mr President, Through the adoption of resolution 1397 (2002) the Security Council has recognised the right of the Palestinian and Israeli people to exist side by side, in peace and security with their neighbours in States of their own. The Council has also adopted resolution 1402 (2002) demanding the immediate cessation of violence and calling for the implementation of a meaningful cease-fire and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Palestinian cities. The least we expect is for Israel to obey Security Council resolutions and to implement resolution 1402 (2002). Mr President, In conclusion, please allow me to restate a fundamental truth: Israel’s security cannot be achieved through the barrel of a gun. The current growing cycle of violence and the ever-increasing death toll of innocent Israelis and Palestinians can not be ended without a political solution. Thank you
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