{"id":139681,"date":"2018-06-01T13:22:00","date_gmt":"2018-06-01T13:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/?post_type=document&p=139681"},"modified":"2020-07-22T00:52:02","modified_gmt":"2020-07-22T04:52:02","slug":"amid-middle-east-violence-security-council-fails-to-adopt-competing-resolutions-on-israeli-force-hamas-role-in-conflict-press-release","status":"publish","type":"document","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/amid-middle-east-violence-security-council-fails-to-adopt-competing-resolutions-on-israeli-force-hamas-role-in-conflict-press-release\/","title":{"rendered":"Amid Middle East Violence, Security Council Fails to Adopt Competing Resolutions on Israeli Force, Hamas Role in Conflict – Press Release"},"content":{"rendered":"

8274TH MEETING (PM)<\/strong>
\nSC\/13362<\/strong>
\n1 JÄ¢¹½ÊÓƵE 2018<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

fran\u00e7ais<\/a><\/p>\n

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United States Lone Veto, Only Vote on Respective Texts<\/p>\n

The Security Council today failed to adopt two competing draft resolutions on the recent spate of violence in the Middle East \u2014 put forward by the delegations of the United States and Kuwait on behalf of the Arab Group, respectively \u2014 capping a month of protests and escalating tension on the ground and within the 15\u2011member organ itself.<\/p>\n

By the terms of the draft put forward by the delegation of Kuwait \u2014 which was rejected by a vote of 10\u00a0in favour to 1\u00a0against\u00a0(United States), with 4\u00a0abstentions\u00a0(Ethiopia, Netherlands, Poland, United Kingdom), owing to a veto by one permanent member \u2014 the Council would have deplored Israel\u2019s use of \u201cexcessive, disproportionate and indiscriminate force\u201d against Palestinian civilians.\u00a0 Condemning the use by Israel Defense Forces of live ammunition against civilian protesters, it would have affirmed the Council\u2019s willingness to respond to situations of armed conflict where civilians were targeted or where humanitarian assistance was being deliberately obstructed, including by considering appropriate measures in accordance with the United Nations Charter.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, a separate draft resolution submitted by the United States was also rejected by a vote of 1\u00a0in favour\u00a0(United States) to 3\u00a0against\u00a0(Bolivia, Kuwait, Russian Federation) with 11\u00a0abstentions, owing to an insufficient number of affirmative votes.\u00a0 By the terms of that text \u2014 containing various amendments to Kuwait\u2019s draft \u2014 the Council would have described Hamas, the organization currently in power in Gaza, as a terrorist group.\u00a0 It would also have condemned in the strongest terms the indiscriminate firing of rockets by Palestinian militants in Gaza towards Israel on 29\u00a0May; demanded that Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other militant groups cease all provocative actions; and condemned the diversion of resources by those groups to construct military infrastructure intended to infiltrate Israel and launch rockets.<\/p>\n

Those amendments departed significantly from the original Kuwaiti draft, by whose terms the Council would have demanded that Israel, the occupying Power, fully abide by its legal obligations and responsibilities under the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.\u00a0 Also calling for the consideration of ways to guarantee the safety and protection of the Palestinian civilian population in the Occupied Palestinian Territory \u2014 including in the Gaza Strip \u2014 it would have requested the Secretary\u2011General to submit a report in no more than 60\u00a0days on proposals to ensure the safety, protection and well\u2011being of Palestinian civilians living under Israeli occupation, including recommendations for an international protection mechanism.<\/p>\n

In contrast, the amendments proposed by the United States would have asked the Secretary\u2011General to submit a report in no more than 60\u00a0days on the use, by such terrorist organizations as Hamas, of protesters for the purposes of incitement or to carry out violence in the past 90\u00a0days, with the goal of preventing such clashes in the future.<\/p>\n

The representative of Kuwait, speaking after his delegation\u2019s text was vetoed, expressed regret that today the Council had sent a message that the occupying Power could enjoy full immunity from international law as well as the Council\u2019s own resolutions.\u00a0 The Council continued to proclaim that its responsibility was to protect civilians, but recent incidents had proven otherwise.\u00a0 In that regard, he called for an independent investigation into the recent events in Gaza and asked why Palestinians must continue to suffer while the world remained silent.<\/p>\n

The representative of the United States said the Kuwaiti resolution represented a grossly one\u2011sided view of the situation on the ground.\u00a0 It was Hamas that bore the primary responsibility for the atrocious living conditions in Gaza, she said, noting that it had diverted humanitarian resources for military purpose and fired at least 70\u00a0rockets into Israel this week alone.\u00a0 Yet the Kuwaiti resolution sought to place all the blame on Israel and perpetuate the United Nations anti\u2011Israeli bias.\u00a0 Describing her delegation\u2019s alternate text, she called on Council members to place blame on Hamas and recognize the reality that the group constituted a major obstacle to the peace process.<\/p>\n

Bolivia\u2019s representative declared: \u00a0\u201cOnce again today, the Council has also become a kind of occupied territory\u201d owing to the veto by one permanent member.\u00a0 Noting that the Kuwaiti draft resolution had been discussed broadly and at length\u00a0\u2014 resulting in a balanced text \u2014 he said Israel\u2019s continued occupation of the Palestinian territory was the root cause of the Palestinians\u2019 current dreadful situation.\u00a0 The only long\u2011term solution would be a two\u2011State solution with a free, sovereign and independent Palestinian State, within pre\u20111967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital.<\/p>\n

The Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine said today\u2019s votes had sent the important message that his people were entitled to protection.\u00a0 Immediate steps must be taken to end the closure of Gaza to allow for the normal movement of persons and goods.\u00a0 \u201cYour votes today refute the premise that the Palestinian people are the exception to the rules of principles of international law,\u201d he said, adding: \u00a0\u201cYou have rejected the might over right strategy.\u201d\u00a0 The Council \u2014 which had a responsibility to uphold its duties and address the humanitarian crisis being endured by the Palestinian people \u2014 remained paralysed on the issue due to the use of the veto by one Council member.\u00a0 Further rebuffing any attempt to classify the Palestinian situation as one of terrorism, he said that, if anything, the Kuwaiti draft had not gone far enough to classify the situation in Gaza as existential.<\/p>\n

Israel\u2019s representative, meanwhile, recalled that the Council had opened its 15\u00a0May meeting by standing for a moment of respect for those who had been killed in violence the previous day in Gaza.\u00a0 \u201cOn that day, the members of the Security Council stood in solidarity with the terrorists of Hamas,\u201d he said, noting that Hamas had openly bragged that most of those killed had not been civilians but terrorist martyrs.\u00a0 Today, the Council had been given a chance to place blame where it belonged \u2014 on Hamas \u2014 and to recognize that group\u2019s role in the root of the conflict.\u00a0 While the resolution presented by Kuwait had mentioned Israel five times, it failed to mention Hamas even once. \u00a0Thanking the United States for taking the right stand, he said Ambassador Haley had made clear that the \u201crules of the game are changing here in this Council\u201d and the organ\u2019s bias against Israel would no longer stand.<\/p>\n

Also speaking were representatives of the United Kingdom, France, Kazakhstan, China, Poland, Russian Federation, Peru, Sweden, Netherlands and Ethiopia.<\/p>\n

The meeting began at 3:56 p.m. and ended at 5:42 p.m.<\/p>\n

Action on Draft Resolutions<\/u><\/p>\n

MANSOUR AYYAD SH. A. ALOTAIBI (Kuwait<\/u>), speaking prior to the vote, said his delegation had held two inclusive, transparent rounds of negotiations while drafting the resolution now before the Security Council.\u00a0 \u201cWe have listened to all amendments and proposals,\u201d he said, noting that among other things the text called for the protection of civilians in the Gaza Strip and asked the Council to submit proposals on ways and means to ensure their protection.\u00a0 Noting that could include the establishment of an international protection mechanism, he encouraged all delegations to vote in favour of the text.<\/p>\n

NIKKI R. HALEY (United States<\/u>) said all edits had not been considered in the text\u2019s drafting process. \u00a0Some delegations remained concerned that the Hamas organization was not mentioned in it.\u00a0 The resolution represented a grossly one\u2011sided view, she said, urging all Council members to vote against it.\u00a0 The United States would oppose the resolution \u2014 by using its veto, if necessary \u2014 as it was Hamas that bore the primary responsibility for the atrocious living conditions in Gaza. \u00a0Among other things, it diverted humanitarian resources for military purpose and had fired at least 70\u00a0rockets into Israel this week alone. \u00a0It had deliberately used civilians as human shields at the Gaza border, called for the destruction of Israel and refused to unify in the pursuit of peace.\u00a0 Yet the Kuwaiti resolution before the Council placed all the blame on Israel, even blaming it for Hamas\u2019 recent firing of rockets. \u00a0It also perpetuated the United Nations anti\u2011Israeli bias and would harm efforts towards peace.<\/p>\n

However, she said, there was an alternative.\u00a0 If delegations could rightly place blame where it belonged \u2014 on Hamas \u2014 her delegation had put forward an alternate draft resolution demanding that that group cease putting Palestinian civilians at risk at the Gaza border. \u00a0\u201cYou can choose to condemn the terrorists\u201d or delegations could cast their votes in other ways. \u00a0Voicing support for political negotiations towards a lasting peace, she said the recognition of reality \u2014 that Hamas represented a major impediment \u2014 was a prerequisite.\u00a0 Another reality was that the United Nations was siding with terrorists over Israel, a Member State, which only made peace harder to achieve. \u00a0She urged Council members to vote against Kuwait\u2019s draft.\u00a0 \u201cEach of you have a choice \u2014 you either support Hamas or you do not.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Council, by a vote of 10\u00a0in favour to 1\u00a0against (United States), with 4\u00a0abstentions (Ethiopia, Netherlands, Poland, United Kingdom), then failed to adopt the draft resolution submitted by the delegation of Kuwait (document\u00a0S\/2018\/516) owing a negative vote by a permanent Council member.<\/p>\n

Mr. ALOTAIBI (Kuwait<\/u>) said the draft text, which had not been adopted due to the use of a veto by the United States, had been submitted on behalf of the Arab Group and had also been supported by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation\u00a0(OIC) at its last summit in Istanbul.\u00a0 Palestinians needed protection in the face of massacres carried out by Israel, the occupying Power. \u00a0As witnessed in recent protests, international human rights, humanitarian law and relevant Security Council resolutions had not been respected.\u00a0 The message from the Chamber today was that the occupying Power could enjoy full exception from international law and the Council\u2019s resolutions.\u00a0 Israel was committing crimes.\u00a0 The Council continued to proclaim that its responsibility was to protect civilians but recent incidents had proven otherwise. \u00a0He called for an independent investigation into the recent events in Gaza and asked why Palestinians must continue to suffer while the entire world remained silent.<\/p>\n

KAREN PIERCE (United Kingdom<\/u>) said she was deeply concerned at the situation in Gaza, condemning the actions of Hamas and other terrorist organizations.\u00a0 Hamas\u2019 military wing was recognized as a terrorist organization by the United Kingdom since\u00a02001.\u00a0 She reiterated the urgent need to establish the facts of the past several weeks, and urged all parties to work towards peace.\u00a0 It was regrettable that today\u2019s resolution failed to name terrorist actors.\u00a0 She condemned Hamas and expressed regret that the text tabled by the United States had not adequately raised Israel\u2019s responsibilities.\u00a0 For such reasons, her delegation chose to abstain from the resolution.<\/p>\n

FRAN\u00c7OIS DELATTRE (France<\/u>) expressed regret that the Council had not been able to unite on a text. \u00a0He asked: \u00a0\u201cIf the Council today abdicates its responsibility, who will take on this responsibility?\u201d\u00a0 The risk of escalation of conflict was at its highest since\u00a02014. \u00a0\u201cThis silence has been neither acceptable nor understandable,\u201d he said, adding the need for multilateralism.\u00a0 France remained committed to overcoming difficulties and building consensus.\u00a0 That was at the heart of the Council\u2019s responsibilities as mandated in the United Nations Charter.\u00a0 Kuwait\u2019s text had been improved through negotiations, and while the final text was certainly not perfect, and France would have liked for it to refer to Hamas as a terrorist organization, it did call for protection measures to be taken.\u00a0 It also requested the Secretary\u2011General to report on the subject in two months.\u00a0 Kuwait\u2019s final text had taken consideration of concerns raised by France.\u00a0 It condemned all violent acts against civilians, called on stakeholders to ensure that protests remained peaceful and called for an end to the Gaza blockade.\u00a0 For those reasons, his delegation had voted in favour of the text.<\/p>\n

KAIRAT UMAROV (Kazakhstan<\/u>) said his delegation had voted in favour of the draft resolution tabled by Kuwait as it believed that all violence against civilians must be stopped.\u00a0 Noting that the document called on all parties to refrain from actions that could further escalate the conflict, he expressed support for a peaceful solution achieved through dialogue and negotiation.\u00a0 Calling on all parties \u2014 and the world community \u2014 to support conditions for such talks and efforts to establish a free, independent and sovereign Palestinian State living in peace side by side with Israel, he urged all sides to work to reach a common ground.<\/p>\n

MA ZHAOXU (China<\/u>), expressing his delegation\u2019s staunch opposition to any acts of violence against civilians, called on Israel and Palestinians \u2014 and especially the Israeli side \u2014 to exercise restraint.\u00a0 Seven decades had passed, but the legitimate rights of Palestinians were still not realized. \u00a0\u201cSuch historical injustice must be redressed\u201d and the international community should take swift action to address the Palestinians\u2019 humanitarian needs and facilitate the early resumption of peace talks towards a two\u2011State solution.\u00a0 Kuwait\u2019s text would have helped to de\u2011escalate tensions on both sides, he said, noting that China had voted in favour of it. \u00a0Supporting all such efforts which were intended to ease tensions, he said China would continue to adhere to President Xi Jinping\u2019s four\u2011point proposal on the situation and work alongside others in the international community to promote peace in the Middle East.<\/p>\n

JOANNA WRONECKA (Poland<\/u>), expressing support for Kuwait\u2019s transparent negotiations, said her delegation had unfortunately not been able to support its draft resolution because it lacked balance.\u00a0 It was Hamas\u2019 responsibility to ensure the protection of civilians in the territory it controlled, she said, describing any attacks against civilians \u2014 by any party \u2014 as unacceptable.\u00a0 While Israel had the right to self\u2011defence, it must respect the Palestinians\u2019 right to peaceful protest and the principle of proportionality.\u00a0 All parties must respect international humanitarian and human rights law, especially with regard to the deliberate targeting of civilians.\u00a0 Calling for an end to all actions that impeded the resumption of peace talks, she voiced support for such efforts in pursuit of a two\u2011State solution.<\/p>\n

SACHA SERGIO LLORENTTY SOL\u00cdZ (Bolivia<\/u>) expressed regret that the text had not been adopted due to the use of a veto by one permanent Council member.\u00a0 That text had been discussed broadly and at length, he said, noting that the results of those talks had been a fair and balanced text.\u00a0 Reaffirming his delegation\u2019s pacifist policy and reiterating its condemnation of all attacks against civilians \u2014 which were unjustifiable under any circumstances \u2014 he said the root cause of the Palestinians\u2019 dreadful situation was Israel\u2019s continued illegal occupation of Palestinian territory.\u00a0 \u201cOnce again today, the Council has also become a kind of occupied territory\u201d owing to the veto by one permanent member, he said. \u00a0Describing Israel\u2019s restrictive activities, including its blockade of Gaza and its long\u2011standing prohibitions on the rights and freedoms of the Palestinian people, he said the only long\u2011term solution would be a two\u2011State solution with a free, sovereign and independent Palestinian State, within pre\u20111967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital.<\/p>\n

VASSILY A. NEBENZIA (Russian Federation<\/u>) said his delegation voted in favour of the resolution.\u00a0 The international community must deal with important questions reflected in the document, including Gaza\u2019s humanitarian situation and the need for Government unity.\u00a0 He underscored the important role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East\u00a0(Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA).\u00a0 All stakeholders must now focus on resolving the conflict through a two\u2011State solution, he emphasized, adding that a solution through force was not a viable option.\u00a0 He condemned indiscriminate attacks on civilians and also the rocket launches into Israeli territories.\u00a0 He reiterated the Russian Federation\u2019s proposal to help relaunch direct talks between Israel and Palestine, adding:\u00a0 \u201cThis is our proposal and it remains on the table.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Council, by a vote of 1\u00a0in favour\u00a0(United States) to 3\u00a0against\u00a0(Bolivia, Kuwait, Russian Federation) with 11\u00a0abstentions, then failed to adopt a separate draft resolution submitted by the United States (document\u00a0S\/2018\/520) owing to an insufficient number of affirmative votes.<\/p>\n

MR. DELATTRE (France<\/u>) said the draft had been put to a vote without any preliminary negotiations and did not reflect a balanced approach to the Palestinian conflict.\u00a0 The text did not make mention of the causes of the conflict nor did it present solutions for the tragic situation faced by Palestinians.\u00a0 He reiterated condemnation of rocket launches into Israel, adding that France stood ready to support that point in the text presented by the United States.\u00a0 It was the Council\u2019s responsibility to respond to the crisis in Gaza, which the text had failed to do.\u00a0 While France remained committed to a constructive discussion, it chose to abstain from the vote today.<\/p>\n

GUSTAVO MEZA-CUADRA (Peru<\/u>) said that despite the efforts of its facilitator and some members, the Council today failed to reach consensus. \u00a0There were parts of the amendments that his country did agree with but it did not have a chance to discuss them. \u00a0He reiterated the importance of reaffirming consistent recognition of Israel\u2019s right to guarantee its security.\u00a0 Peru abstained from the vote of the resolution from the United States.\u00a0 Peru did participate with the Kuwaiti delegation on its text, he said, expressing that the final draft did address many of his nation\u2019s concerns.\u00a0 It was urgent for all parties to resume negotiations leading to a two\u2011State solution and secure and internationally recognized borders.<\/p>\n

OLOF SKOOG (Sweden<\/u>) said he voted in favour of the draft text presented by Kuwait because it called for full respect of international human rights and international humanitarian law.\u00a0 It also condemned all acts of violence, including acts of terror, and called for immediate steps to end the closure of Gaza.\u00a0 Kuwait\u2019s text also welcomed efforts of the Secretary\u2011General to take steps to break the cycle of violence.\u00a0 The matter of the Middle East was extremely sensitive, he continued, commending Kuwait for having worked in good faith towards a conclusion.\u00a0 Turning to the text proposed by the United States, he said it did not contain important language on international humanitarian law, which was of fundamental importance to people on the ground.\u00a0 The United States draft was not presented for negotiations and consultations. \u00a0While sympathetic to many aspects of the text, Sweden had to abstain from its vote. \u00a0The Council must come together to address the situation in Gaza, or else the territory would slide back into conflict.<\/p>\n

KAREL J. G. VAN OOSTEROM (Netherlands<\/u>) said that the Security Council should unite to form a public response to the developments over the past several weeks.\u00a0 In that context, his delegation had constructively engaged in the negotiations on the draft resolution.\u00a0 There was a serious risk of the conflict escalating and violence spiralling out of control.\u00a0 Protection of civilians was of utmost importance, he said, stressing, \u201cregrettably, the resolution that was put to a vote today did not fully reflect our concerns with regard to addressing the needs of all civilians and the negative role of Palestinian militant groups\u201d, among other issues.\u00a0 He called on all parties to exercise restraint, avoid escalation and prevent incidents that put the lives of both Palestinians and Israelis at risk.<\/p>\n

MR. UMAROV (Kazakhstan<\/u>) said his delegation had abstained in the vote on the United States draft because it had wished to see more balanced language.\u00a0 In particular, references to \u201cpeaceful means\u201d and \u201ccredible negotiations\u201d had been omitted, he said, emphasizing the need to avoid language that could lead to even greater divisiveness.<\/p>\n

TEKEDA ALEMU (Ethiopia<\/u>), addressing the two texts \u201cthat have both failed in different ways\u201d, said his country was a friend to both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples.\u00a0 In recent weeks, Ethiopia had repeatedly called on Israel to show maximum restraint while expressing its sorrow and sympathy over the loss of life.\u00a0 Ethiopia believed in Israel\u2019s right to defend itself in line with the principle of proportionality.\u00a0 His delegation was equally concerned about the rockets recently fired into Israel from Gaza, which Hamas had the responsibility to prevent.\u00a0 Such attacks denied clarity to the legitimate, peaceful protests of the Palestinian people in support of their just cause, which Ethiopia supported.\u00a0 While his delegation had been engaged in Kuwait\u2019s broad negotiation process, he nevertheless expressed regret that an explicit condemnation of Hamas\u2019 recent actions had been omitted from it.\u00a0 The failure to include such language had led to the position the Council found itself in today, wherein two very different texts were being considered.<\/p>\n

The United States text, on the other hand, had been circulated just yesterday, he said.\u00a0 It shifted the narrative completely, which was not appropriate.\u00a0 The Palestinian quest to assert their legitimate rights, and to pursue the establishment of an independent State, must not be allowed to be overshadowed by a narrative that focused on terrorism.\u00a0 \u201cWe hope the Council does not lose sight of this,\u201d he stressed, adding that efforts to narrow differences between the two draft resolutions would have been a more productive strategy.\u00a0 It was now imperative to work towards de\u2011escalation of the dangerous situation on the ground, protect civilians and resume the peace process aimed at putting in place a two\u2011State solution.<\/p>\n

Mr. ALOTAIBI (Kuwait<\/u>) stressed that his negative vote on the United States text did not mean that his delegation did not condemn all acts of violence against civilians by all parties.\u00a0 However, that text only justified the illegal Israeli policies in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and turned a blind eye to the massacres committed against civilians in recent weeks.\u00a0 The draft resolution would have further encouraged the occupying Power to continue violating United Nations resolutions, and it failed to call for the lifting of the Gaza blockade or to compel Israel to end its occupation or aggressions against civilians.<\/p>\n

MR. NEBENZIA (Russian Federation<\/u>) said his delegation voted against the text.\u00a0 While the Russian delegation would be ready to agree with some of the text\u2019s aspects, the decision to vote against it was due to the fact that the draft presented by the United States attempted to revise the basis for a solution to the question in the Middle East.\u00a0 He emphasized the need for balance when dealing with such issues.\u00a0 He expressed concern that the United States had rejected wording referencing a long\u2011term solution as well as references to the Arab Peace Initiative, which were deemed by the Security Council as methods of mediation.<\/p>\n

RIYAD H. MANSOUR, Permanent Observer of the\u00a0State of Palestine<\/u>, said today\u2019s vote sent important messages that must be recognized. \u00a0First, there was a severe protection crisis facing the Palestinian people.\u00a0 Israel continued to kill and injure Palestinian civilians. \u00a0\u201cThe Palestinian people are entitled to protection,\u201d he stressed.\u00a0 Immediate steps must be taken to end the closure of Gaza to allow the normal movement of persons and goods.\u00a0 \u201cYour votes today refute the premise that the Palestinian people are the exception to the rules of principles of international law,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cYou have rejected the might over right strategy,\u201d he continued, adding that while the final outcome of the vote was extremely disappointing, it was not surprising. \u00a0He underscored that the Security Council had a responsibility to uphold its duties under the United Nations Charter and address the humanitarian crisis being endured by the Palestinian people.<\/p>\n

The Council continued to remain paralyzed on the issue due to the use of the veto by one Council member, he said, stressing that Israel should not be shielded from its responsibilities and duties. \u00a0He rejected attempts to delay action on today\u2019s initiative, further rebuffing any attempt to classify the Palestinian situation as one of terrorism. \u00a0\u201cIt is not,\u201d he stressed.\u00a0 The draft presented by Kuwait and negotiated for two weeks addressed the characteristics on the ground, he said.\u00a0 If anything, the draft did not go far enough to classify the situation in Gaza as existential. \u00a0The United States Administration continued to refuse to \u201cget it\u201d and take appropriate action.\u00a0 He said that the State of Palestine would pursue all legal means to hold Israel accountable.\u00a0 \u201cWe will not relent in pressing for justice,\u201d he added.\u00a0 The State of Palestine would not stop urging the Council to fulfil its duty to address gross violations.<\/p>\n

DANNY DANON (Israel<\/u>) recalled that, on 15\u00a0May, the Council had opened its meeting by standing for a moment of respect for those who had been killed in violence the previous day in Gaza. \u00a0\u201cOn that day, the members of the Security Council stood in solidarity with the terrorists of Hamas,\u201d he said, noting that Hamas had openly bragged that most of those killed had not been civilians but terrorist martyrs.\u00a0 Recalling that Bolivia\u2019s representative had, during those meetings, read out the names of some of those deceased \u201ccivilians\u201d, he said the Geneva\u2011based Human Rights Council had then passed a resolution on the situation in Gaza which had failed to even mention Hamas, turning a blind eye to that group\u2019s incitement and its use of innocent women and children as human shields.\u00a0 Today, the Council had once again been given a chance to place blame where it belonged \u2014 on Hamas \u2014 and to recognize that group\u2019s role in the root of the conflict.\u00a0 Thanking the United States for taking the right stand, he said Ambassador Haley had made clear that the \u201crules of the game are changing here in this Council\u201d and the body\u2019s bias against Israel would no longer stand.<\/p>\n

Turning to the Kuwaiti resolution presented today, he said the text had attempted to absolve Hamas from all responsibility, mentioning Israel five times but failing to mention Hamas even once.\u00a0 Such a resolution would have given that terrorist group the Council\u2019s stamp of approval, even as Hamas deprived the people of Gaza of their most basic rights and continued to kidnap and kill Israelis.\u00a0 \u201cIt is true \u2014 the people of Gaza need protection [\u2026] from Hamas,\u201d he stressed.\u00a0 When Paris was attacked by terrorists in\u00a02015, the international community had stood beside it. \u00a0When Israel was attacked, however, it was only blamed.\u00a0 The only resolution the Council should pass was one condemning Hamas and designating it as a terrorist organization.\u00a0 While the international community \u2014 which claimed to stand in solidarity with the Palestinians \u2014 never failed to blame Israel, it was always silent when Palestinian refugees faced violence in Syria or abuse in Lebanon and Kuwait. \u00a0Thankfully, the biased text introduced by Kuwait today \u2014 which would only have further empowered Hamas and granted it full immunity \u2014 had failed to be adopted.\u00a0 The only way to truly protect the Palestinians was to hold Hamas fully accountable.<\/p>\n

MR. LLORENTTY SOL\u00cdZ (Bolivia<\/u>), taking the floor a second time in response to Israel\u2019s statement, stressed that Bolivia fully condemned all terrorism no matter who carried it out.\u00a0 That included State terrorism, such as the terrorism perpetrated by the Israeli Government.\u00a0 Six\u00a0million Palestinian refugees remained displaced from their homes because of Israeli policies, he stressed, emphasizing that his delegation had not invented that fact \u2014 it came directly from international law itself. \u00a0Commending the Human Rights Council\u2019s decision to establish an independent inquiry mechanism to investigate the situation in Gaza, he hoped Israel would permit that mission to come to the Occupied Palestinian Territory to carry out its work.\u00a0 Bolivia did not trust the occupying Power, he said, noting that it would only do so when only its illegal policies ended and its walls were torn down.<\/p>\n

Mr. ALOTAIBI (Kuwait<\/u>) said he would have preferred not to respond to remarks made by Israel.\u00a0 When Israel became a member of the United Nations, it pledged to abide by its commitments and obligations as outlined in the Charter.\u00a0 So why then did Israel continue to violate international law, the Geneva Conventions and other relevant conventions, he asked.\u00a0 Israel\u2019s claims and comments against Kuwait were unfounded and had nothing to do with today\u2019s discussions.<\/p>\n

Mr. DANON (Israel<\/u>) asked Bolivia to fact\u2011check the names it mentioned in the Council as some of those mentioned were linked to Hamas.\u00a0 \u201cWe ask you to condemn Hamas here today,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

For information media. Not an official record.<\/strong><\/div>\n

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8274TH MEETING (PM) SC\/13362 1 JÄ¢¹½ÊÓƵE 2018 fran\u00e7ais United States Lone Veto, Only Vote on Respective Texts The Security Council today failed to adopt two competing draft resolutions on the recent spate of violence in the Middle East \u2014 put forward by the delegations of the United States and Kuwait on behalf of the Arab […]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":172,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"country":[921,2553],"document-category":[2433],"document-source":[4868,1362,1897],"committee-meeting":[],"document-subject":[1829,2005,2385],"entity":[1729],"document-language":[6542,6541],"class_list":["post-139681","document","type-document","status-publish","hentry","country-kuwait","country-united-states-of-america","document-category-french-text","document-source-arab-group-the","document-source-security-council","document-source-united-nations-department-of-public-information-dpi","document-subject-casualties","document-subject-gaza-strip","document-subject-security-issues","entity-united-nations-system","document-language-english","document-language-french"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/139681","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/document"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/172"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/139681\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=139681"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=139681"},{"taxonomy":"document-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-category?post=139681"},{"taxonomy":"document-source","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-source?post=139681"},{"taxonomy":"committee-meeting","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/committee-meeting?post=139681"},{"taxonomy":"document-subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-subject?post=139681"},{"taxonomy":"entity","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/entity?post=139681"},{"taxonomy":"document-language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-language?post=139681"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}