On Passover we ask what has changed. Today, I am here to tell you that
unless this Council stops singling out Israel, the only democracy in the
Middle East, and starts focusing on the real threats in our region - nothing
will ever change.
Amb Prosor addresses UNSC on the situation in the Middle East
Amb Prosor: Iran is the engine of aggression behind the chaos in our region.
As Iranian influence spreads, so does tyranny, subjugation, and terrorism.
Imagine how much more dangerous the situation will become if Iran is allowed
to snap open a nuclear umbrella.
21 April 2015
Mr. President,
Let me begin by thanking the Secretary-General for his briefing. I also
want to thank the Jordanian Foreign Minister for being here today to preside
over this session.
Mr. President,
Earlier this month, Jews throughout the world celebrated Passover which
commemorates the liberation of the ancient Jews from enslavement and the
birth of the Jewish nation. The seder begins with the youngest child in the
family asking four questions known as the “Ma Nish’tana.” The child is
asking what has changed and why this night is different from all other
nights.
We answer the questions by recounting the story of how freedom triumphed
over oppression. The lessons are as relevant today as they were 3,000 years
ago. For centuries, the Jewish people longed for, prayed for, and fought
for the right to be free. Israel is the realization of those dreams – and
Passover reminds us that we can never take these freedoms for granted.
Since our last debate, the chaos in our region has only grown worse.
Another nation state has been overrun by radical extremists. First Syria,
then Iraq, then Libya, and now Yemen. The extreme elements in our region
have displayed a level of barbarism that is shocking even by Middle Eastern
standards.
The situation has become so dire that - in a rare display of unity - the
Arab leaders have joined forces. It should come as no surprise that they
have lashed out with little regard for the consequences. The Saudi-led
airstrikes in Yemen have hit humanitarian aid convoys, hospitals, schools,
and civilian neighborhoods, and left entire families dead.
And yet there have been zero Human Rights Council condemnations and zero
calls for a Commission of Inquiry. If Jane Austen were writing about the
United Nations today, her book could be called Pride and Prejudice, but a
more fitting title would be Hypocrisy and Double Standard.
You would think that some of the Arab nations would demand justice. After
all, the Saudi ambassador was quick to stand at the side of the Palestinian
representative during last summer’s Gaza conflict and preach about civilian
life.
The truth of the matter is that when Israel is at the heart of a crisis, the
Arabs don’t miss a beat. But when fingers can’t be pointed at Israel, some
Arab nations are downright heartless.
On Passover we ask what has changed. Today, I am here to tell you that
unless this Council stops singling out Israel, the only democracy in the
Middle East, and starts focusing on the real threats in our region - nothing
will ever change.
Mr. President,
Just as we ask four questions on Passover to tell the story of freedom,
today I offer four questions to explain why freedom and peace remain a
distant dream in the Middle East.
The First Question: What has changed when it comes to Iran?
The answer is that Iran is more dangerous today than ever before. Make no
mistake: Iran is not only a threat to Israel and it is not only a threat to
the Middle East; it is a threat to the entire world.
Iran is the engine of aggression behind the chaos in our region. It has
armed Hezbollah, which today has over 100,000 missiles hidden in civilian
neighborhoods. Hezbollah is playing a dangerous game of Russian roulette.
Instead of betting on red or black, they’re now gambling everything on the
Blue Line.
Iranian-sponsored terrorist groups surround Israel. There is Hezbollah in
the Syrian Golan and Southern Lebanon, and Hamas in Gaza. The Iranian
doctrine is apparent from Baghdad to Beirut and from Damascus to Sanaa;
terrorists committing a double war crime - hiding behind civilians, while
targeting civilians.
As Iranian influence spreads, so does tyranny, subjugation, and terrorism.
In the last four years alone, it has committed or ordered attacks in 25
countries on five continents. I’m sure the representative from Bahrain hasn’t
forgotten the last time Iran meddled in his country’s internal affairs.
Much as I suspect the Saudi ambassador in Washington still remembers the
bitter cup of coffee he had at Cafe Milano.
Imagine how much more dangerous the situation will become – in our region
and around the world - if Iran is allowed to snap open a nuclear umbrella.
Iran is cunning and it is fanatical. And yet the international community is
willing to allow the regime to keep its thousands of centrifuges, continue
developing its long-range ballistic missiles, and conceal the military
dimensions of its nuclear program.
What message are you sending when you reward an outlaw regime for violating
Security Council resolutions and international law? Ayatollah Khamenei
lies, deceives, and betrays even more than Frank Underwood. The two of them
would get on like a House of Cards on fire.
And what about President Rouhani? One of his first acts as president was to
appoint Mostafa Pourmohammadi known in Iran as the “Minister of Murder” - as
his minister of justice. He has lived up to his name. Last year, Iran
executed 753 people - that’s the highest total recorded in the past 12
years.
Iran is one of the world’s worst human rights offenders, the primary sponsor
of global terrorism, and it is behind much of the chaos ravaging the Middle
East. If the international community gives Iran its support by signing a
nuclear agreement, the regime will be more dangerous than ever before.
Mr. President,
The Second Question: What has changed when it comes to Hamas?
The answer is nothing. Hamas continues to abuse its people and wage war
against Israel.
Last summer, Hamas proved its utter disregard for the wellbeing of the
Palestinian people. It hid its rockets in schools, fired missiles from
hospitals, and used civilians as human shields. Today, Hamas is once again
disregarding the needs of its people as it rearms and rebuilds its terror
infrastructure.
Earlier this month, Israeli authorities revealed that Hamas is using the
Kerem Shalom crossing – the only humanitarian crossing into Gaza - to hide
tons of dual-use items inside shipments of humanitarian goods. The smuggled
materials are used to rebuild tunnels, reconstruct training camps, and
manufacture rockets.
Since Operation Protective Edge, Hamas has test fired over 150 rockets.
With every test rocket launched into the sea, Hamas propels itself towards
another conflict. Just last week, a senior Hamas leader issued a new call
for Palestinians to kidnap Israelis. It may just be my hearing, but I’ve yet
to hear a single UN official report any of these inflammatory developments.
Some members of this institution refuse to name Hamas even as the terrorist
group ignites tensions in our region and ignites UN offices. In January,
Hamas members looted and set fire to the UNSCO offices in Gaza.
This Council does no favors to the Palestinian people by failing to hold
Hamas to account. I don’t hear any criticisms of Hamas for denying their
people freedoms or for failing to hold free elections. The closest Hamas
has gotten to a campaign is the social media campaign it ran earlier this
year.
In an effort to improve its image, Hamas encouraged people to ask questions
on Twitter using the hashtag ‘AskHamas.’ A number of important questions
were posed to the terrorist group.
Questions like: How does Hamas prevent repetitive strain injury from firing
dozens of rockets into Israel in a single day? Does Hamas think it’s better
to hide its weapons in a hospital’s pediatric or geriatric unit? And is
Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal right or left-handed? From the safety of his
luxury hotel room in Doha, he seems equally adept at ordering room service
with one hand, while ordering terrorist attacks with the other.
It’s time for a change. This Council must see Hamas for what it is and call
it what it is - an internationally recognized terrorist organization. Stop
giving Hamas a free pass and start giving Israelis and Palestinians a chance
for a better future.
The Third Question: What has changed when it comes to the Palestinian
leadership?
If nothing has changed with Hamas, why would you expect anything to have
changed with President Abbas?
President Abbas claims to support the two-state solution, but apparently
that message gets lost in translation because you will never hear him make
this claim in Arabic. He insists that Palestinian refugees be allowed to
flood the Jewish state. So in truth he is committed to the creation of two
Palestinian states.
President Abbas also claims to oppose terrorism, but his government forged a
pact with a terrorist organization, pays salaries to convicted terrorists,
and incites violent attacks against Israelis.
Last month, the Palestinian Authority dedicated a monument in Ramallah to
the terrorist responsible for the murder of 37 Israeli civilians. If that
weren’t bad enough, the monument is in the shape of what the Palestinian
Authority describes as “Palestine” and it includes all of the State of
Israel, from the Mediterranean Sea to the Dead Sea.
The Palestinians want a state without making compromises, making
concessions, or making peace. I want to be clear. Israel is in favor of a
Palestinian state that would end the conflict. On three separate occasions,
Israel offered the Palestinians a state and on all three occasions, the
Palestinians refused the deal or walked away from the table.
The very last thing Israel can afford is another terror state in its
backyard. Just imagine what this state would look like. We got a preview
when Israel disengaged from Gaza in 2005. Hamas took over the Gaza Strip
and created a terror stronghold.
Given the chance, Hamas would gladly create a second terror state in Judea
and Samaria. This terror state may as well be called ISIL – which stands
for Iran, Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon. It would be sponsored by Iran and as
volatile as Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon.
Hamas is terrorizing the people of Gaza and the Palestinian Authority isn’t
doing anything about it. It has ignored its oversight obligations to ensure
that construction materials are not channeled into terror activities. And
it has not imposed sanctions on merchants selling cement on the black
market. In contrast, Israel has fully cooperated with the trilateral Gaza
reconstruction mechanism and overseen the transfer of tens of thousands of
tons of construction supplies.
If President Abbas is serious about making peace, he must break his alliance
with Hamas, put an end to the incitement, and return to direct negotiations
with Israel.
Mr. President,
The Fourth Question: What has changed when it comes to the international
community?
Winston Churchill once said, “A lie gets halfway around the world before the
truth has a chance to get its pants on.”
Month after month, individuals in this Chamber argue that the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a territorial dispute that can be resolved
by addressing the quote-unquote ‘root causes.’ This lie has circled the
world countless times. The fact of the matter is that our conflict is not
about the right place for Israel’s borders. It’s about Israel’s right to
exist in the first place.
Israel stands for democracy, for human rights, and for freedom. Last month,
the Jewish state held its 20th national election - that’s 20 more free and
fair elections than Qatar and Iran have ever held. And yet, members of this
institution question Israel’s democratic nature and focus disproportionately
on our conflict.
This debate is called the Situation in the Middle East, but listening to
today’s briefing, one would think that the only thing going on in the Middle
East is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The world’s unrelenting focus on
our conflict is an injustice to tens of millions of victims of tyranny and
terrorism in the Middle East. One has to wonder why the Palestinians
deserve more time and attention than the Yemenis, the Syrians and the
Libyans put together.
It’s time to focus global attention where it belongs – on terrorists and
their sponsors. The enemies of freedom are trying to drive us back to the
Dark Ages. They deny women their freedom, they censor the media, they
dictate how religion must be practiced, and they impose their radical way of
life through barbaric acts of violence.
Israel is on the frontline of this fight, but it is not just Israel’s fight.
It is the fight of anyone who believes in progress and pluralism, tolerance
and freedom. The Jewish people have fought for these rights for
generations.
Israel was one of the first countries in the world to screen people in
airports. For its efforts to protect passengers, Israel was criticized for
putting travelers through what was called an invasive ordeal. Three decades
later, Israel’s once quote-unquote “insensitive” policies have become the
standard procedure in every airport across the globe.
In its short history, Israel has repeatedly confronted the moral dilemmas
that go hand-in-hand with combating terrorism long before other democracies
have woken up to the threat. Make no mistake; Israel’s battle today will
determine how we all live tomorrow.
Mr. President,
Tomorrow, Israel will commemorate Yom Hazikaron and honor the 23,320
individuals who lost their lives to war and terror. We will remember the
brave soldiers who died so that we can have our freedom and mourn the
thousands of men, women, and children who were robbed of their lives simply
because they were Israeli.
War has never been the choice of the State of Israel. Our choice is and
always has been the path of peace. But when war and terror are forced upon
us, we will not surrender and we will not back down. For nearly 2,000 years,
the Jewish people were stateless and powerless in the face of hatred and
indifference. Those days are no more.
On Thursday, Israel will celebrate Yom Haatzmaut, our 67th anniversary as a
free and independent Jewish state. With great joy and with heads held high,
we will celebrate the realization of the words in our national anthem,
Hatikvah:
Our hope will not be lost,
The hope of two thousand years,
To be a free people in our own land,
The land of Zion and Jerusalem.
Thank you, Mr. President.
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