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\t<\/span>The political dimension of the crustier, of Palestine broadened during previous sessions of the United Nations General Assembly. The international community, in all bodies, now accords it all due attention and importance. Thus, the recommendations of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, adopted by the General Assembly, have been endorsed in turn by the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the League of Arab States and the Islamic Conference. Countries like the European countries which, even in the recent past, showed a haughty indifference at best for the cause of the Palestinians, are beginning to display a more attentive understanding. In the light of the increasing international consensus, we even note confessions that are surprising to say the least. On the sixteenth of this month, Mr. Abba Eban, the former Minister for Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel, said in an interview in the Jerusalem Post that<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>"Not a single social or economic problem of Israel's can be solved as long as we are encumbered with the obligation of controlling militarily a million Arabs to whom we deny the right to their own political future".<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>On the same day the former American Secretary of State, Mr. Henry Kissinger, revealed at a press conference in London that one of his greatest regrets was that he had not pressed for Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank in 1974 and that if the problem had been studied when the disengagement agreement of July 1974 was adopted and the role of the PLO examined, there would have been a good chance for arriving at a comprehensive settlement. Considering that this American statesman was behind the agreement prohibiting any contact between his country and the PLO, it may only be hoped that his tardy repentance will cause him to take steps which will lead to the redress of all the harm he has done to the Palestinian people.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>Such a step would be all the more useful as the triumph of the cause of the Palestinians is far from complete. The Security Council has not yet adopted the General Assembly's recommendations on the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people because of the abuse of the right of veto by one of its Permanent members. Certain countries, while recognizing the legitimacy of the 1 Eights of the Palestinian people attach conditions to them which make them; Unrecognizable and impracticable. This attitude only encourages Israel in its intransigent policy of obstruction and defiance, manifested of late by stepped up oppression in the occupied Palestinian territories and by the establishment of new settlements or the expansion of those already in existence on the West Bank and in the Gaza district.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>I should, like to conclude my statement by reiterating the belief that we have expressed, in these circumstances with regard, to our deep conviction that the United Nations must play a principal role in the settlement of the question of Palestine. To this end, [the] Organization should give its resolute support to the just cause of the Palestinian people. Lessons drawn from past and present experience concerning the various attempts to reach a settlement in the Middle East have demonstrated that there can be no positive solution of this crisis without the effective participation of the representatives of the Palestinian people and that there is no representative of the Palestinian people but the PLO.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>I now call upon the President of the General Assembly, Mr. Salim Ahmed Salim.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>Mr. SALIM<\/u> (President of the General Assembly): The long history of the United Nations involvement with regard to the question of Palestine imposes on the world body a special and urgent responsibility to see to it that justice is done in respect of the Palestinian people. The decision of the General Assembly to observe this day as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People is therefore not Just a matter of symbolic significance. It is an affirmation of the commitment of the international community to strive indefatigably for the realization of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. Through this occasion, the General Assembly hopes to enlighten and mobilize international public opinion of the attainment of the lofty objectives of the United Nations in connexion with the question of Palestine.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>Those objectives have been clearly set out in a number of resolutions adopted by the Assembly over the years. It is particularly relevant in this context to recall that the General Assembly has repeatedly called for the full and speedy exercise by the Palestinian people of their right to self-determination without external interference and to national independence and sovereignty, as well as their right to return to their homes and property from which they have been displaced and uprooted. In so doing this Assembly has been deeply conscious of the centrality of the Palestinian question in the entire Middle East dispute.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>Indeed, events in the Middle East during the past decade have shown more clearly than ever before that a just solution of the problem of Palestine, which is at the very core of the Middle East conflict, remains the condition sine qua non<\/u> of a lasting peace in the area. A comprehensive settlement covering all aspects of the Middle East dispute cannot be conceived without regard to the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. At the same time, proceeding from that widely acknowledged truism, there is increasing recognition that there cannot be a just and lasting peace in the Middle East without the effective involvement and participation of the Palestinian people and its representative ?the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>Four times in the life of the United Nations, the Middle East has been plunged into awesome conflicts which have not only affected the lives of millions of human beings in the area, but have also seriously and repeatedly endangered international peace and security. As you are all well aware, the situation remains most critical and explosive, as uncertainty, discord and violence continue to prevail in the area.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>As we commemorate the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, it becomes all the more important that we should firmly rededicate ourselves to the promotion of a genuine and lasting settlement of the Middle East conflict. It is quite clear that the attainment of such an objective will continue to elude us unless the core of the Middle East conflict, namely the Palestinian question, is resolved. We must therefore work diligently for the realization of that objective and for the creation of all the conditions which are indispensable for a just and lasting peace in the area. These include the realization of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination, including the right to establish an independent State, the right of all States in the area to an independent existence, and the strict observance of the principle of the non-acquisition of territory by force.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>The International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People provides an appropriate occasion for the world community to reiterate once again its. solemn commitment and determination to extend maximum support to the Palestinian people and to associate itself with the defence of its cause. In that context, and in keeping with the mandate of the General Assembly, it is incumbent on all of us to work closely and co-operate fully with the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People in the discharge of its important task, to enable the people of Palestine to decide its own destiny in accordance with its freely expressed wish and true aspirations. For only through our collective effort and the scrupulous, speedy and complete implementation of the relevant decisions of the United Nations can the injustice inflicted upon the people of Palestine be corrected at last.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>Before concluding, I should like to acknowledge with appreciation the very important work carried out by the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People under the outstanding and dedicated leadership of Ambassador Medoune Fall of Senegal. The role of that Committee within the context of the Organization's search for a solution to the Middle East conflict cannot be over-emphasized. I should like in that regard to reaffirm my personal conviction that the skill, wisdom and perception demonstrated by the Committee Chairman, my friend and colleague Ambassador Fall, will long be remembered and that the high standards he has set will continue to be upheld by the Committee towards the attainment of our common objectives.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>Finally I wish to express my thanks to you, Mr. Chairman and to all the members of the Committee for the kind invitation extended to me to take part in this important and solemn meeting.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>The CHAIRMAN<\/u> (interpretation from French): On behalf of the members of the Committee I thank the President of the General Assembly for his statement and in particular for his kind words addressed to members of the Committee and to me. I now call upon the Secretary-General of the United Nations to address our meeting.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>The SECRETARY-GENERAL: Mr. Chairman, I wish to thank you and the members of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People for inviting me to participate in this important meeting -which commemorates the International Day of Solidarity -with the Palestinian People.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>The annual observance of the Day, at the request of the General Assembly, serves to focus the attention of the international community on the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and gives the widest possible exposure to the facts relating to those rights. The observance not only is a measure of the international community's deep concern for the Palestinian people but also reflects its recognition that a Just solution of the Palestinian problem is of overriding importance. As I said in my report on the work of the Organization:<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>"A just and lasting peace in the Middle East can ultimately only be achieved through a comprehensive settlement covering all aspects of the question, including in particular the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.(A\/34\/1, p.5)<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>Let me repeat here what I have said on previous occasions: "The Palestinian question is the core of the Middle East problem and there can be no solution to this problem without a positive settlement of this issue." Evidently the Palestine Liberation Organization must be involved in this process.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>We are all only too well aware that the situation is the Middle East not only vitally affects stability in the region but carries a potential threat to the peace and security of the entire world. We can never forget that during the last thirty years the area has already seen four major conflicts. In spite of this awareness and despite the tremendous efforts that have been made to find a just and lasting solution to the problem, it continues to be one of the most complex, difficult and dangerous issues facing this Organization.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>However, the fact that peace in the Middle East has eluded us for so long does not release us from our responsibility to continue our search for a solution. On the contrary, our commitment to this goal must be reinforced with a sense of urgency. The unresolved issue of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people remains a highly explosive one, and every effort has to be made to solve this problem on the basis of the Charter and the relevant resolutions of the United Nations. I remain confident that our Organization can make a significant contribution to this process.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>In recent years the General Assembly has adopted several resolutions in its efforts to find a solution. Amongst them are resolutions -which have reaffirmed the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including the right to self-determination, the right to national independence and sovereignty and the right of the Palestinians to return to their homes and property from which they have been displaced and uprooted. It was to draw up a programme for the implementation of those rights that the General Assembly established the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. This Committee has already made recommendations which the General Assembly has endorsed repeatedly and which, reflecting as they do the attitude of the majority of the membership, cannot fail to have an impact on the situation.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>As you are aware, I myself have made a number of suggestions which, if accepted, would in my judgement make it possible to overcome the impasse that has lasted all too long. I wish to take this occasion to reaffirm-my willingness to do everything in my power to contribute to this objective.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>Mr. Chairman, this Committee, under your able leadership, is to be commended for its untiring efforts on behalf of Palestinian rights. The Palestinian people can take heart from the fact that our Organization is paying special attention to their rights. For them this meeting and the General Assembly's decision to commemorate this Day will undoubtedly carry a message of hope.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>The CHAIRMAN<\/u> (interpretation from French): I thank the Secretary-General for his statement and for the kind words he has addressed to the Committee and to me, and in particular for the measures he has taken with regard to the observance of this Day of Solidarity.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>It is now my honour to invite the President of the Security Council, Mr. Palacios de Vizzio, to address the meeting.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>Mr. PALACIOS de VIZZIO (Bolivia), President of the Security Council (interpretation from Spanish): Mr. Chairman, first of all I wish to express to you and. to the members of the Committee my pleasure at taking part in this second commemoration of the International Day of Solidarity with the .Palestinian People. You were kind enough to invite me, in my capacity as President of the Security Council for the month of November, to attend this special meeting which the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People is holding pursuant to a decision of the General Assembly.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>While I hold in high esteem a solemn moment such as this, I must say that my statement here does not reflect the collective views of the Security Council on this important question, nor does it in any way bind the Council as such. As the members of this Committee know, the Security Council has for several years been closely concerned with the efforts made to find a just and lasting settlement of the Middle East problem. As the organs entrusted with the principal responsibility for the maintenance of international; peace and security, the Council has been called upon, very often on an emergency basis; to deal with Middle East problems which have been deemed to constitute a threat to international peace and security. In so doing the Council has been fully aware of the importance of the Palestinian dimension of this problem. At the very many meetings devoted to consideration of the problem of the Middle East and its various aspects, the question of Palestine has been and continues to be today a source of continued concern to the Security Council, as indeed it is to the international community as a whole. The international community has for a long time had the moral obligation to meet the humanitarian needs of those who find themselves homeless refugees as a result of the successive conflicts which have beset the Middle East since 1948. Naturally, first and foremost among those refugees are the Palestinian people, whose tragic destiny continues to evoke the understanding and sympathy of the world today. However, there is growing awareness of the fact that humanitarian assistance, essential as it may be, cannot replace participation by the Palestinian people in the rights which all peoples enjoy under the Charter.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>In commemorating this Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People in response to the wishes of the General Assembly, the Committee over which you preside, Mr. Chairman, is thus specifically emphasizing the need, which is increasingly and eloquently expressed, to enable the Palestinian people to enjoy the inalienable rights which have been recognized and reiterated in many General Assembly resolutions.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>This day also offers us an opportunity to inform public opinion of the urgent need. to find a Just and lasting solution to the problem. The Security Council is still seized of the recommendations made by the Committee at the thirty-first session of the General Assembly, which have been endorsed repeatedly by the General Assembly at subsequent sessions. When the Council met in June, July and August to deal with this question, many of its members who took part in the debate once again reaffirmed that there was no possibility of bringing about a just and lasting peace in the Middle East unless an equitable solution for the Palestinian question was found based on the exercise by the Palestinian people of its inalienable rights.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>Without recalling in detail the main elements which have served as guide. to your Committee in preparing its recommendations to the General Assembly, I wish to point out that the Security Council, in its resolution <\/span>242 (1967)<\/a> adopted unanimously on 22 November 1967, has. already affirmed some of the main principles contained in those recommendations. In its efforts to promote a just settlement to the question of Palestine, the Security Council will continue to be guided by the principles of the Charter and by the relevant resolutions of the United Nations.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>The CHAIRMAN<\/u> (interpretation from French): On behalf of the members of the Committee, I should like to thank the President of the Security Council for his statement. I hope that the wise words which he has just pronounced will lead the few members of the Security Council who continue to object to the recommendations of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People to change their views.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>I now call on the representative of the Palestine Liberation Organization who will convey to us the message of Mr. Arafat.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>Mr. DAJANI<\/u> (Palestine Liberation Organization) (interpretation from Arabic): On this significant day for the Palestinian people, I wish to start by conveying my compliments and appreciation to the United Nations and its Secretary-General, Mr. Kurt Waldheim, especially because it is the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people. In the name of the Palestine Liberation Organization, I express my deep gratitude for the great role played by the international Organization in achieving peace in the Middle East on the basis of enabling the Palestinian people to exercise their basic rights in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>In the history of the struggle of the Palestinian and Arab people, 29 November is not an unmarked day. Actually it is an historical day and an international event which underlines the stand of international society, represented by the United Nations, on the side of cherished humanitarian virtues and values. It is an international day of recognition of human rights and a resounding condemnation of the law of the Jungle which still threatens the human being and life in many parts of the world, particularly in our land, Palestine, as well as in other areas which fall under the tyranny of colonialism, Zionism, racism and oppression.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>Our Just struggle is aimed at the achievement of peace based on Justice in the Middle East. Resolution 3236 (XXIX) adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations at its twenty-ninth session provided the basis for the establishment of a firm and comprehensive framework for peace in the Middle East, But the ruling Israeli military Junta, instead of responding to the appeal for peace issued by us and by the international Organization, managed with fevour to blot out the human, educational, cultural, economic and social life of our people. No doubt representatives examine the reports issued by special committees and institutions related to the Middle East and assess for themselves the destructive results of the policy of annihilation followed by Israel and Zionism in our occupied Palestinian land.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>A pack of savage wolves in the disguise of fanatical racist settlers desecrate our land and defy the will of our people, occupying their land and violating the sanctity of their shrines and their human values, in the sight and hearing of the world. This armed group plays the role of a forward column for the Israeli occupation army.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>Our people are subjected to the complete annihilation which forms the official and firm policy of this Israeli Zionist military Junta.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>Since our people have the human right of self-defence to ensure their existence, they are courageously exercising that right despite the difficult conditions and the imbalance of forces imposed by the unlimited support by the United States of Israel, its ally and advanced bridgehead in our Arab region and the tool through which it strikes against the aspirations of peoples.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>Representatives no doubt know that Israel costs the United States more than $20 million daily and that the United States pays two million dollars annually for each Israeli settlement established on occupied Palestinian soil, while our Palestinian camps have become testing grounds for the most destructive and modern American arms.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>Representatives have no doubt also examined the official reports issued by the United nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which describe the extent of the destruction inflicted on our Palestinian camps and the Lebanese villages and towns in South Lebanon. That destruction has resulted in the displacement of 600,000 Palestinians and Lebanese, who now face a very cold winter since their homes have become mass graves and they live at present in the open, in valleys and on mountains.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>Why are my people subjected to all these sufferings which are beyond the capacity of the human being to bear?<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>The fault of our people is that they defend their lives and their existence against the enemies of life and man. In their defence and resistance to ensure their existence they ask for no more than to be allowed to live in their homes in freedom, like any other people of the world.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>It is time now, on this International Day of Solidarity, to put an end to the war of annihilation to which our people are subjected, as an expression by the international community of rejection of the suffering of our people. If we keep the peace and adhere to United Nations resolutions, it because we know the high price which otherwise will be paid by mankind in general and by the people of the Middle East in particular, especially in light of the incessant acts of aggression against the Palestinian people, and because what takes place in the Middle East will affect not only our area but the whole world.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>Here I should like to stress some facts which have now become very well known. The first fact is that the theory, propounded by Israel and the United States, based on providing peace and stability in the Middle East by destroying the Palestinian people, is a false one. Events which have taken place lately in that part of the world prove how impossible it is to implement it.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>The second factor shows that the seeking of a just solution to the problem of the Palestinian people is the cornerstone of the solution to the crisis in the Middle East. If American strategy in defending its oil resources constitutes the cornerstone of Washington's policy in the area, then the rights of the Palestinian people are part of the strategy of the people in this area and their political power. Zionist Israel not only usurps the rights of the Palestinian people and their home, but the independence and sovereignty <\/strong>of the people in this area. Furthermore, it openly threatens to strike at the people in this area and their countries, from Morocco to Iran.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>The third fact shows that the Palestinian people have now been waging a comprehensive national resistance for fifteen years. Their resistance begins with reliance on arms and a rejection of the aggressive de facto <\/u>situation in terms of the strengthen to subdue and annihilate.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>Our people are resisting aggression, occupation and resettlement in order to achieve their aims, aims which were endorsed by the twenty-ninth session of the General Assembly – that is, the right to self-determination, the fight of the refugees to return to their homes and the right to establish, an independent Palestinian state on the soil of Palestine.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>These are our people's objectives; they are the main aim of the World Day of Solidarity with our struggle and just cause. The will of the international community was stressed by supporting these aims and by endorsing the resolutions which were adopted by the United Nations, and the resolutions of Arab, African, Islamic, non-aligned, friendly and socialist countries.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>The United. States alone shoulders the responsibility of the huge conflagration which looms over the Middle East. I assure the Committee that the United States, despite its new and, old dreams, despite its huge fleets, especially those which are now used around our region, and despite its arming of "Israel" with the most sophisticated, weapons of death and. destruction, will not be able to impose its power, control and domination over the Middle East countries and. peoples.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>Instead, of recognizing the new status of international relationships, the United States is using its atrocious power as a way of ensuring its vital oil and other interests. The Camp David accords and the Israeli-Egyptian treaty emphasized United States' ambitions in the region and. unmasked the new United. States military strategy in the Middle East.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>Following the downfall of the Shah of Iran, which took place with the ratification of the treaty, came another announcement of the ratification of the treaty – namely, the formation of the American Fifth Fleet in the Arab Gulf region, as well as the establishment of an American intervention force ready to protect the oil fields.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>I do not want to speak in detail in order to unmask the false peace that underlies this intensive huge military build-up in the Middle East. It clearly demonstrates the nature of the Camp David, treaty as an American military alliance in the region.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>Our realistic analysis enables us to perceive the potential threats in this American aggressive strategy, the dangers which daily imperil us, and certain dangers which threaten the world community, for which peace and. stability in the Middle East represent its security and. stability.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>No wonder that tension and disorder increase in that vital part of the world. No wonder that the United States, which backs with all its power the Israeli aggression against our Palestinian and. Arab peoples, is the source of this tension and instability.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>The world must think deeply about this aggressive policy,which is based on shortsightedness and, on military force in the Middle East. The acknowledgement of the Palestinian people's right to return home and to self-determination and. right to establish their own independent States and to regain our Arab Jerusalem is a firm base from which to secure peace in the Middle East.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>Aggressive alliances, military threats and the deployment of the most modem weapons of death and destruction can no longer intimidate the people of the region because they are ready for long-term resistance.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>Is it possible to avoid a huge conflagration in the Middle East, and can peace be brought to the land of peace ? In spite of all the death and destruction inflicted upon our Palestinian and Arab people by Israel and the United States, I answer in the affirmative: peace is demanded by the people.of our area and such a monstrous conflagration can be avoided.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>Unfortunately, our readiness for peace based on Justice is met by more aggression and racist genocide by Israeli settlers against our land and villages in Palestine. Hence, our people have no choice but to withstand and resist, in our deep conviction and from our permanent readiness to realize this promised Just peace. We do not fight because we like fighting, but because we struggle to achieve our political aim on which just peace in Palestine is based.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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