On Tuesday, Pakistan reaffirmed its solidarity with the suffering Palestinian people. This statement came during a special emergency session of the UN General Assembly. The Assembly is considering a draft resolution that demands an end to Israel’s occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territory within 12 months. The resolution also calls for an arms embargo against Israel.
Speaking in the 193-member Assembly, Ambassador Munir Akram emphasized the purpose of this emergency session. He stated that it aimed to “translate into action” the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in July.
“The ICJ’s conclusions emphasize that Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza, and its attempts to prolong the occupation and its security policies, violate two basic principles of International law – the right of peoples to self-determination, and the principle of non-acquisition of territory by the use of force,” the Pakistani envoy said.
He said ICJ’s opinion “marks a milestone of justice, an expression of equity and a flame of hope.”
Pakistan has co-sponsored the draft resolution presented by Palestine, which seeks to implement the conclusions of the ICJ. An overwhelming number of member states voiced overwhelming support for the text.
UN Assembly Demands End to Israel’s Occupation of Occupied Palestinian Territory
The Assembly is expected to take action on the draft on Wednesday. Israel has rejected the text outright.
By the resolution’s terms, the Assembly would demand that Israel end its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. This must happen no later than 12 months from the adoption of the resolution. The Assembly would also require Israel to cease all new settlement activity immediately and evacuate all settlers from the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Additionally, the Assembly would demand that Israel return land seized since the occupation began in 1967. It would also call for allowing displaced Palestinians to return to their homes.
The text would also require the Assembly to demand that Israel comply without delay with all its legal obligations under international law. This includes obligations stipulated by the International Court of Justice. Furthermore, the resolution would call on states not to recognize the unlawful presence of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as legal. It would also urge states to prevent trade or investment relations that support the illegal situation created by Israel.
In his remarks, Ambassador Akram said, “The ICJ advisory opinion and the adoption of the resolution will be one decisive step toward ending the suffering of the Palestinian people.
“InshaaAllah, Palestine will soon be free.”
Historical Consequences of Israel’s Occupation of Palestine
The Pakistani envoy noted that colonial and imperial powers imposed a series of legal and political decisions. These decisions caused the “tragic history” of Palestine and its people. This includes the partition of Palestine, which occurred despite the opposition of Arab and Islamic nations.
Pakistan’s founding leader, Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, warned in 1948 that Israel’s creation would have grave consequences. He stated that now “history is witness to these consequences.”
“A brutal occupation which has lasted 50 years, the steady acquisition of Palestinian lands, properties and homes to accommodate illegal and aggressive Jewish settlers. The imposition of a segregated apartheid rule in occupied Palestine.”
Call for Global Action to Support Palestinian Rights and End Israeli Occupation
Ambassador Akram said that adopting the resolution will require a re-evaluation of the position of member states and the UN. This is especially true for the Security Council regarding Palestine.
It should reinvigorate the international community’s efforts to oblige Israel to halt its genocidal military campaign in Gaza. The resolution should also compel Israel to stop its operations in the West Bank and withdraw its forces immediately from there.
Also, those States, which are continuing to provide military and material support to Israel, must halt this in accordance with their obligation not to help in perpetuating Israeli occupation. Further, The world community must take concrete steps to enable the Palestinians to exercise their right to self-determination.
“One important step is to admit the State of Palestine as a full member of the United Nations. Another would be to convene the international conference on Palestine to advance the two-state solution.”
Pakistan, he said, will actively promote the realization of the objectives and decisions arising from the ICJ’s Advisory Opinion and the adoption of the draft resolution.
Emphasis on Justice for Lasting Peace
At the outset of the meeting, the President of the General Assembly, Philemon Yang of Cameroon, said: “Without justice and the rule of law, Israelis and Palestinians alike will not attain what they long for most: peace and security.”
The Assembly must “not lose sight of the many lives lost, the staggering humanitarian challenges and infrastructural destruction that continue to take place, particularly in Gaza in the past several months,” he said.
Palestine’s Ambassador Riyad Mansour said that there is no excuse for ignoring the existential threat the Palestinian people are facing.
The ICJ has fulfilled its mandate by unequivocally identifying the legal consequences for Israel, he said.
Mansour said that Israel’s unchecked and undeterred impunity will kill, maim, and detain more Palestinians. Those who claim that peace is possible without a just resolution for the question of Palestine are not realistic.
The Palestinian envoy stated, “Delayed justice is denied justice,” while calling for the establishment of an independent and sovereign State of Palestine on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Welcoming the text as being grounded in international law, Mansour said that it seeks accountability and the fundamental path for justice. Palestine cannot be the exception.
“I stand on this podium to tell you that justice is the only path to peace,” he said, also adding: “We are a nation that asks for nothing more than your nations but can accept nothing less.”
This news is sourced from [Associated Press of Pakistan] and is for informational purposes only.
