Livni: UN established to prevent a Holocaust
No one disagrees that Iran speaks openly of its desire to wipe Israel off the map, foreign minister tells United Nations General Assembly. 'Too many see the danger but walk idly by. It is time for the United Nations to live up to their promise of never again,' she says
"Too many see the danger but walk idly by – hoping that someone else will take care of it," she said, adding that Iran was the most prominent sponsor of terrorist in the world.
Addressing the issue of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Holocaust denial, Livni said, "No one disagrees that Iran denies the Holocaust and speaks openly of its desire to wipe a member state – mine – off the map.
"And none disagrees that, in violation of Security Council resolutions, it is actively pursuing the means to achieve this end.
"But there are still those who, in the name of consensus and engagement, continue to obstruct the urgent steps which are needed to bring Iran's sinister ambitions to a halt."
The foreign minister reminded the representatives of the UN member states that the organization was established after the Shoah with the goal of preventing another Holocaust.
"What is the value, we have to ask, of an organization which is unable to take effective action in the face of a direct assault on the very principles it was founded to protect?
"It is time for the United Nations, and the States of the world, to live up to their promise of never again. To say enough is enough, to act now and to defend their basic values."
In her speech, Livni also mentioned the three kidnapped IDF soldiers, whose family members were present at the Assembly while she spoke.
'World cannot afford another terror state'
Addressing the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, Livni said, "There is no substitute for the bilateral process. Failure is not an option – but it is for the parties themselves to define success."
The foreign minister said that Israel opposed the return of Palestinian refugees to Israel.
"The foundation for true peace lies in the vision of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security. The world shares this vision, but it is also important that it clearly embraces the two core principles that emerge from it.
The first – two states, two homelands - just as Israel is homeland to the Jewish people, so Palestine will be established as the homeland and the national answer for the Palestinian people, including the refugees.
"The second – living side by side in peace and security - just as a viable and prosperous Palestine in the West Bank and Gaza is an Israeli interest, so a secure Israel must be a Palestinian interest. The world cannot afford another terror state."
UN General Assembly during Livni's speech (Photo: Shahar Azran)
In a direct appeal to the Arab world, Livni stated, "As the parties take the risks for peace, we look to the international community and the Arab and Muslim world, to offer support, not to stipulate conditions.
This support comes in many forms. It comes through economic and political assistance to the new Palestinian government, committed to co-existence and seeking to build the foundations of a peaceful and prosperous state.
"It comes through clear endorsement of any political understandings reached between the parties.
"It comes through enhancing and deepening regional ties and cooperation between the Arab world and Israel, while in parallel we make advancement towards Israeli-Palestinian peace.
"And, finally, it comes by confronting those determined to prevent us from succeeding."
The foreign minister stressed that Israel had proved that it was ready for a territorial compromise that lasting peace entails, "But we also know– especially after withdrawing from Lebanon and Gaza - that territorial withdrawal by itself will not bring peace unless we address the core clash of values that lies beneath the conflict.
"Israel may be on the front lines of this battle, but it is not our fight alone. This is a global battle."
Livni noted that the Middle East conflict was "not a cause of this global extremist agenda, but a consequence of it."
She called on the nations of the world "to be partners in a shared global struggle against the extremism and terror that feed conflict, for your sake not just for ours."
The foreign minister warned that "the notion that this battle was a local one - limited to isolated regions - collapsed in this city with the twin towers on a September morning six years ago.
"Today it is clear that the extremists are engaged in a bloody war against civilians and communities, against hearts and minds, in every corner of the world."
'Reject those who abuse democracy'
"This battle is global not just because it targets civilians everywhere, but also because the extremists have taken aim at the fundamental pillars of every modern society: democracy, tolerance and education.
"These are the new battlefields of the 21st century, and it is in these arenas, more than any other, that the future of our world will be decided.
"Democracy is a profound ideal, but it is also a vulnerable one," Livni said.
"Today, in different parts of the world, extremists - opposed to the very ideals of democracy - are entering the democratic process not to abandon their violent agenda but to advance it.
"As a spokesman for Al Qaeda recently declared 'We will use your democracy to destroy your democracy'. This should be a wake up-call for us all.
"It is time to reclaim democracy, and this begins by rejecting those who abuse it.
Genuine democracy is about values before it is about voting. No true democracy on earth allows armed militia, or groups with racist or violent agendas, to participate in elections."
The foreign minister made it clear that "Hamas and Hizbullah must be presented with a clear choice - between the path of violence and the path of legitimacy. They cannot have both. And it is this same stark choice that must be presented to the radical regime in Iran."
Following her speech, Livni will leave New York after eight days of meetings with world leaders ahead of the US-sponsored Mideast peace conference scheduled to take place in November in Maryland.
