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Ron Prosor at UN
Photo: Shahar Azran

Prosor: PA bid – a march of folly

Israel's ambassador to UN tells Security Council 'road to peace can only be built on a foundation of mutual recognition and dialogue'; says 'Arab leaders continue to blame Israel, West for all their problems'

WASHINGTON – Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations Ron Prosor on Monday accused the Arab States of neglecting the Palestinian Authority, and claimed that Arab world has systematically accused the Jewish State for all its woes.

 

Speaking at a debate titled “Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question," Prosor noted that "for generations, the Arab World has failed miserably to address the needs of its own people.

 

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"Arab donors provided just 20% of the international funds for the Palestinian Authority’s regular budget last year,' he said, noting that last year, "Arab donations to the regular PA budget accounted for a little more than half of what Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin-Talal spent on his newest personal luxury jet."

 

"And with their world in flames," Prosor continued, "Arab Leaders continue to blame Israel and the West for all their problems. For years, it’s the only explanation that they have been able to offer to their own people.

 

"Everything wrong in the Middle East, according to many Arab leaders, is simply Israel's fault."

 

'Destructive forces'

Speaking about Iran's growing influence in the region, Prosor said that the Islamic Republic "remains the world’s central banker, chief trainer and primary sponsor of terror," adding that "one can only imagine what it would do with a nuclear capability – with the dangerous combination of extremist ideology, advanced missile technology and nuclear weapons."

 

Addressing the Council members, Prosor stressed that they had to make a choice: "The choice before us is clear – and it has never been more critical to make the right choice for the future of the Middle East and all its inhabitants."

 


UN Security Council (Photo: AFP)

 

"It is time for this Council to stop ignoring the destructive forces that seek to keep the Middle East in the past, so that we can seize the promise of a brighter future."

 

Speaking about the Palestinians' unilateral statehood bid, Prosor said that "the road to peace can only be built on a foundation of mutual recognition and dialogue."

 

The Israeli ambassador accused Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of "attempting to erase the connection between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel" by failing to mention the Jewish history of the land, alongside the Christian and Muslim history during his speech in front of the General Assembly.

 

"Those who seek peace do not negate the narrative of the other side. On the contrary, they recognize its existence and choose to sit down and negotiate peace in good faith.

 

"The ancient Jewish bond to the land of Israel is unbreakable. This is our homeland," he asserted.

 

Prosor stressed the importance of returning to the negotiations table, saying that "the many issues that remain outstanding can only – and will only – be resolved in direct negotiations between the parties.

 

"Israel's peace with Egypt was negotiated, not imposed. Our peace with Jordan was negotiated, not imposed. Israeli-Palestinian peace must be negotiated. It cannot be imposed. The Palestinian’s unilateral action at the United Nations is no path to real statehood. It is a march of folly.

 

"This unilateral initiative…is a recipe for instability and potentially, violence. Members of the international community should be clear about their responsibilities: You vote for it, you own it. All those who vote for unilateral recognition will be responsible for its consequences," he stressed.

 

The Israeli ambassador also referred to the Palestinian reconciliation efforts, claiming that the Palestinian Authority speaks about a "peace-loving" nation, while seeking unity with Hamas, an internationally recognized terrorist organization

 

"Hamas and 'peace-loving'? There is no greater contradiction in terms," he told the Council.

 

Before concluding, Prosor addressed the recent release of Gilad Shalit from Hamas captivity, and thanked UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the states that helped in negotiating the prisoner swap.

 

"For us, the supreme value of a single human life justified releasing more than a thousand terrorists and criminals covered in the blood of innocents," he said.

 

 

 


פרסום ראשון: 10.24.11, 18:35
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