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In the recent
tensions and war between Gaza and Israel, Palestinian UN Ambassador Riyad
Mansour has delivered a pragmatic message to the international community.
His words
resonate with the urgency of the situation, the suffering of his people, and
the plea for a path to peace.
Let's discuss
the key points he raised during his press brief at the United Nations.
The Cycle of
Violence:
Mansour begins
by highlighting a troubling pattern in media and political narratives: that
history seems to start when Israelis are killed.
He underscores
that Palestinians have endured years of hardship and have consistently warned
the world about the consequences of Israeli impunity and international
inaction.
"Regrettably, history for some media and politicians start when Israelis are killed. Our people have endured one deadly year after another. We came to the Security Council month after month. Warning of the consequences of Israeli impunity, and international inaction."
The Pursuit of
Peace:
Despite the
ongoing hardships, Mansour emphasizes that Palestinians have chosen the
peaceful path, one advocated by the international community.
He implores
Israel to consider this path, one that does not involve the loss of more lives.
It's a call for change, a plea for a different course of action.
"Last October, about a year ago, we stated before the security council, the Palestinian people will be free one day or another, one way or another, we chose the peaceful way, the one international community advocates for, do not let Israel prove us wrong, for our sake and theirs’."
The Failed
Strategy:
Mansour points
out that Israel's repeated blockades and assaults on Gaza have not achieved
their intended goals. Instead, they have inflicted suffering on the entire
civilian population.
He insists that
it's time for an immediate end to violence and bloodshed, the lifting of the
blockade, and the exploration of a political solution.
"This is not the to let Israel on its terrible choices. This is a time to tell Israel that it needs to change the course, that there is a path to peace. Were neither Palestinians, nor Israelis are killed. But, it is the one directly opposed. Israel keep saying the blockage and repeated assaults on Gaza, or to destroy Hamas. Military capabilities and ensured security, clearly and expectedly its blockade and assaults accomplished neither."
"The only thing that they accomplished was inflicting terrible sufferings on entire civilian population. It is time for an immediate end to the violence and the bloodshed. It’s the time to end this blockade, and to open a political horizon."
A Plea for
Restraint:
The ambassador
warns against justifying further assaults, knowing that Israel may interpret it
as a license to kill. He laments the rising death toll, particularly the
innocent lives lost, including children and entire families.
The question he
raises is whether such actions bring security or advance peace.
When Israel
tries to justify yet another assault, by the same faulty premise, no one should
say or do anything, to encourage it down this path.
"We know only
two well that the messages about Israel’s right to defend itself will be
interpreted by Israel as license to kill. To pursue the very path that has let
us here, 317 is the number which is continuously rising by the moment, Palestinians
that have killed already in one day, including children, some barely a few
month old, entire family were killed in their sleep."
The Call for
International Protection:
Mansour
stresses that Palestinians are entitled to international protection when the
occupying power violates international law. He questions why there is inaction
when Palestinians are killed and emphasizes the need for justice and accountability.
A Path to
Peace:
He asserts that
true peace cannot be achieved by entrenching oppression and occupation but by
ending them. Mansour rejects the notion that Palestinians are subhuman and
calls for the fulfillment of their right to self-determination as the only path
to shared peace.
Addressing Root
Causes:
Mansour reminds
us that Israel cannot expect peace in exchange for waging a full-scale war.
Instead, he advocates addressing the root causes of the conflict, signaling a
desire for a more holistic and lasting solution.
Will this bring
security? Will this advance peace?
Where is the
international protection? The Palestinian people are entitled to when the occupying
power violates international law. On harm those, who are obliged to protect.
Palestinians
lives were saving, the innocent Palestinians were killed, their children killed
in occupied Palestine could have been spared.
Why nothing
have done when those who killed were Palestinians?
We should have
to think hard, if this is about Palestinians then many Palestinians will feel
that they have much to avenge.
If this is
about Peace, then the way to it is not further entrenching, oppression, and
occupation, but by ending it. You cannot
say, nothing justify killing Israelis, and then provide justification for
killing Palestinians. “We are not sub-humans”. We are not a subhimans
and we will never accept a rhetoric that denigrates,
The fulfilment
of our right to self-determination, is the only path towards shared and peace.
Israel cannot wage
a full scale war against Israel, expect peace in exchange. One needs to address
the rout cause of the conflict.
We are calling
for a different approach, “Justice not vengeance.”
Conclusion:
In conclusion, Riyad Mansour's address at the United Nations serves as a passionate plea for justice and peace in the midst of the Gaza-Israel conflict. He urges a different approach, one focused on justice rather than vengeance, and emphasizes that the path forward lies in acknowledging the rights and humanity of all parties involved.
It is a call to action for the international community
to work towards a resolution that brings an end to the suffering and paves the way
for a more peaceful future in the region.
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