Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Riyad al-Maliki said today that the critical situation in occupied Palestine, including East Jerusalem, reflects the serious shortcomings of the international system, whereby the international community only condemns rather than takes action to prevent the Israeli violations of the Palestinian human rights.
Speaking via videoconference to the Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement, as part of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly, al-Maliki said: “The international community allows Israel to continue its illegal practices without consequences and accountability, which encourages it to continue these violations of the law and further inflames tensions and destabilizes the situation on the ground.”
The Foreign Minister said these Israeli practices, “including the ongoing de facto annexation of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, have allowed Israel to continue the deliberate and practical destruction of the two-state solution on the 1967 borders, which undermines the foundations of the and prospects for a just peace… Thus, Israel, the occupying power, must be held accountable for all these violations.”
“These practices reflect Israel’s outright contempt for international law, including the basic principles of the United Nations Charter, the Fourth Geneva Convention, and Security Council resolutions,” added al-Maliki. He said these Israeli practices on the ground were made possible through the financial and political support from the US administration, which he said was “directly complicit in these crimes”.
He called on the countries of the Non-Aligned Movement “to support our call to combat the Israeli practices with positive joint action,” adding that “Israel’s impunity does not threaten Palestine alone, but rather threatens the repercussions of this immunity as well as our international system.”
“We also ask for your support for our efforts in international forums aimed at ensuring accountability for the violations committed by Israel in occupied Palestine and against the Palestinian people, in violation of international humanitarian law and international human rights law,” added al-Maliki.
He affirmed “the commitment of the State of Palestine to pluralism and the law-based international order, and that pluralism is the cornerstone of the contemporary international system and the spirit of this worldview that led to the formation of this movement, which we are proud of.”
Al-Maliki pointed out that despite the harsh reality created by Israel’s apartheid system in the occupied territories, Palestine remains committed to “maintaining an open and cooperative relationship with all members of the Non-Aligned Movement to advance our joint efforts in the face of the pandemic, including the exchange of experiences and appropriate practices.”