Palestine’s UN envoy responds to Israel’s empty apology.

October 31, 2023

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I was so struck by Ambassador, Deputy Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the UN, Majed Bamya’s response to the Israeli delegation’s attempted show of compassion in at the UN last week that I felt it was important for everyone to see it and listen to his confronting and powerful words.

His speech included retorts such as: “What in my words was terror propaganda? When we’re speaking of international law, is that the part you’re referring to? Or when we’re quoting the human charter or the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? Or when we were saying you don’t get to kill Palestinian civilians, targeting of civilians, indiscriminate attacks, are war crimes? What part?…That’s the absurdity of the argument you’re making. The absurdity of coming here to explain that it’s terrible to kill civilians and then kill them.

“We believe that every life is sacred. And that’s why we want to stop the killing. And we call on all of you to stop the bloodshed in the Gaza Strip. To give us a destiny of freedom for the Palestinian people. And again, a destiny of peace and security for all Palestinians, Israelis, and our region, and the world. We stand by these principles.”

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English Script:
Palestine’s UN envoy responds to Israel’s empty apology

ISRAEL’s UN envoy: We express our condolences for all Palestinians who have lived under the brutal rule of Hamas over the past 16 years.

Palestine’s UN envoy: You’re saying we’re repeating terror propaganda. You see the disinformation? What in my words was terror propaganda? When we’re speaking of international law, is that the part you’re referring to? Or when we’re quoting the Human Charter or the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? Or when we were saying you don’t get to kill Palestinian civilians? Targeting of civilians, indiscriminate attacks, are war crimes? What part? And then you say the dehumanization is not the first tool, the first tool is the means of war. You’re bombing civilian populations. You’re using white phosphorus. That’s the absurdity of the argument you’re making.

The absurdity of coming here to explain that it’s terrible to kill civilians and then kill them. The absurdity of refusing the rule of international law as the only standard by which we are all measured. The absurdity of saying that the one talking about peace is the one doing terror propaganda and the one here coming to justify war crimes would be the peaceful one.

The Holocaust is one of the worst horrors of the 20th century. It’s one, along other horrors of the Second World War, that led us to build these United Nations. And you are not allowed to instrumentalize it to justify the killing of Palestinians. It desecrates the memory of victims. We stand here so no people are killed. We stand here so we are able to be free. Look around you. These are free nations. These are free nations.

That’s why they stand in solidarity with Palestine to become a free nation. We are entitled to freedom. We are part of the human family. We are part of the community of nations. Does Israel recognize Palestine? We recognize Israel. Say it. Take the microphone now and say, I recognize Palestine.

Say I call on my Israeli government to stop its killing of Palestinian civilians. Say I call on it to honor the memory of the Holocaust victims and of all victims by standing for international law, by respecting humanity and the principles of humanity and distinction. That would honor you. But if you are here on behalf of that government, you cannot take the higher moral ground.

You are not allowed. We will not allow you to take it. As 4,000 Palestinians are being killed, 1,000 children have been killed by your bombs. There should be a certain sense of decency. Decency. 10 days of killing civilians. And then you come here giving moral lessons? We believe that every life is sacred. And that’s why we want to stop the killing. And we call on all of you to stop the bloodshed in the Gaza Strip, to give us a destiny of freedom for the Palestinian people. And again, a destiny of peace and security for all Palestinians, Israelis, and our region and the world. We stand by these principles.