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Statement New York, 29 August 2007
Mr. President, At the outset, on behalf of the Indonesian delegation, I would like to extend our appreciation to you for convening this open debate on the situation in the Middle East, which we regard as one of the most important unresolved issues of peace and security in the world today. We look forward to a discussion which may illuminate a pathway toward peace and stability in this troubled region. My delegation is also very thankful
to Mr. Williams for his briefing. Conflicts in human history have their beginnings and their ends. The war that led to the birth of the Westphalian state system concluded in thirty years. First World War ended in four years, and Second World War in six years. Some conflicts in other regions, such as in the Balkans, Africa, Asia and Latin America have their endings. Conflict in the Middle East, however, has continued since the second half of 1940s without clear signs of its final conclusion. Developments on the ground have made the conflict one of the most volatile and protracted ever. The Middle East conflict will remain unresolved if all parties concerned do not go beyond the ordinary in their efforts to find viable solution to the conflict, and there is no better time than now to act to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict and broker a peace. The current surge in diplomacy at different levels to jumpstart the peace process is a welcome development. A series of Quartet meetings have paved the way to a more substantial role. In our view, all parties concerned need to engage in a meaningful and inclusive political process that brings forth a consensus by the parties. The resumption of bilateral meetings between President Abbas and PM Olmert on 6 August is also encouraging. My delegation, however, believes that the meeting will be meaningful only if Israel has genuine commitment to the discussion and resolution of the four core issues, namely the fate of Palestinian refugees who fled or were forced to flee their homes; the status of Jerusalem; the borders of a Palestinian state; and the dismantlement of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The active role of the Arab League can be very useful in many ways, including providing legitimacy and regional perspective to the effort. We have observed such success in gaining legitimacy in other regions. Regional arrangements can serve as a strong compliment to the activities of the UN itself and should be encouraged. The 2002 Arab Peace Initiative that
the League advocates is a homegrown peace process that deserves our
support. This initiative has the benefit of representing a common
Arab position and a commitment to cooperate for the peace and stability
in the region. We encourage the work of a special committee composed
of concerned Member States and the Secretary General of the League
of Arab States as suggested in the Arab Peace Initiative document.
We support the initiative’s efforts to gain cooperation from
the Security Council, as well as from the Quartet, and from other
interested parties. Peace in Palestine remains far from reality. Sustainable peace in the country can be achieved only when the Palestinians are united. Division and splintering within threatens to undermine the concept of one sovereign and independent Palestine and to weaken concerted efforts in achieving that idea. We, therefore, believe that a dialogue between Hamas and Fatah is critical to moving forward and should be held in paramount importance. Support and assistance provided for Palestine by the international community should not broaden the political and de facto division among Palestinians, but rather should promote unity among them. Any efforts to assist one faction at the expense of other factions will only create more difficulties to the Palestinians and to the idea of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state. My delegation shares a view emphasizing that the people of Gaza are not punished for the Hamas takeover. Palestinians in Gaza are part of one Palestinian nation aspiring for one democratic and peaceful state. We also believe that the engagement by the international community of Palestine must be based simply on humanitarian cause and principles that promote peace and unity. The ending of conflict between Hamas and Fatah in Gaza is heartening. Yet, Indonesia remains deeply concerned over the growing humanitarian situation in Gaza. The region has increasingly become economically and politically isolated and Israel’s blockade has brought trade to an abrupt halt. In the past few days, it has been reported that more than 90% of Gaza’s factories have been closed and 70,000 have lost their jobs because shipments of raw materials have not been getting in. These are ingredients which, in our view, could devolve into violence and conflict and we should not let this situation continue to deteriorate. The inhabitants depend on the continued support of the U.N. and we should continue to provide it, at the same time, working with the parties to the conflict to find a more satisfactory political solution as soon as possible. The burden that Palestinians are bearing
now has been made heavier by the continuing incursions by the Israeli
occupying forces into Palestinian towns and neighbourhoods across
the West Bank and Gaza strip. Indonesia strongly deplores those inhumane
and illegal actions which constitute a grave breach of international
humanitarian and human rights laws. On Lebanon, unity is a key aspect to the achievement of sustainable peace in the country. Accordingly, Indonesia fully supports the initiative of France in hosting a Lebanese dialogue and its follow-up. We encourage the Government of Lebanon and all parties concerned in the country to redouble their efforts in promoting political dialogue and national reconciliation. In our view, a blend of sincerity on the part of the international community to help Lebanon and a strong commitment by all factions in the country to inclusive political dialogue and national reconciliation is essential to the achievement of peace, stability, and unity of the country. The invasion by Israel into Lebanon a year ago had brought about not only physical damages and civilian casualties among Lebanese, but also a menace to the security and stability in the southern part of Lebanon and beyond. The Security Council had been decisive in responding to this incursion by strengthening UNIFIL and expanding its mandate, through the adoption of resolution 1701. My delegation observes that after one year of its deployment, UNIFIL has not only provided the Lebanese with the opportunity to rebuild and restore their daily life, but has also helped to establish a new strategic military and security environment in southern Lebanon. UNIFIL is the vanguard of resolution 1701. We believe that only UNIFIL has the authority to monitor on the ground the compliance by all parties concerned of resolution 1701. We also believe that UNIFIL must have capacity to deter and respond to challenges that could undermine resolution 1701, including the daily violations of Lebanese airspace by the IDFs, which blatantly contravenes the spirit and letter of resolution 1701. We remain deeply concerned over the continued existence of unexploded ordnance in southern Lebanon used by Israel in last summer war. In this regard, Indonesia would like to join the call of the UN Secretary-General in urging the Government of Israel to provide details data of the unexploded ordnance to the UN as soon as possible. The permanent cease-fire as envisaged
by resolution 1701 is still afar. The role of UNIFIL in monitoring
the cessation of hostilities and in achieving permanent ceasefire
remains critical. The Middle East conflict has been so prolonged. The need to find a peaceful, just, lasting, and comprehensive settlement to the conflict is dire. The Government of Indonesia is committed to helping achieve an end to this protracted and bitter conflict that has been wearing on the parties for far too long. We hope that multilateral efforts,
including the Security Council and those of the Quartet and the Arab
League, could maximize their potential in contributing to the achievement
of a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace in the Middle East, based
on relevant resolutions of the Council, including resolutions 242
(1967), 338 (1973), and 1515 (2003), the Madrid terms of reference
and the principle of land for peace, and the Arab Peace Initiative.
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