At the United Nations General Assembly, Lebanon's Foreign Minister issued a powerful warning: a ceasefire is urgently needed to prevent Israel's actions from igniting a devastating crisis in the Middle East. As tensions rise, the stakes for regional peace have never been higher. This is a call to action that cannot be ignored.
#Lebanon #UNGA #MiddleEast #Ceasefire #Israel #Crisis #Peace #ForeignPolicy #GlobalSecurity #Hezbollah
~HT.318~PR.274~GR.122~ED.102~
#Lebanon #UNGA #MiddleEast #Ceasefire #Israel #Crisis #Peace #ForeignPolicy #GlobalSecurity #Hezbollah
~HT.318~PR.274~GR.122~ED.102~
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NewsTranscript
00:00I now give the floor to His Excellency Abdullah Bouhabib, Minister for Foreign Affairs and
00:08Emigrants of Lebanon.
00:12Mr. President, I wish first and foremost to congratulate warmly you upon your election
00:39to the helm of the 79th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.
00:44We wish you every success, and we convey to you our full support for your agenda, unity
00:54and diversity for the advancement of peace, sustainable development, and human dignity
01:00for present and future generations.
01:02Mr. President, Lebanon is currently enduring a crisis which is threatening its very existence.
01:08The future of our people and our prosperity are imperiled.
01:14This is a situation that requires international intervention on an urgent basis before the
01:19situation spirals out of control with a domino effect, making this crisis impossible to contain,
01:32just as it will be impossible to extinguish the flames of this crisis, which will transform
01:37into a black hole that will engulf regional and international peace and security.
01:42The crisis in Lebanon threatens the entire Middle East with the worst if this situation
01:49remains as it currently is and if the world remains immobile.
01:55Mr. President, we welcome the declaration delivered yesterday by the United States and
02:00by France, as supported by a number of friendly states, offering the possibility of long-term
02:09calm, helping to ensure the restoration of stability along the border, as well as the
02:14return of displaced persons.
02:16Furthermore, we demand that all possible measures be adopted for this declaration to be implemented.
02:25What we are currently experiencing in Lebanon is a consequence of the absence of a lasting
02:31sustainable solution.
02:32It is not the cause of an absence of a sustainable solution.
02:36The cause is the occupation, and we wish to reiterate this explicitly.
02:41The cause is the occupation.
02:43To claim anything else would be a loss of time.
02:49So long as the occupation persists, there will be instability and there will be war.
02:54We have repeatedly, on numerous occasions through the United Nations, we have striven
02:59to resolve border disputes with Israel.
03:04However, Israel has continuously eluded the issue or disregarded the matter.
03:12This is a difficult situation which we are experiencing, and in light of this, we are
03:17increasingly committed to international law.
03:20We are seeking refuge in the decisions under international law.
03:26To that end, Lebanon has contributed to the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human
03:31Rights through one of our children, Shalm-Malek.
03:37And despite the inability of the United Nations to protect us from the Israeli aggression
03:42up until now, we remain committed to the role of this organization as a front line of defense
03:48in the face of occupation, violence, devastation, and oppression.
03:55Today, we desperately need the United Nations to play its role as a refuge for small countries
04:04who have been victimized by aggression.
04:07These countries include my homeland, Lebanon.
04:15And so this tragedy which we've experienced has broke out into this bitter reality.
04:19We have observed that dialogue is an alternative to the language of weapons to resolve conflict.
04:25We have demonstrated ability to be a reliable partner in building consensus, as was the
04:31case in October 2022 when the maritime borders were delimited between Lebanon and Israel.
04:38This is the best proof of our commitment to negotiations for peaceful dispute resolution.
04:45Furthermore, we proposed during two Security Council meetings, the most recent one was
04:50held on the 17th of June last, and the topic of address was the situation in the Middle
04:57East.
04:58We proposed an integrated framework to achieve a lasting pacification in the border south
05:04of Lebanon.
05:06And we wish to reiterate today our call for a ceasefire on all fronts, for this to be
05:12an opportunity and a prerequisite towards the full-fledged implementation of Resolution
05:181701 of the United Nations Security Council, which has been effective in establishing a
05:26relative degree of stability in the south of Lebanon since the end of the July 2006
05:32war up until 7 October 2023.
05:36We moreover are counting on the support of the international community, and specifically
05:41on the support of friendly countries in reinforcing the deployment of the Lebanese Army in the
05:48south of the Litani River, and delivering the necessary equipment to ensure that troop
05:56levels can be increased in the wake of the launch by the State of a conscription campaign
06:04as part of a clear commitment to the implementation of Resolution 1701.
06:09In this regard, there will be no weapons without the consent of the Lebanese Government, and
06:14there will be no other authority than that of the Lebanese Government, as is stipulated
06:21in the above-mentioned resolution.
06:24Our demand to secure support is not merely a reflection of our commitment to honoring
06:30our commitments under Resolution 1701.
06:35This is also our confirmation of the importance, reaffirmation of the importance of cooperation
06:42and support from the international community to surmount security-related challenges in
06:49order to bolster peace and security in the region.
06:53We are all cognizant of the economic crisis that has been plaguing our country, and despite
06:58this, our government has taken a decision for 100,000 additional soldiers to be deployed
07:05to the south of the country.
07:07And this is not a mere detail, quite the contrary, this is a clear political message to the international
07:15community reflecting the fact that Lebanon fully intends to implement Resolution 1701
07:22to which we are wedded.
07:25And even at the worst times, including the present, we are not standing idly by.
07:32We are mobilizing our efforts at the highest level to protect our people, our national
07:36institutions, as well as our sovereignty.
07:41Mr. President, among the most significant provisions of Resolution 1701, emphasizing
07:51the internationally recognized borders of Lebanon delimited between Lebanon and Palestine
07:56in 1923, the reaffirmed in the Lebanese-Israeli truce agreement signed on the Island of Rhodes
08:05in 1949 under the supervision of the United Nations.
08:12This will be achieved with the agreement on 13 points that are a source of discord.
08:21And pursuant to this, Israel will withdraw from all Lebanese regions that it has occupied
08:27and continues to occupy in the direction of the internationally recognized border.
08:32We wish to reiterate our commitment to the role of UNIFIL, the peacekeeping force which
08:42is active in the south of Lebanon, and since its inception it has significantly contributed
08:48to stability and peace in the region.
08:51Up until 8 October 2023, there had been no grave incident threatening regional peace
08:57and security that had been recorded, and we wish to take this opportunity to thank UNIFIL
09:01for the tremendous sacrifice it has made in light of the tremendous challenges it has
09:06been facing in particular over the past recent months, as well as specifically in recent
09:11days.
09:13Mr. President, Israel, instead of focusing on incessant wars, Israel is continuously
09:28radicalizing.
09:29One of the gravest challenges Lebanon currently faces is this increase in aggression.
09:37The war has expanded and spilled over into Lebanese regions.
09:45We are increasingly concerned due to the systematic destruction of Lebanese border villages, the
09:51collective punishment imposed on people, the setting of fire to agricultural lands with
09:57white phosphorus, thereby rendering these lands unusable for many years.
10:04We in recent days have borne witness to a detestable, repugnant example of the transformation
10:12of telecommunications devices.
10:15Civilian devices were transformed into ticking time bombs that were deliberately and simultaneously
10:21blown up, thereby claiming the lives of dozens, including children, including women, resulting
10:29in thousands of people being wounded, hundreds of whom are in critical condition, in addition
10:35to hundreds who were disfigured, maimed, who lost limbs, who lost their vision.
10:44From this rostrum, we reiterate our warning against this aggression, which is continuously
10:52intensifying, this attempt to play with fire, to plunge the entire Middle East into a conflagration.
11:01We reiterate our rejection of war, our legitimate right to defend ourselves pursuant to the
11:06Charter of the United Nations and international law.
11:11This goes hand in hand with our tireless efforts through our contacts and meetings
11:18to avoid falling into the trap of the Israeli occupying power, which is attempting to extend
11:24and prolong the war.
11:27Mr. President, the return of Israeli displaced persons to their cities and their settlements
11:34cannot be achieved through war, cannot be achieved through bombardment, fighting, hostilities
11:39or the displacement of Lebanese people.
11:41The shortest path for their return is a comprehensive, immediate ceasefire, as stipulated in the
11:50U.S. declaration, which was from yesterday supported by friendly states, a full implementation
11:58of Resolution 1701 as part of a comprehensive framework accompanied by clear international
12:04guaranteed transparent and an end, a definitive end to land, sea and air incursions and breaches
12:17of Lebanese sovereignty and our borders, our internationally recognized borders.
12:22This is necessary.
12:24These violations have exceeded, there have been more than 35,000 such violations since 2006.
12:32Mr. President, has Israel not had enough of the endless war since 1948?
12:40When will it be time for Israel to give a real opportunity for peace?
12:44Will Israel not embrace the path of peace?
12:48When will this happen?
12:49Instead of using the language of fire and steel, Lebanon and Arab countries have clearly,
12:56without any ambiguity, categorically embraced peace through their Arab Peace Initiative,
13:01which was the fruit of the Beirut Arab Summit in 2002, with the adoption by Arab states
13:08of the two-state solution through the demand of Arab states for the implementation of United
13:13Nations resolutions, which unfortunately have remained dead letter.
13:17It is now incumbent upon Israel, both the government and the people, Israel as a whole,
13:23if they really want peace, to embrace peace, to choose peace, to want peace instead of
13:27war, and to go beyond their obsessions and security-related anxiety, breaking the cycle
13:33of violence in the region, ending escalation, stopping escalation, and the risk of complete
13:38conflagration in the Middle East also requires collective efforts as part of a clear, defined
13:46timeline together with clear guarantees and recognition of legitimate rights, including
13:52the right to self-determination pursuant to international law.
13:56There can be no peace without the two-state solution, regardless of how much time this
14:00takes.
14:01Mr. President, by way of conclusion, we reiterate our call for a lasting solution, for the full
14:09balanced implementation of Resolution 1701, the recognition of our land borders recognized
14:19at the international level to ensure that Lebanon and the region can avoid further warfare
14:25and destruction.
14:26We are at a very difficult time, marred by a tragic escalation of violence in Lebanon
14:32from the heart of the conflict.
14:34The Resolution 1701 of the Security Council is the primary line of defense for Lebanon.
14:41This resolution is not merely a document, not merely a framework for international action.
14:46No, this is a commitment on the part of the international community to safeguard regional
14:52peace and security.
14:54We cannot deviate from this process insofar as this is the legal diplomatic bedrock guaranteeing
15:01the protection of Lebanese and regional security.
15:05Respecting this resolution is absolutely necessary, not just for Lebanon, but for Israel, too,
15:12and for the region as a whole.
15:14This is the best tool at the disposal of the international community to break this cycle
15:20of violence, to ensure that diplomacy prevails despite the fact that the path ahead is difficult.
15:32The cost of a diplomatic failure will be very high.
15:36For this reason, we must bear in mind that with each new wave of violence, there is unimaginable
15:41suffering endured particularly by civilians.
15:45Any civilian killed is a tragedy that is unacceptable, and there is no justification for this.
15:51When civilian areas are targeted systematically, as is currently the case in Lebanon, we are
16:02talking here about acts that are tantamount to war crimes.
16:07There can be no justification for the mass murder of civilians.
16:12However, as we talk about death and destruction, devastation, we also need to endeavor to find solutions.
16:25Time is of the essence.
16:26There's a need to embrace a political process to end this crisis which is escalating.
16:31There's a need to move forward to reach a political solution.
16:34We together need to give thought to a political solution to this crisis instead of bogging
16:44ourselves increasingly down in the militarization of this conflict, the escalation of the conflict,
16:49and the expansion of the conflict.
16:50Diplomacy is not always easy, but diplomacy is the only way to save innocent lives and
16:56homelands.
16:58For our part, we are determined to tread upon this path.
17:03Lebanon views the U.S.-French initiative, which was supported by other friendly countries,
17:11as an opportunity to generate momentum, to take steps towards ending this crisis.
17:22Diplomacy needs to succeed.
17:23There is no other choice.
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