Statement by First Deputy Permanent Representative Dmitry Polyanskiy at UNGA meeting regarding the use of veto at a Security Council meeting on the Middle East, including the Palestinian question
Esteemed colleagues,
Authors of the initiative to have the General Assembly discuss every use of veto by UNSC P5 members must have intended it as a way of reprehension and drawing attention to alleged abuses by the permanent members of the UN Security Council. Today, however, we are faced with a situation in which the vetoes of Russia and China clearly prevented the adoption of a draft resolution that not only failed to aim at stopping hostilities in Gaza, but essentially gave Israel carte blanche to continue its operation in the enclave, which is both inhumane and contrary to IHL. That document, which our American colleagues tried to force the UN Security Council to adopt on March 22 by intrigue and blackmail, not only did not contain a direct demand or at least a call for a ceasefire, but in fact issued Israel a "license to continue killing" Palestinians.
That is precisely what was meant by its vague and sly language about "defining the imperative of a ceasefire". That is, while the Israelis continue their targeted and uncompromising "cleansing" of Palestinians in Gaza, kill humanitarian workers, destroy hospitals, homes and schools, the UN Security Council – the main body for the maintenance of international peace and security - was essentially invited to stand aside and limit itself to philosophical reflections on the importance of a ceasefire in principle, which Israel would certainly interpret as a "green light" for its further reckless actions.
Tellingly, the American document also spelled out the possibility of future Israeli operations, provided that civilian casualties were minimized. In the context of Israel's explicit plans to storm Rafah and the appalling number of civilian casualties (including women and children) that have occurred since the beginning of the conflict, the American proposal was shockingly cynical. One must also realize that adoption of the US-proposed draft resolution would have essentially closed the issue with the unconditional demand for a ceasefire in Gaza, something that West Jerusalem had hoped for all along.
Colleagues, against the backdrop of the unprecedented escalation in Gaza with more than 33,000 civilian casualties, neither we nor our Algerian and Chinese colleagues could allow this to happen. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, we have a historical responsibility to maintain international peace and security. That is precisely why the veto exists. It is there to prevent harmful and dangerous initiatives being pushed through the UNSC that not only fail to eliminate risks to international peace and security, but create more of them.
As subsequent developments have shown, our decision to veto the American draft was the only correct one. It enabled the Council to adopt, three days later, a concise resolution prepared by the E10, at the heart of which was a direct demand for an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan respected by all parties leading to a lasting sustainable ceasefire. This situation is the best response to those who, in the context of the intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform, criticize the veto power of the P5.
Mr.President,
Having used the veto, Russia stood up for genuine multilateral diplomacy, categorically rejecting new attempts by the US to impose unilateral and destructive approaches on Gaza on the Council. Put forward by E10, resolution 2728, which was adopted instead of the harmful American draft, came as a beam of hope for all those who are being mercilessly destroyed by the Israeli military machine that receives weapons and ammunition from the United States.
It would seem that finally, six months into the escalation, six months during which the United States had created all sorts of obstacles, the Security Council was finally able to deliver on its duties. Alas, it was too early to rejoice. Confronted with fierce Israeli criticism, Washington immediately declared Resolution 2728 to be "non-binding," which could leave West Jerusalem a backdoor to continue its operation in Gaza.
In other words, a permanent member of the Security Council, who plays a special role in maintaining international peace and security, first used its veto four times to prevent the demand for an immediate ceasefire, and now is saying that UNSC resolutions do not have to be implemented. This falls within the spirit of "rules-based world order" or even Orwell's "Animal Farm", according to which "all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others". What really deserves being discussed and condemned by the General Assembly is the irresponsible approach of our American colleagues. It is important to send a clear message to West Jerusalem and Washington that their actions in Gaza are unacceptable.
Mr.President,
The tragedy in Palestine is unfolding before our eyes. Unfortunately, there is no reason to rule out an even worse scenario. The offensive announced by the Israeli authorities against Rafah, where 1.5 million Palestinians, including 600,000 children, live on a small piece of land, will lead to an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe. This must not be allowed to happen
What should be done to stop this senseless slaughter? Thanks to the vetoes by Russia and China, the Security Council has finally spoken out on this issue. All parties to the conflict must fully implement all three Security Council resolutions that have been adopted since the beginning of the current escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and are aimed at ending hostilities in Gaza, ensuring full humanitarian access for civilians and releasing all hostages and illegally imprisoned Palestinians. At the same time, one must not forget that in accordance with the UN Charter, the Security Council has all the tools, including sanctions, to enforce the implementation of its decisions if the situation so requires.
Thereafter, it is necessary to start looking (seriously and without delay) for a political solution aimed at a long-term settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on an established international legal basis. We are convinced that the peaceful coexistence of two states, Israel and Palestine (with East Jerusalem as its capital), connecting the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, is the key to peace in the Middle East. We are ready to work actively on the implementation of this formula, which is the only correct one.
In that connection, Russia fully supports the initiative of the Palestinian side to resume consideration of its application for a full membership of Palestine in the United Nations. The fate of this application will be a measure of humanity and civilization of the modern world. How long will humanity turn a blind eye to the longest-standing conflict on our planet? Is the international community ready to recognize the Palestinians as equals, to recognize that they too have the right to life, to land, to taking their destiny into their own hands? We do hope so. We call on all members of the international community to support Palestine's application for UN membership.
Thank you.
