Reply of the Delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran

to the statement by the Prime Minister of the Israeli Regime

On Agenda Item 8: “General Debate”

At the Seventy-Fifth Session of the United Nations General Assembly

New York, 29 September 2020

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

Mr. President,

Today, the Prime Minister of the Israeli regime made some baseless and unfounded allegations against my country. The dissemination of false and fabricated accusations against regional countries, particularly the Islamic Republic of Iran, has long been a standard practice of Israel, with the exclusive purpose of concealing its crimes and brutalities against innocent Palestinian people. Nevertheless, it is quite evident that no amount of disinformation and manufactured crises can cover up the criminal nature, as well as the expansionist and warmongering policies, ­­­­that this regime has pursued over the course of the past 70 years.

Mr. President,

Israel, in flagrant violation of international law and in total disregard for all relevant United Nations resolutions, continues to violate the fundamental rights and dignity of the Palestinian people and other Arabs living under its occupation. As a result, Palestinians are deprived of their lands and properties, forcibly evicted and subjected to violence, terror, and intimidation. Meanwhile, any right of the Palestinians to self-determination totally have been negated under the title of “one Jewish States”.

Worse still, under the current challenging circumstances and as the international community focuses on mitigating the severe effects and consequences of COVID-19, the Israeli regime continues to exploit this period to accelerate its illegal settlement activities as well as annexation schemes and further entrench its military occupation. Simultaneously, the inhumane and suffocating blockade on the Gaza Strip continues to deepen the severity of the humanitarian crisis and inflict misery on the Palestinian civilian population there.

At the regional level, the continued occupation of territories of the occupied Syrian Golan, as well as parts of Lebanon and frequent encroachments against the countries of the region, have seriously endangered peace and security in the region and beyond.

Distinguished Colleagues,

Israel continues to flout all international regimes governing weapons of mass destruction by refusing to adhere to the NPT, the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological and Toxin Weapons and their Destruction. Further, it continues to seriously hamper the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East – proposed by Iran in 1974. Indeed, nuclear weapons in the hands of this regime pose the most serious threat to the security of all States in the Middle East and to the non-proliferation regime. Nevertheless, it attempts to portray Iran’s conventional weapon capabilities or its exclusively peaceful nuclear programme, which is under the most robust verification of the International Atomic Energy Agency, as a challenge to regional stability. This is but a hypocritical move to distract attention from the real danger posed to regional peace and security by Israel, particularly its nuclear-weapon arsenals as well as clandestine and unsafeguarded nuclear installations and activities.

The Israeli regime’s entire history is full of aggression against its neighbours and other countries in the Middle East region. Given such a dark track record, the hysterical attempts by the Israeli regime to seek international sympathy and favour by claiming that it is in fact the one that is under threat are nothing but manipulative propaganda.

All such illegal policies and practices have been taken while the Security Council, as the main body responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security, fails to live up to its responsibilities vis a vis Israel’s aggressive policies against Palestinians as well as countries of the region. In fact, the full-fledged and discriminatory support of the United States of America, which resulted in rendering the Security Council inactive and ineffective with respect to all crimes and illegal measures of the Israeli regime, has played a major role in emboldening it to continue such policies and practices unabatedly and with total impunity.

Given Israel’s threats to regional and international peace and security, as well as its unlawful and brutal measures against Palestinians, the international community, the United Nations and the Security Council must be fully vigilant towards all of the destabilizing policies and illegal practices of this regime in the volatile region of the Middle East along with their ramifications for international peace and security, and thus hold it accountable for all such inhumane policies and unlawful practices.

I thank you, Mr. President.