Statement by

H.E. Mr. Majid Takht Ravanchi

Ambassador and Permanent Representative

of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations

On “the situation in the Middle East including Question of Palestine”

Before the United Nations Security Council

New York, 19 October 2021

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

Mr. President,

The current situation in the occupied Palestinian territory is worrisome and continues to be a matter of grave concern for the international community.

The people of Palestine continue to suffer from the horrors of a brutal occupation which has lasted for over seven decades.

Israel, the occupying power, has intensified its destructive, aggressive policies and practices against the Palestinian people, leading to civilian casualties, including children.

In the meantime, the Israeli regime has continued the desecration of religious shrines and Islamic sanctities. As the prominent case of such aggressions, the Al‐Aqsa Mosque has been continuously the target of attacks, provocations, and daily incursions by Israeli settlers, with the aim of speeding up the implementation of Israel's illegal plan of temporal and spatial division of this holy shrine.

Equally important, the humanitarian situation in Gaza Strip remains dire. The blockade has devastated Gaza’s economy, caused widespread destruction, and left most people largely cut off from the outside world.

The continuation of cruel blockade of Gaza is a collective punishment of innocent human beings. It constitutes crime against humanity and poses a serious threat to international peace and security.  It is an aggressive and savage act that breaches all international laws and norms.

The Israeli regime also continues its aggressions and destabilizing practices in the region by violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of regional states, including Syria and by threatening openly to use force against the sovereignty of the Member States of the United Nations.

It is deeply regrettable that the Security Council has thus far not been able to shoulder its responsibility under the UN Charter to end the occupation of the Palestinian territory.

Failing to act against the violation of international law in the occupied Palestinian territory has emboldened the Israeli regime to continue its heinous crimes against the oppressed people of Palestine.

We call on the international community, particularly the Security Council, to take necessary measures to put an immediate end to Israel’s occupation of Palestine and repeated attacks on the Palestinian people and cruel blockade of Gaza, where people are suffering under inhuman, tragic living conditions.

Israeli regime must be held to account for its violations of international human rights and humanitarian law in the occupied Palestinian territory. Such crimes should not go unpunished.

The settlement of the Palestinian crisis can only be achieved if the inalienable rights of the people of occupied Palestine are fully recognized, restored, and maintained.

The Islamic Republic of Iran believes that the only possible solution for the realization of the fundamental rights of Palestinian people, particularly their right to self-determination, is to hold a national referendum, in line with historical realities and in conformity with the principles of international law with the participation of all Palestinian people, including Muslims, Christians and Jews and their descendants. Such a referendum could constitute a solid basis for the settlement of the question of Palestine, restoring Palestine’s sovereignty and ending the occupation.

And finally, we totally reject and strongly condemn the unfounded accusations and fabrications made against my country by the representative of the Israeli regime at this meeting. This regime habitually makes baseless claims against Iran. Now again, the representative of the Israeli regime has attempted to play victim and to distract the attention of the international community from its atrocities committed against the Palestinian people in the occupied territory.

Israel’s accusations regarding Iran’s peaceful nuclear program, whose peaceful nature has been verified on numerous accusations by IAEA, are completely absurd, irrelevant and baseless.

 It is obvious that Israeli regime objective is to cover up the danger that its nuclear weapons pose to the region and beyond. To remove this threat, the international community must compel this regime to renounce nuclear weapons, join the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and put all its nuclear activities and facilities under the comprehensive safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The representative of this terrorist regime has misused this forum, which is primary responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security, and explicitly threatened to use of force against a Member State of the United Nations. This illegal threat constitutes a gross violation of international law, the United Nations Charter, particularly its Article 2(4) and therefore must be denounced and condemned by the Security Council.

The Islamic republic of Iran reserves its inherent right under international law to take all necessary measures to protect and defend itself.

I thank you