Dr. Saeb Erakat: “Israel has undermined the efficacy of the UN system.”

On this day, commemorating the 65th anniversary of the United Nations, Chief Palestinian Negotiator, Dr. Saeb Erakat, has reminded that “Palestine remains occupied and the Palestinian people’s right to self determination remains unfulfilled. On this historic day we ask all member states to honor the noble objectives of the UN by holding Israel accountable for its continued occupation of Palestine and to uphold the rights of Palestinian refugees.”

Through the UN Charter, member states pledged to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, promote human rights and “establish the conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained.”

Dr. Erakat said that “when Israel, joined the United Nations in 1949, it vowed to uphold this cause. Instead, what we have witnessed is constant violations of not only of this Charter, but numerous General Assembly and Security Council Resolutions. In the process, Israel has undermined the efficacy of and derogated the UN System, the very authority through which it was created. Instead, Israel works diligently to pressure its allies to oppose the creation of a Palestinian state.”

Dr. Erakat concluded, “It is time for Israel to stop its blatant disregard for international law and international consensus. It is time for Israel to respect human rights and the right of self determination of the Palestinian people. It is time for the international community to hold Israel accountable for its disregard for international law. It is time for Palestine to be free.”

Palestinian rights are well-grounded in various sources of international law. Below are some examples:

• On Refugees: In 1948, the UN General Assembly affirmed the right of return of Palestinian refugees when it resolved that Palestinian “refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbors should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date.”

• On Israel’s Occupation: In 1967, the UN Security Council emphasized “the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war” and called for the “(w)ithdrawal of Israel armed forces from the [Palestinian] territories.”

• On Jerusalem: In 1980, the UN Security Council reaffirmed that all “actions taken by Israel, the occupying Power, which purport to alter the character and status of… Jerusalem have no legal validity…”

• On Israeli Settlements: Article 49(6) of the Fourth Geneva Convention states that “the Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.”