Israel at UN Security
Council on Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict
Israel:
"Why is Hezbollah not on the EU list of terror organizations?"
By
Israel News Agency Staff
Jerusalem
--- February 16, 2013
The following was communicated by
the Israel Government Press Office and the Israel Ministry of
Foreign Affairs to the Israel News Agency.
Hezbollah
remains conspicuously absent from the European Union's list of
recognized terrorist organizations.
Hezbollah's sole purpose - its raison d'etre - is to commit terrorist
acts against civilians both inside and outside the Middle East.
Israel Ambassador to the UN Ron Prosor addressed the UN Security
Council this week, in an open debate on the protection of civilians
in armed conflict. Briefings were also provided by the UN Secretary-General,
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay and the International
Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC).
"Mr.
President, at the outset, allow me to express my appreciation
to you for convening this open debate. Your presence is a testament
to the importance that the Republic of Korea places on "the
protection of civilians in armed conflict" - a subject of
great significance to the international community.
Mr. President,
eight months have passed since our last debate in these halls
on "the protection of civilians in armed conflict."
Since then, the death toll in Syria has quadrupled - from 14,000
in June to over 60,000 now. The civilians caught in the crosshairs
of the Assad regime continue to cry out for protection. Every
one of those cries that goes unanswered highlights our failures.
Today, my
thoughts are with the students of Aleppo University, who were
indiscriminately slaughtered by the Syria military last month
because of the school's reputation as the "university of
the revolution."
They are with
Sayyad Ali, who fled Syria in December and now lives with his
family in a tent in an abandoned part of northern Lebanon. He
is just one of over 800,000 Syrians who have fled the Assad regime
since 2011. Across the Middle East, they are being forced to bear
the harsh storms of winter with the most meager of shelter and
provisions. For these refugees, the only thing more painful than
the cold weather they experience is the cold shoulder they receive
from the international community.
The clock
is ticking. Every day that passes before this Council takes firm
and decisive action in Syria is another day that countless civilians
lose their lives - and countless more lose hope. Those of us sitting
here today must begin speaking loudly, clearly, and unequivocally
against the horrors of the Assad government. The ophthalmologist
from Damascus cannot continue blinding us to his crimes.
Mr. President,
Assad is not alone. On his advisory board sits Hezbollah chief
Hassan Nasrallah, who gives him guidance on how to slaughter civilians
more effectively. With the blessings of Iran, its patron saint,
Hezbollah has provided arms, training, and logistical support
for tens of thousands of Assad's men. It has assisted the Syria
military in cracking down on dissidents so that Assad can cling
to power.
Iran's arm
extends from Syria into Lebanon, where it has helped Hezbollah
amass 50,000 missiles - more than many NATO members - and transform
the Lebanese state into an outpost for terror. Hezbollah intentionally
places its arms in civilian areas, using the entire population
of Lebanon as a human shield. Its idea of "investing in the
next generation" is to stockpile its weaponry in the immediate
vicinity of schools and playgrounds.
Hezbollah's
reign of terror extends far beyond the Middle East. Its fingerprints
have been identified on attacks in all five continents, from Kenya
to Argentina to Thailand. Last week, Bulgarian authorities also
identified Hezbollah as the culprit behind the July bus bombing
in Burgas, which killed five Israelis and one Bulgarian citizen.
This was the deadliest attack on European soil since 2005.
Despite this,
however, Hezbollah remains conspicuously absent from the European
Union's list of recognized terrorist organizations. In fact, many
states - including some in this hall - continue to classify Hezbollah
as a charity. Not since Napoleon invaded Russia has the European
continent seen such an astonishing lack of foresight.
Make no mistake:
Hezbollah's sole purpose - its raison d'etre - is to commit terrorist
acts both inside and outside the Middle East. Calling Hezbollah
a charity is like calling al Qaida an urban-planning organization
because of its desire to level tall buildings.
Some European
lawmakers continue to bend over backwards attempting to differentiate
between Hezbollahs military and political wings. This is
an exercise in futility. The only "difference" between
these two wings is that the political wing negotiates the sum
of drug cartel money that the military wing later uses to purchase
weaponry. It does not take a Nobel Peace Prize laureate to realize
that we are not exactly dealing with a selfless humanitarian organization.
One does not
need the fortitude of Richard the Lionheart to do the right thing
here. The EU must find the moral and political courage to place
Hezbollah on its list of terrorist organizations. It must send
a clear message that Hezbollah can no longer target its citizens
with impunity. The voices of the victims of Hezbollah terror call
on us to take collective action - and work together to bankrupt
the world's most dangerous "charity".
Mr. President,
we have held many debates in these halls on the "protection
of civilians." It is now our responsibility to transform
those words into direct and concrete action. The numbers of civilian
casualties across the globe grow on a daily basis. We cannot allow
our indifference to those numbers to grow alongside them.
Today I urge
this Council to heed the simple yet immortal words of Edmund Burke
(and I quote): "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph
is for good men to do nothing."
Thank you,
Mr. President."
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