His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday, September 23, participated in the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, held in New York and attended by Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Hussein and Prince Hashem.
Following is the full text of His Majesty’s speech:
“In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Madam President,
Mr. Secretary General,
Your Excellencies:
Another year, another UN General Assembly, and another occasion when I stand before you to address the same issue: the conflict in the Middle East.
And not for the first time, developments on the ground have made me question the worth and utility of words … in capturing the magnitude of the crisis. Yet, not speaking about it, would signal acceptance of the situation and abandonment of our humanity — and that, I will not do.
Our UN General Assembly was born 80 years ago, pledging to learn from — not repeat — history.
The world vowed: Never again.
However, for almost as long, Palestinians have been living through a cruel cycle of ‘yet again’.
Bombed indiscriminately… yet again.
Killed, injured, and maimed… yet again.
Displaced and dispossessed …yet again.
Denied rights, dignity… their basic humanity… Yet. Again.
So, I must ask… how long?
How long will it be before we find a resolution to this conflict — one that safeguards the rights of all sides, and allows a level of normalcy in the lives of the families at its core?
How long will it be before I stand before you and speak… not of suffering and devastation in my region… but of prospect, prosperity and potential?
Sadly, this is not the only conflict in our world—and some may say that other wars are also devastating. But the Palestinian-Israeli conflict remains unique:
– It is the longest-standing conflict in the world. …
– … An illegal occupation of a helpless population by a self-declared ‘democratic nation’. …
– … And a flagrant violation of repeated UN resolutions, international law, and human rights conventions — a failure that should have elicited outrage and action, especially from major democracies … instead, it has been met with decades of inertia.
My friends,
The war in Gaza marks one of the darkest moments in this institution’s history.
But although it is today’s horror, the injustice stretches back decades.
The Palestinian-Israeli conflict has been on the UN agenda throughout its eight decades of existence.
How long will we be satisfied with condemnation after condemnation without concrete action?
When it comes to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, it seems that what unfolds in the halls of power is theory; the struggles and suffering on the ground is reality.
For decades, we’ve seen several attempts to achieve a solution via interim agreements and temporary stopgaps … none that delivered on the end game. In fact, many would argue these processes served as a distraction… as Israel grabbed more land, expanded illegal settlements, demolished homes, and displaced entire neighbourhoods. Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem have been vandalised and desecrated by those under government protection.
And throughout all these years, Israeli families, too, have not been able to live in true security. Because military action cannot bring them the safety they need.
Read more: https://en.abouna.org/content/king-united-nations-gaza-war-marks-one-darkest-moments-institution%E2%80%99s-history
By jordantimes.com
