Editorial note: Israel’s PR Gilad Erdan was invited to submit his “Jerry Seinfeld” remarks made to UNSC; when received, will be published.
5 January 2023
Mr. President,
I thank you for convening this emergency meeting in response to our appeals and that of several Council members, and I congratulate Japan on its Presidency and express our confidence in your wise leadership.
Mr. President,
What red line does Israel need to cross for the Security Council to finally say enough is enough and to act accordingly. It has displayed utter disregard for the sanctity of Palestinian life, the sanctity of international law, and the sanctity of Al Haram Al Sharif. It does so with absolute contempt, for us, for you and the entire international community, and vows to continue doing so.
And yet the Council remains on the sidelines.
Our people are running out of patience and the moderation and sense of responsibility we display should never be construed as weakness. The record shows that Israel’s persistence on this path does not lead to surrender but to uprising.
Those committed to international law and peace must act now, not lament once the fire spreads beyond control.
Mr. President,
Ben-Gvir, the Israeli extremist, now with the rank of Minister, convicted of incitement and of support to a terror group, and known for his racist views, did not come to Al-Haram Al-Sharif to visit. He is pursuing the same extremist agenda he has pursued all his life, ending the historic status quo, regardless of the consequences. The same agenda he was elected on and joined the Israeli government to advance.
Did the Israeli government condemn his actions? No, it endorsed them, even after worldwide outrage and condemnation. It explained to us all that we have misunderstood what we saw with our own eyes. An extremist Minister of an extremist government accompanied by occupation forces storming Al-Haram Al-Sharif, in violation of international law, the historic and legal status quo, the Hashemite custodianship and Palestinian sovereignty.
The Israeli argument is the following: This has happened before, no big deal. Gilad Erdan also stormed Al-Haram Al-Sharif as Minister of Public Security. It is as if a criminal standing trial found as best defense the fact that he committed this crime before and got away with it. Gilad Erdan stormed Al-Haram Al-Sharif a few years ago for the same reasons Ben-Gvir did so a few days ago; they are pursuing the same agenda, the one they confessed to, altering the historic status quo.
I quote “I think there is in an injustice in the status quo that has existed since ’67,” “We need to work to change it so in the future Jews, with the help of God, can pray at the Temple Mount.”
These are the words of Erdan the Minister that Erdan the Ambassador will try now to walk back.
Mr. President,
Al-Haram Al-Sharif will not fall. It will stand for generations to come. It has outlasted Begin, Shamir and Sharon and will outlast Netanyahu, Ben Gvir and Erdan. Those who pursue the temporal and spatial division of Al-Haram, or plan to overtake it, do not comprehend what it represents for all Palestinians, for Arabs and for Muslims around the world.
Listen carefully to me. They should stop you. It is their responsibility. The responsibility of this Council and of all States to uphold international law and the historic status quo. They should stop you, but make no mistake, if they don’t, our people will.
Mr. President,
One should not lose sight of another critical fact. Al-Haram Al-Sharif is in occupied East Jerusalem, an integral part of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, a fact repeatedly affirmed by this Council and the General Assembly, among other authoritative determinations.
Israel has no claim and no right to sovereignty over the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and therefore no rightful claim over Al-Haram Al-Sharif. Israel’s actions have nothing to do with religious freedom, and everything to do with the unlawful attempt to alter the character, status and identity of the City. There is no peace without Jerusalem. Israel wants to take it off the table by entrenching its unlawful annexation of the City. But then there is nothing left to discuss. The future of conflict and peace in our region will be determined in Jerusalem, not any other capital around the world. Anybody who says otherwise is either delusional or lying.
Mr. President,
Palestinian Christians and Christian holy sites are also under attack, from severe restrictions to religious processions to attacks on clergy to the desecration of graves. Palestinian Christians suffer from the same colonial and discriminatory policies as their Muslim brothers and sisters. The historic and legal status quo, the rights of the Palestinian people and the sovereignty of the State of Palestine must be upheld.
Mr. President,
Israel is expecting all of you to pretend you can’t see, you can’t read, you can’t hear and to keep quiet about its unlawful actions. Israel has been waiting for us and for you to surrender, to accept that colonial rule, human rights abuses and war crimes should prevail over the rule of international law. Now an unhinged unrestrained government, has openly adopted a colonial and racist platform.
What future for Palestine, but also for the entire region, if there is no reaction to such a development, if there is no stand for the rule of law and justice?
I quote the head of this extremist government: “These are the basic lines of the national government headed by me: The Jewish people have an exclusive and unquestionable right to all areas of the land of Israel. The government will promote and develop settlement in all part of the Land of Israel-in the Galilee, the Negev, the Golan, Judea and Samaria”. This is a public confession to annexation and apartheid.
We heard today a unanimous Council opposed to illegal actions, opposed to provocations and unilateral measures, notably those aimed at jeopardizing the historic status quo. I will once more tell you that what you say is important, critical even. But what matters most is what you do next.
You understand that Israel will keep pushing, it might adapt its rhythm, but it will not change course. Not until it has to.
We trust the following: that eventually no State in their right mind would sacrifice their credibility, their interests, their values to shield such Israeli governments or behavior. You may still be reluctant to say out loud what is becoming impossible to deny: This is Apartheid. How many governments today brag about the relations they had with Apartheid South Africa? None. Not even Israel, its closest ally at the time. Who among you can justify standing for supremacists instead of standing up to them?
Mr. President,
Jerusalem is by nature, like all of the Holy Land, because of history, geography, and because of its significance for all monotheistic religions, a city of pluralism and diversity. The historic status quo has underpinned all efforts to promote peaceful religious coexistence in the City for centuries.
Some of the countries around this table have helped forge and consolidate it, understanding how vital it was so that the holiest of cities does not become the epicenter of a religious conflict. Without it, every holy site is up for grabs. Differences, allayed by the status quo, would turn into clashes.
Underlying tensions would implode into conflicts. Disrupting this delicate balance will lead to foreseen and predictable consequences, grave for all of us.
The historic status quo is not a legacy of the past, it is a safe passage to a peaceful, just and stable future.