MÁLAGA (SPAIN), Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Riyad Al-Malki, participated in the United Nations High-level Conference on Human Rights, Civil Society, and Counter-Terrorism, in the Spanish city of Málaga.
The two-day conference is attended by a significant number of ministers and representatives of countries and international organizations.
Malki thanked the civil society organizations, national and international organizations, as well as human rights defenders for their decades of relentless work in protecting human rights and emphasizing the functions and fundamentals of international law as a basis to eliminate terrorism. “The success of this conference is a testament to your determination.”
He stressed that Israel’s unlawful and outrageous witch-hunt and criminalization of Palestinian civil society organizations under the rubric of “terrorism” is not random or incidental.
“It is systematic. It is racist and discriminatory. And it has been decades in the making. It violates international law and the fundamental rights of an entire nation, including our right to self-determination, to silence, delegitimize, oppressing, and incapacitating Palestinian society and its civil society organizations, and by extension the global human rights movement.”
“Israel’s appalling and illegitimate decision is symptomatic of the ever-increasing hard-wiring abuse of counter-terrorism measures around the globe. Israel’s attempted criminalization of Palestinian civil society is an attack on all of you. It is an attack on the international human rights movement, international lawyers, and human rights defenders worldwide,” said Malki.
“By applying such double standards, it also obscures and undermines the global fight to eliminate the ever-persistent threat of terrorism and puts innocent lives in danger,” he added.
Malki stressed that the international community cannot permit Israel’s incitement against and persecution of civil society and human rights defenders without consequences. “This is a true test of our resolve to the rule of law, consistency in upholding international law, and the fight against terrorism.”
“The survival of Palestinian civil society depends on how we mobilize to protect them and ensure their continuity. Today I ask you to enhance your support for Palestinian NGOs and human rights defenders by all means, including facilitating their work in the pursuit of justice.”
“I call on you to not only condemn Israel’s outrageous decision but to provide international protection for Palestinian civil society, human rights defenders, and the Palestinian people as a whole, in accordance with international law and the relevant United Nations resolutions,” said Malki.
Following is the full statement of Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Riyad al-Malki:
Excellences,
Friends,
Distinguished civil society organizations and human rights defenders,
Ladies and gentlemen,
At the outset, allow me to thank the United Nations Office of Counterterrorism and the Kingdom of Spain for organizing this highly important and timely Conference.
I would also like to thank the civil society organizations, national and international organizations, as well as the human rights defenders, present today. Thank you for your decades of relentless work in protecting human rights and emphasizing the functions and fundamentals of international law as a basis to eliminate terrorism. The success of this conference is a testament to your determination.
Allow me to express Palestine’s sincere condolences to the people of Egypt, who are reeling from a murderous attack against the Egyptian army. Palestine stands with Egypt today in its fight against terrorism.
Yet, we still have much work to do, together.
Ladies and gentlemen,
When the General Assembly of the United Nations devised a multilateral comprehensive strategy to fight terrorism, it undertook measures reaffirming States’ obligations to human rights, fundamental freedoms, and international law as central pillars. It also rightly determined that ending foreign occupations, prolonged unresolved conflicts, and oppression are essential for the global fight against terrorism.
Since then, we have all recognized that both upholding international law and fundamental freedoms and developing counterterrorism measures are mutually reinforcing. And over the years, we have learned that violating the former to weaponize the latter undermines global and sincere efforts to eliminate terrorism.
Yet, the insidious weaponization of counterterrorism by States and the application of glaring double standards for political gains have taken a new and dangerous turn; a turn that we cannot recover from unless we collectively act to stop it.
Israel’s unlawful and outrageous witch-hunt and criminalization of Palestinian civil society organizations under the rubric of “terrorism” is not random or incidental. It is systematic. It is racist and discriminatory. And it has been decades in the making. It violates international law and the fundamental rights of an entire nation, including our right to self-determination, to silence, delegitimize, oppressing, and incapacitating Palestinian society and its civil society organizations, and by extension the global human rights movement.
Israel’s appalling and illegitimate decision is symptomatic of the ever-increasing hard-wiring abuse of counter-terrorism measures around the globe. Israel’s attempted criminalization of Palestinian civil society is an attack on all of you. It is an attack on the international human rights movement, international lawyers, and human rights defenders worldwide. By applying such double standards, it also obscures and undermines the global fight to eliminate the ever-persistent threat of terrorism and puts innocent lives in danger.
None of this makes us safer.
The international community cannot permit Israel’s incitement against and persecution of civil society and human rights defenders without consequences. This is a true test of our resolve to the rule of law, consistency in upholding international law, and the fight against terrorism.
The survival of Palestinian civil society depends on how we mobilize to protect them and ensure their continuity. Today I ask you to enhance your support for Palestinian NGOs and human rights defenders by all means, including facilitating their work in the pursuit of justice. I call on you to not only condemn Israel’s outrageous decision but to provide international protection for Palestinian civil society, human rights defenders, and the Palestinian people as a whole, in accordance with international law and the relevant United Nations resolutions.
Colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Amidst an institutionalized apartheid regime, the Palestinian people also face rising State-sanctioned settler terrorism
targeting Palestinian lives and properties. Settler terrorism manifests itself in various forms and shapes: arson attacks, shootings, night raids, and terror raids among others, all aimed at terrorizing and forcibly displacing the Palestinian people from their homes and lands.
In Palestine, no house, no car, no child, no elder, no woman is safe from settler terrorism.
The Israeli occupying army and settlers work hand in glove to advance their end goals: ridding the land of its original inhabitants and replacing them with colonial settlers. Israeli officials not only sanction settler terrorism, but they enable it and embrace it and protect its perpetrators; they support it and excuse it through deliberate and willful failure to ensure accountability for these terrorist acts.
In this connection, and in line with its obligations and responsibilities towards its people and international law, the State of Palestine, is improving its legislation to target terrorism, including settler terrorism. The State of Palestine introduced laws targeting settler organizations, their enablers, financiers, and individuals, who commit or are complicit in acts of terrorism or coercion against the Palestinian people, within the jurisdiction of the State of Palestine.
Settler terrorism is a threat to international peace and security. Therefore, we urge the international community to follow suit and adopt legislation and regulations and ensure that settler individuals, groups, and organizations, as well as their enablers, are held accountable for their terrorism.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The State of Palestine unequivocally condemns and rejects terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. We have concluded memorandums of understanding with States around the world and fully cooperate with the United Nations in the fight against terrorism.
The State of Palestine is also proud to be part of the Group of Friends of Victims of Terrorism, whose main objective is protecting the rights and needs of the survivors, including access to justice and accountability, which must be respected and upheld.
I will conclude with these thoughts: Counter-terrorism discourse cannot and must not become a counter-rights discourse. Counter-terrorism measures must always fully comply with the overarching norms of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, and States’ obligations therein. Only those who equally respect the fundamental rights of nations and peoples, including the right to self-determination, and protect civil society, can truly call themselves equal partners in the fight against terrorism. It falls on us to ensure that.
Source: Palestine News Agency