Oman condemns illegal Israeli practices in occupied Palestine

The Sultanate of Oman has publically re-affirmed its stance on the Palestinian cause at the United Nations in New York.

In a speech on behalf of  Oman to the UN General Assembly in its 77th session, Sayyid Harib bin Namir Alsaid said the practices of the Israeli authorities in the occupied Palestinian territories, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip are a matter of concern to the international community. He said that these illegal practices contradict the provisions of International Law. He called on the international community to compel the Israeli occupation authorities to respect  international law and to remind them of their responsibilities not to expose the lives of the Palestinian people and other Arab residents in the occupied territories to such practices.

In his speech Sayyid Harib voiced Oman's strong support for a two-state solution with the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the borders of June 1967 and with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative and relevant international resolutions.

Sayyid Harib said the Sultanate was calling on the international community to consider positively the repeated requests to provide the necessary protection for the Palestinian people under occupation. He added that the failure of the international community to fulfil its responsibilities encourages Israel to further extremism and abuse of the Palestinian people, who like other peoples, remain determined to obtain their legitimate and inalienable rights. He demanded that Israel, as the occupying power, should  immediately stop its settlement practices, aimed at changing the nature and demographic composition of the occupied Palestinian territories, in breach of international law.

Sayyid Harib affirmed Oman's firm belief in supporting peace efforts and initiatives in the region and the world. He added that the Sultanate of Oman is a peace-loving country that supports peaceful coexistence among all peoples and that establishing a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East is a strategic necessity that serves international peace and security.

This is an unofficial English translation of the original Arabic text. To view the official Arabic text, click here.