NEW YORK: Kuwaitaffirmed refusal to any solution for the Israeli-Arab conflict that does notinvolve ending the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian and Arab lands since 1967.The remarks were made by Kuwait's permanent ambassador to the United Nations(UN) Mansour Al-Otaibi during the United Nations Security Council's (UNSC)session on the situation in the Middle East late Tuesday.
Otaibi noted thatalmost 25 years had passed since the Oslo Accord was signed, but no progresswas seen in implementing the agreement, as Israel continues attackingPalestinians and expanding settlements. Israel is still violating theinternational law by building illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinianterritories, including East Jerusalem, forced displacement of Palestiniancitizens, arresting Palestinians and destroying buildings, he said.
The situation gotworse in Palestine after the US announced recognizing Jerusalem as Israel'scapital and moving embassies to the city, Otaibi said. He added that suchactions and violations led the Palestinian government to stop exerting effortsto achieve peace with Israel. Meanwhile, the Kuwaiti diplomat affirmed that itis the UNSC's responsibility to meet the needs and ambitions of the Palestinianpeople and protect civilians against Israeli violence. Moreover, he called onthe international community to support the United Nations Relief and WorksAgency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to allow theorganization to continue providing education, health and social services toPalestinian refugees.
Despite theescalating tension, the Arab states still look forward to reach a peacefulsolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. This includes recognizingPalestine as an independent state, protect the Palestinian right of return,grant Palestinians the right to decide their own fate and compensatingPalestinian refugees, in accordance with article number 194 of the UN General Assembly.
Criminal act
Separately,Kuwait has renewed its condemnation of terrorism in all its forms andmanifestations, whatever its motives, as it is a criminal act that is notjustified and should not be linked to any religion, nationality, civilizationor ethnic group. This came in a speech last night by Kuwait at the SecurityCouncil session on threats to international peace and security caused byterrorist acts, which was delivered by Ambassador Otaibi.
"The fightagainst terrorism calls for mobilizing all international efforts to confrontthis criminal scourge by taking measures to ensure respect for human rights,the rule of law and good governance," he said. He pointed out that despitethe victories achieved by the international community against the terroristorganizations, especially against the so-called Islamic State or Daesh and themilitary defeat suffered by the organization in Syria with the fall of the cityof Baghuz in the province of Deir Ezzor in March, but the Islamic State was notfully eliminated.
Otaibi added thatthe so-called Islamic State operates and grows secretly in Iraq, Syria andother regions around the world by developing its methods, whether in terroristoperations, financing such operations or recruiting individuals according tothe available resources. He noted the report of the Secretary-General, whichindicated that the so-called IS is still able to send money to carry out itsacts of sabotage in ways that are difficult to detect by the authorities inlight of the wealth they control, which amounts to about $300 million. The waragainst IS in Iraq and Syria has left many humanitarian and security threatsand challenges, for example, the phenomenon of foreign terrorist fighters,returnees, migrants and their families, he said.
Radicalideologies
Prisons were anincubator that contributed to the nurturing and dissemination of radicalideologies among inmates suffering from poverty, marginalization anddiscrimination, which required further cooperation and communication amongMember States and with the support of relevant United Nations entities infurther strengthening the rehabilitation and social reintegration efforts ofprisoners, including convicts and those convicted of crimes of terrorism.
Otaibi pointedout that Kuwait has established a rehabilitation center specialized inproviding guidance and reform for all those affected by thought outside thescope of sound thought, where members of the Center go through a program aimedat qualifying everyone with extremist ideology. Otaibi pointed out thatpreventing and combating the financing of terrorism is also one of the mostprominent challenges facing countries in their efforts to combat the threat ofterrorism. - KUNA