Speech by Abdallah Bou Habib, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants of Lebanon, at the 79th UNGA session. teleSUR
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00:00President, I wish first and foremost to congratulate warmly you upon your election to the helm
00:20of the 79th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.
00:24We wish you every success, and we convey to you our full support for your agenda, unity
00:34and diversity for the advancement of peace, sustainable development, and human dignity
00:41for present and future generations.
00:43Mr. President, Lebanon is currently enduring a crisis which is threatening its very existence.
00:48The future of our people and our prosperity are imperiled.
00:55This is a situation that requires international intervention on an urgent basis before the
00:59situation spirals out of control with a domino effect, making this crisis impossible to contain,
01:12just as it will be impossible to extinguish the flames of this crisis, which will transform
01:17into a black hole that will engulf regional and international peace and security.
01:23The crisis in Lebanon threatens the entire Middle East with the worst if the situation
01:30remains as it currently is and if the world remains immobile.
01:35Mr. President, we welcome the declaration delivered yesterday by the United States and
01:40by France, as supported by a number of friendly states, offering the possibility of long-term
01:50calm, helping to ensure the restoration of stability along the border, as well as the
01:55return of displaced persons.
01:57Furthermore, we demand that all possible measures be adopted for this declaration to be implemented.
02:06What we are currently experiencing in Lebanon is a consequence of the absence of a lasting
02:12sustainable solution.
02:13It is not the cause of an absence of a sustainable solution.
02:17The cause is the occupation, and we wish to reiterate this explicitly.
02:22The cause is the occupation.
02:24To claim anything else would be a loss of time.
02:29So long as the occupation persists, there will be instability and there will be war.
02:34We have repeatedly, on numerous occasions through the United Nations, we have striven
02:40to resolve border disputes with Israel.
02:45However, Israel has continuously eluded the issue or disregarded the matter.
02:53This is a difficult situation which we are experiencing, and in light of this, we are
02:58increasingly committed to international law.
03:01We are seeking refuge in the decisions under international law.
03:07To that end, Lebanon has contributed to the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human
03:12Rights through one of our children, Shalmalek.
03:18And despite the inability of the United Nations to protect us from the Israeli aggression
03:22up until now, we remain committed to the role of this organization as a front line of defense
03:29in the face of occupation, violence, devastation, and oppression.
03:36Today, we desperately need the United Nations to play its role as a refuge for small countries
03:45who have been victimized by aggression.
03:48These countries include my homeland, Lebanon.
03:55In response to this tragedy, which we've experienced as broke out since this bitter reality, we
04:00have observed that dialogue is an alternative to the language of weapons to resolve conflict.
04:06We have demonstrated an ability to be a reliable partner in building consensus, as was the
04:11case in October 2022 when the maritime borders were delimited between Lebanon and Israel.
04:18This is the best proof of our commitment to negotiations for peaceful dispute resolution.
04:25Furthermore, we proposed during two Security Council meetings – the most recent one was
04:31held on the 17th of June last, and the topic of the address was the situation in the Middle
04:38East – we proposed an integrated framework to achieve a lasting pacification in the border
04:45south of Lebanon.
04:46And we wish to reiterate today our call for a ceasefire on all fronts, for this to be
04:52an opportunity and a prerequisite towards the full-fledged implementation of Resolution
04:591701 of the United Nations Security Council, which has been effective in establishing a
05:07relative degree of stability in the south of Lebanon since the end of the July 2006
05:12war up until 7 October 2023.
05:17We moreover are counting on the support of the international community, and specifically
05:22on the support of friendly countries in reinforcing the deployment of the Lebanese army in the
05:29south of the Litani River and delivering the necessary equipment to ensure that troop levels
05:37can be increased in the wake of the launch by the state of a conscription campaign as
05:44part of a clear commitment to the implementation of Resolution 1701.
05:50In this regard, there will be no weapons without the consent of the Lebanese Government, and
05:55there will be no other authority than that of the Lebanese Government, as is stipulated
06:02in the above-mentioned resolution.
06:05Our demand to secure support is not merely a reflection of our commitment to honoring
06:11our commitments under Resolution 1701.
06:16This is also our confirmation of the importance – reaffirmation of the importance of cooperation
06:23and support from the international community to surmount security-related challenges in
06:30order to bolster peace and security in the region.
06:34We are all cognizant of the economic crisis that has been plaguing our country, and despite
06:39this, our government has taken a decision to – for 100,000 additional soldiers to
06:45be deployed to the south of the country.
06:48And this is not a mere detail.
06:53Quite the contrary, this is a clear political message to the international community reflecting
06:57the fact that Lebanon fully intends to implement Resolution 1701 to which we are wedded.
07:06And even at the worst times, including the present, we are not standing idly by.
07:13We are mobilizing our efforts at the highest level to protect our people, our national
07:17institutions, as well as our sovereignty.
07:22Mr. President, among the most significant provisions of Resolution 1701, emphasizing
07:31the internationally recognized borders of Lebanon delimited between Lebanon and Palestine
07:37in 1923, the – reaffirmed in the Lebanese-Israeli truce agreement signed on the Island of Rhodes
07:46in 1949 under the supervision of the United Nations.
07:53This will be achieved with the agreement on 13 points that are a source of discord.
08:01And pursuant to this, Israel will withdraw from all Lebanese regions that it has occupied
08:08and continues to occupy in the direction of the internationally recognized border.
08:13We wish to reiterate our commitment to the role of UNIFIL, the peacekeeping force which
08:23is active in the south of Lebanon.
08:25And since its inception, it has significantly contributed to stability and peace in the
08:30region.
08:31Up until 8 October 2023, there had been no grave incident threatening regional peace
08:37and security that had been recorded.
08:40And we wish to take this opportunity to thank UNIFIL for the tremendous sacrifice it has
08:44made in light of the tremendous challenges it has been facing in particular over the
08:49past recent months, as well as specifically in recent days.
08:54Mr. President, the – Israel, instead of focusing on incessant wars, Israel is continuously
09:09radicalizing.
09:10One of the gravest challenges Lebanon currently faces is this increase in aggression.
09:18The war has expanded and it's spilled over into Lebanese regions.
09:26We are increasingly concerned due to the systematic destruction of Lebanese border villages, the
09:32collective punishment imposed on people, the setting of fire to agricultural lands with
09:38white phosphorus, thereby rendering these lands unusable for many years.
09:45We in recent days have borne witness to a detestable, repugnant example of the transformation
09:53of telecommunications devices.
09:56Civilian devices were transformed into ticking time bombs that were deliberately and simultaneously
10:02blown up, thereby claiming the lives of dozens, including children, including women, resulting
10:10in thousands of people being wounded, hundreds of whom are in critical condition, in addition
10:15to hundreds who were disfigured, maimed, who lost limbs, who lost their vision.
10:25From this rostrum, we reiterate our warning against this aggression, which is continuously
10:33intensifying, this attempt to play with fire, to plunge the entire Middle East into a conflagration.
10:41We reiterate our rejection of war, our legitimate right to defend ourselves pursuant to the
10:47Charter of the United Nations and international law.
10:52This goes hand in hand with our tireless efforts through our contacts and meetings
10:59to avoid falling into the trap of the Israeli occupying power, which is attempting to extend
11:05and prolong the war.
11:07Mr. President, the return of Israeli displaced persons to their cities and their settlements
11:14will only – cannot be achieved through war, cannot be achieved through bombardment, fighting,
11:19hostilities, or the displacement of Lebanese people.
11:22The shortest path for their return is a comprehensive, immediate ceasefire, as stipulated in the
11:31U.S. declaration, which was from yesterday supported by friendly states, a full implementation
11:38of Resolution 1701 as part of a comprehensive framework accompanied by clear international
11:45guaranteed transparent and an end – a definitive end to land, sea, and air incursions and breaches
11:58of Lebanese sovereignty and our borders, our internationally recognized borders.
12:03This is necessary.
12:05These violations have exceeded – there have been more than 35,000 such violations since 2006.
12:13Mr. President, has Israel not had enough of the endless war since 1948?
12:21When will it be time for Israel to give a real opportunity for peace?
12:25Will Israel not embrace the path of peace?
12:28Will – when will this happen instead of using the language of fire and steel?
12:34Lebanon and Arab countries have clearly, without any ambiguity, categorically embraced peace
12:40through the Arab Peace Initiative, which was the fruit of the Beirut Arab Summit in 2002,
12:47with the adoption by Arab states of the two-state solution through the demand of Arab states
12:53for the implementation of United Nations resolutions, which unfortunately have remained dead letter.
12:58It is now incumbent upon Israel – Israel, both the government and the people, Israel
13:03as a whole, if they really want peace, to embrace peace, to choose peace, to want peace
13:07instead of war, and to go beyond their obsessions and security-related anxiety, breaking the
13:14cycle of violence in the region, ending escalation, stopping escalation, and the risk of complete
13:19conflagration in the Middle East also requires collective efforts as part of a clear, defined
13:27timeline together with clear guarantees and recognition of legitimate rights, including
13:33the right to self-determination pursuant to international law.
13:37There can be no peace without the two-state solution, regardless of how much time this takes.
13:42Mr. President, by way of conclusion, we reiterate our call for a lasting solution, for the full,
13:50balanced implementation of Resolution 1701.
13:56The recognition of our land borders recognized at the international level to ensure that
14:02Lebanon and the region can avoid further warfare and destruction.
14:07We are at a very difficult time, marred by a tragic escalation of violence in Lebanon
14:13from the heart of the conflict.
14:15The Resolution 1701 of the Security Council is the primary line of defense for Lebanon.
14:22This resolution is not merely a document, not merely a framework for international action.
14:27No, this is a commitment on the part of the international community to safeguard regional
14:33peace and security.
14:35We cannot deviate from this process.
14:37Insofar, this is the legal diplomatic bedrock guaranteeing the protection of Lebanese and
14:44regional security.
14:46Respecting this resolution is absolutely necessary, not just for Lebanon but for Israel, too,
14:52and for the region as a whole.
14:55This is the best tool at the disposal of the international community to break this cycle
15:01of violence, to ensure that diplomacy prevails despite the difficulties and despite the fact
15:09that the path ahead is difficult.
15:13The cost of a diplomatic failure will be very high.
15:16For this reason, we must bear in mind that with each new wave of violence, there is unimaginable
15:22suffering endured particularly by civilians.
15:25All civilian – any civilian killed is a tragedy that is unacceptable, and there is
15:30no justification for this when civilian areas are targeted systematically, as is currently
15:38the case in Lebanon.
15:42We are talking here about acts that are tantamount to war crimes.
15:47There can be no justification for the mass murder of civilians.
15:53However, as we talk about death and destruction, devastation, we also need to endeavor to find
16:04solutions.
16:05Time is of the essence.
16:06There is a need to embrace a political process to end this crisis which is escalating.
16:11There is a need to move forward, to reach a political solution.
16:15We together need to give thought to a political solution to this crisis instead of bogging
16:25ourselves increasingly down in the militarization of this conflict, the escalation of the conflict,
16:30and the expansion of the conflict.
16:31Diplomacy is not always easy, but diplomacy is the only way to save innocent lives and
16:37homelands.
16:39For our part, we are determined to tread upon this path.
16:44Lebanon views the U.S.-French initiative, which was a French-U.S. initiative which was
16:50supported by other friendly countries, as an opportunity to generate momentum, to take
16:57steps towards ending this crisis.
17:01And diplomacy needs to succeed.
17:04There is no other choice.
17:07We'll listen to Abdallah Bouhabib, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lebanon, leading his
17:16address to the United Nations General Assembly.
17:19In his remarks, the leader assured that Lebanon is facing a crisis that threatens its existence
17:25and the future of its people.
17:27If the world remains standing still in the face of the war of terror carried out by the
17:31Israeli regime, the consequences will be catastrophic.
17:35This is a long-time call made by the peoples of the Middle East, and what Lebanon is facing
17:40is a lasting absence of action.
17:42The high official assured that Lebanon has appealed many times to the United Nations
17:46regarding the threat that Israel's government represents for the region.
17:50Bouhabib assured that despite the inability of the United Nations to protect the people
17:55of Lebanon, the country has always been loyal to the organization.
17:59He added that the country is willing to reach a peaceful resolution to the current crisis
18:03that has left so many fatalities, mostly children, and is urgently calling for an immediate ceasefire
18:09in Palestine, Lebanon, as the only way to reach agreements.
18:12This is all for the moment.
18:14Stay tuned with From the South.