Discurso do Representante Permanente, Embaixador Sérgio França Danese, em debate aberto do Conselho de Segurança sobre a Situação no Oriente Médio, incluindo a Questão Palestina - 24 de janeiro de 2024 (texto em inglês)

Mr. President,

It has been decades since the present item in the Council’s agenda was first considered.

There is a need to go beyond wishful declarations and engage in dialogue and compromises that translate into action.

As never before, there is a need for real diplomacy and true political will that enable effective multilateral action.

The Middle East Peace Process has long been stalled. Not by itself, but by deliberate actions from different sides. Now we are witnessing the cruelest war, one that seriously threatens the prospect of a peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians.

Let me repeat what Brazil has been urging this Council to achieve for far too long: an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, before there is nothing left to be saved.

That is the urgent call from the international community, translated in powerful General Assembly resolutions, passed in the face of Security Council inaction. Its implementation is long overdue. As stated by the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs earlier this month, “what has been unfolding in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory is a war with almost no regard for the impact on civilians.”

A ceasefire is necessary to protect civilians not only from indiscriminate or disproportionate military assaults, but also from death by hunger and disease. The feasibility of humanitarian action and life-saving assistance in Gaza, as determined by UNSC resolutions 2712 and 2720, depends on it. Regrettably, alongside with relentless large-scale military operations, undue restrictions and delays to the entry of humanitarian aid in Gaza reported by UN agencies compound the hardship of civilians, in blatant disregard for international humanitarian law.

The provisional measures requested by South Africa to the International Court of Justice, with the aim of preventing the risk of genocide, by requiring “the immediate suspension of military operations in and against Gaza”, are most urgent and needed. The requested pronouncement by the principal judicial body of the UN not only may enable the necessary humanitarian relief and save civilian lives, but it can also contribute to creating an environment conducive to restoration of political dialogue and to the resumption of negotiations aimed at the two-state solution.

Mr. President,

A call for a ceasefire in Gaza does not tackle the root causes of the conflict, as is necessary for durable peace in the region. Nevertheless, a ceasefire now is possibly the only alternative that can preserve the international community’s ability to do so thereafter.

There can be no military solution to the deeply rooted causes of tension and hostility. Further military action will only deepen resentments, hatred and ultimately perpetuate the cycle of violence, with detrimental effects for the whole region and the world.

Beyond Gaza, in the West Bank, in the Red Sea, in Yemen, across the Blue Line between Israel and Lebanon, in Iraq, in Syria, and of course also in Israel, the escalation of hostilities and new security incidents seem directly related to this growing sentiment of distrust and outright disregard for international law, prompted by our collective inability to avoid the tragedy in Gaza, ensure accountability, and pave the way for a true and effective peace process.

There is no alternative other than advancing decisively towards the two-State solution, with a Palestinian State living side by side with Israel in peace and security, within mutually agreed and internationally recognized borders.

Thank you.