Gholamali Khoshroo, Iran’s ambassador to the UN, said on Thursday that the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian land is the core and central to all conflicts in the Middle East.

“No political theater by the U.S. and Israeli regime can cover up the aggressive and expansion policies of this regime and its behavior towards its neighbors as the main source of threat to the peace and security in this region,” Khoshroo said in statement read at the Security Council Open Debate on “Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question”.

Following is full text of the statement published by IRNA:

At the beginning, I convey my Delegation’s appreciation to Peru for convening this open debate on the situation in the Middle East, including the Question of Palestine, at this critical juncture for Palestine and the Middle East.

I align myself with the statement by the representative of the Bolivarian Republic Venezuela on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement.

The Israeli occupation of Palestinian land is the core and central to all conflicts in the Middle East. The injustice has been continuing for more than seven decades, intensified through Israeli expansionist, aggressive and apartheid policies towards Palestinians and the Region. No political theater by the U.S. and Israeli regime can cover up the aggressive and expansion policies of this regime and its behavior towards its neighbors as the main source of threat to the peace and security in this region. While the Palestinian territories and Syrian Golan heights remains under illegal Israeli occupation the minister of Regional Cooperation of this regime boasting that Israel has undertaken more than 100 strikes to Syria and Lebanon, all of them directly played into the hands of terrorists when and where they need them.

Each time we meet here, we receive news regarding illegal settlements or aggressive policies committed by the apartheid Zionist regime. The Israeli regime now works day and night to negate any right for Palestinians and entrench the occupation.

Indeed, Israel is a rogue regime, by definition--this is an undeniable fact for the international community, except for those who believe illegal occupation, illegal settlements, apartheid, siege, and regular attacks of mass murder are the legitimate actions of a regime that proclaims itself as the only democracy in the Middle East.

As one of the prominent Palestinian scholars once said three decades ago: ‘What’s so extraordinary is that what the Israelis are now doing on the West Bank and Gaza is really repeating the experience of apartheid and what the United States did to the Native Americans. Put them in reservations or just exterminate them…then the problem will go away.’ These words are true today more than ever.

As a result of the new and ongoing mass murder in Gaza, dozens of unarmed Palestinian civilians have been killed and thousands have been wounded so far. It is the latest in an old pattern followed by the Israeli regime during the course of the past seven decades. Given the circumstances, there is no doubt that these vicious attacks and killings were planned and deliberate. Those who support and enable the Israeli regime to commit these types of crimes have also the Palestinians’ blood on their hands.

The unlawful announcement on al-Quds al-Sharif and the imminent transfer of the U.S. embassy to this city is another example of the policies that are exacerbating the problems. These measures, gravely contravene international law and relevant UN General Assembly and Security Council resolutions. 

The exceptionalism that has long been accorded to the Israeli regime must now end, if this Council is serious about establishing peace and security in the Middle East. The impunity this regime has enjoyed for so long wouldn’t have been possible without the help it receives from the U.S. and certain interest groups.

In closing, at a time when the Palestinian people are facing rising Israeli aggression, Iran reaffirms its longstanding solidarity with the Palestinian people, recognizing their decades of resilience despite so much suffering and injustice, and Iran reiterates its strong support for their legitimate and inalienable rights, including to self-determination and freedom in an independent and viable State of Palestine, with Al-Quds as its capital.