Igli Hasani at the UN: Albania supports Israel in its legitimate right to self-defense
2023-10-24 19:42:31PolitikëSHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Igli Hasani
The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Igli Hasani, declared from the high-level meeting of the UN Security Council that Albania stands with Israel.
"Albania stands with Israel as any nation attacked in its legitimate right to self-defense in accordance with International Humanitarian Law," Hasani said first.
During his speech, Minister Hasani stated that the event of October 7 is the deadliest attack in the history of Israel.
Minister Hasani has stated that Albania condemns any legitimization or glorification of terrorist attacks and has said that the purpose of Hamas is not to protect the Palestinians and that the latter should be the first to oppose acts of terror.
Hasani said that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is dramatic and that Albania condemns the attack on the Al-Ahli hospital and calls for a full investigation of those responsible.
The full speech of Minister Igli Hasani, at the Security Council meeting on the "Situation in the Middle East, including the issue of Palestine":
Thank you Minister Vieira for the invitation and organization of this high-level meeting.
Thank you, Secretary General, for the cool description of the situation on the ground. The terrible events of October 7 constitute the deadliest attack in Israel's history.
Albania supports Israel - like any other nation under attack - in its legitimate right to self-defense, in accordance with international humanitarian law. At such difficult and defining moments, Israel and its people need the support of the community of free nations to respond to terrorists who have committed heinous crimes and continue to question this state's right to existing.
We fully believe that there is a way to ensure the security of Israel and the protection of innocent civilians. Innocent lives are equally important, whether Israeli or Palestinian. This is why every precaution must be taken not to harm those who do not deserve it, those whose lives have been put in danger by Hamas and other terrorists or extremists.
Hamas and its leaders who live a comfortable life outside of Gaza and their supporters knew very well what they were doing when they unleashed their 'arsenal' to kill, burn, massacre and kidnap anyone they could. They hoped to provoke a massive response from Israel, knowing full well that civilians would be the victims.
Their hope and eventual victory, their victory would be to turn the world against Israel.
We must not be deceived. There is only one party that is enjoying what is happening. It is the country known to sponsor terrorism, in Gaza, in the West Bank, in Yemen, in Lebanon, in Syria, wherever they can. It is the country that is known worldwide and continues to destabilize the entire Middle East.
Albania condemns any legitimization and glorification of terrorist attacks. It is crystal clear that Hamas's goal is not to protect the Palestinians. Their actions do not represent them. Therefore, the time has come for all Palestinians to realize that their right to self-determination, their dream of statehood, their aspirations for a better life, in security and dignity, will never be realized with Hamas and its ilk. his. The Palestinians must be the first to oppose the acts of horror, to be against the unacceptable and the unjustifiable. Hamas is denying them the present; their future is being stolen.
Developments in the Middle East have always reverberated around the world. They release strong emotions. We are concerned by an alarming rise in anti-Semitic sentiment, fueled by hatred, misinformation and misrepresentation at very dangerous levels, particularly through social media. Anti-Semitism has never gone away, but what we see today is simply unacceptable. We must not remain indifferent to the calls and behaviors that come from the Nazi narrative. We must not allow the fabric of our societies to be torn apart by misrepresentations, hate speech, discrimination and the resurgence of inhumane behaviors that have produced one of the darkest moments in human history. We said "never again", but we must be vigilant, react, fight for it, against all those who fan the flames of division and discrimination.
Dear members of the Security Council, As we have heard, the humanitarian situation in Gaza is dramatic.
We condemn the attack on Al-Ahli Hospital, which happened last Tuesday, and call for a full investigation of those responsible for such an act. We welcome the arrangements made so far for the passage of humanitarian convoys into Gaza, with water, food and medical supplies. Although much more is needed to meet the needs, efforts must continue and diplomacy must always prevail. We commend Egypt, the United States, Israel and the Secretary-General for their efforts in this regard. Humanitarian aid to civilians must continue unimpeded for all those in need, fuel must be provided and electricity restored. The normal and unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid must be guaranteed through humanitarian pauses.
We welcome the release of the hostages and any effort in this direction deserves appreciation. In the first place, the civilians should never have been abducted and they should all be released unconditionally. Last, but by no means least, everything must be done to avoid a spread of the conflict that would strain the entire Middle East. We condemn Hezbollah's attacks on Israel and call on them to refrain from unprovoked actions and fully comply with UNSC Resolution 1706.
Provocative, threatening and inflammatory rhetoric does not help. It is time to act with maturity, to convey messages of care and responsibility. Israel needs security and deserves security; Palestinians need and deserve their own state. The issue of Palestine must not continue to remain an unfinished business, poisoning the international discourse and serving as a false pretext for extremists and terrorists who use it for other purposes and benefits.
It is urgent to restore a perspective for the future. Albania reiterates its support for both peoples, for both states; for a democratic and stable Palestine and a secure Israel living side by side in peace and security and in full, mutual recognition, with their peoples enjoying equal rights and dignity. In conclusion, I want to express Albania's support for the US draft resolution, which addresses all the relevant core issues, for which we hope that the Security Council will convey a unified position.
