Equipo Nizkor - UNSC S/2016/354 - Letter from Syria following the meeting that the Israeli Government held in the occupied Syrian Golan.

United Nations
Security Council

S/2016/354

Distr.: General
18 April 2016
English
Original: Arabic

Identical letters dated 17 April 2016 from the Chargé d'affaires a.i. of the Permanent Mission of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council

On instructions from my Government, I should like convey to you the position of the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic regarding the meeting that the Israeli Government held in the occupied Syrian Golan on Sunday morning, 17 April 2016.

The Syrian Arab Republic condemns in the strongest possible terms the provocative meeting that the Israeli occupying Government held in the occupied Syrian Golan. That meeting is null and void in both form and substance. The Syrian Government calls on the United Nations and the Security Council to act immediately and condemn the holding of such an irresponsible meeting and to demand that this reckless action must not be repeated, particularly given that the meeting was held in occupied Syrian territory.

The Syrian Arab Republic now reminds the United Nations of its commitments and obligations to implement the resolutions adopted by the General Assembly and the Security Council. Those resolutions do not recognize Israeli occupation of Syrian territory. Security Council resolution 497 (1981), in particular, rejects the sinister decision of the Israeli Knesset to annex the Syrian Golan, an action that no State has recognized because it is contrary to international law, international humanitarian law and human rights. Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) are the basis for resolving the Arab -Israeli conflict; accordingly, such Israeli policies reflect Israel's utter lack of respect for the international community and the resolutions it has adopted.

Security Council resolution 497 (1981) provides that the acquisition of territory by force is inadmissible, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, and considers that the Israeli decision to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights is null and void and without international legal effect. In that same resolution, the Council demands that Israel, the occupying Power, should rescind forthwith its decision, and declares that all the provisions of the Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949, continue to apply to the Syrian territory occupied by Israel.

The Syrian Arab Republic reiterates that the Syrian people are determined to combat terrorism and will continue the struggle to eradicate terrorism from Syrian territory and defeat the armed terrorist groups, which receive foreign support, particularly from Israel, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Syria will never forget, nor will it relent, but will continue to sacrifice all that is precious and dear in order to liberate the steadfast Syrian Golan from ignominious Israeli occupation. It will also continue to resist Israeli occupation and the illegal policies and practices of the occupiers, as exemplified by the imposition of their invalid measures and laws in occupied Syrian and Arab territory. The Government of the Syrian Arab Republic salutes and expresses its appreciation to the heroic Syrian people of the occupied Syrian Golan, who stand resolutely before the Israeli occupiers, and praises them for the sacrifices they have made in the struggle against Israel and their decisive rejection of Israel's decision to annex the occupied Syrian Golan. As Syria continues to combat terrorism and achieve victory after victory, it stresses that terrorism is one of the principal tools employed by Israel in order to consolidate its occupation of Syrian and Arab territory.

The Government of the Syrian Arab Republic calls on the United Nations and the international community to fulfil their responsibility to implement the relevant resolutions of the Security Council and the General Assembly, and to bring to an end the occupation of the Syrian Golan, in accordance with Security Council resolution 497 (1981). The Government also calls on them to condemn all forms of terrorism perpetrated by Israel against our people in the occupied Syrian Golan, as well as threats to the territorial integrity and unity of the Syrian Arab Republic and the unity of its people. Moreover, those Israeli policies threaten security and stability in Syria, the region and the world.

I should be grateful if the present letter could be issued as a document of the Security Council.

(Signed) Mounzer Mounzer
Chargé d'affaires a.i.

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18Apr16

Letter from Syria following the meeting that the Israeli Government held in the occupied Syrian Golan