Ramallah, 18 December 2021 (TDI): Palestine welcomed today’s UNGA resolution on the permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the occupied territories. They include East Jerusalem, and the Arab people in the Syrian Golan, over their natural resources.
In that sense, Palestine’s Foreign Minister Riyad Malki stated that “the vote affirms the right of the Palestinian people over their natural resources”. The Minister included the land, water, and energy. Furthermore, he stressed that the Israeli occupation has no sovereignty over the Palestinian territories.
Moreover, the Representative called on Israel to stop exploiting the natural resources in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. He highlighted that the country destroys the resources, causing their loss or depletion, and endangering them.
Malki also called Israel to fulfill international resolutions and to guarantee the freedom of the Palestinian people. The Minister considers that Palestinian sovereignty is being exploited in multiple forms.
Details on the voting procedure
The vote registered 156 countries in favor and seven opposed, while 15 countries abstained. UNGA resolution called on the UN Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its next session a report on the implementation of this resolution. Likewise, the report must include the cumulative effect of the Israeli exploitation of Palestinian natural resources.
Moreover, it affirms that the construction of the wall and settlements in the Occupied Territory, including East Jerusalem, constitutes a violation of international law and Security Council resolutions, including 2334.
Finally, Minister Malki thanked all the countries that voted in favor of the resolution. On the contrary, he called on those that voted against or those that abstained to reconsider their positions. The Minister highlighted that all countries should take into account the provisions of international resolutions because all of them guarantee the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to possess their land.
