New York, 26 April 2018.In the Security Council's open debate on the situation in the Middle East, the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Cuba to the United Nations, Mrs. Anayansi Rodriguez Camejo, expressed Cuba's serious concern about the perilous deterioration of the situation in that region since the last open debate on this issue in January this year. She spoke out against recent flagrant violations of the principles of International Law and the Charter of the United Nations that take place there, such as the Israeli attack on a Syrian airbase in the province of Homs on 9 April or other historic violations like the Israeli occupation of the Syrian Golan.
On behalf of the island, she reiterated the strongest condemnation of the criminal aggression of the Israeli Army against the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip on 30 March, which resulted in the death of dozens of people and the wounding of more than 4,000 others. She argued that this constitutes a grave and blatant violation of International Law, while exacerbating tensions in the region and banishing the possibility of any effort to resume Palestinian-Israeli peace talks. She further noted that it is very regrettable that due to the repeated hindrance of one of its members, the Security Council has not even been able to condemn these tragic events or ensure the protection of Palestinians, at a time when urgent action is required from the international community.
In addition, Rodríguez Camejo strongly condemned the new attack perpetrated by the United States and some of its allies on 13 April on military and civil facilities in the Syrian Arab Republic, on the pretext of the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Syrian Government against civilians in Douma, without any evidence of the use of such weapons by the Syrian Government and prior to an investigation by the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission.
The Cuban diplomat reiterated the need to maintain a constructive and respectful dialogue among the peoples of the Middle East and called for halting interference in internal affairs, foreign aggression and the support for, financing and provision of arms to terrorist groups which seek to promote instability and conflicts in the region.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations.