Topic: 2024-Indiscriminate Weapons
Country: Israel
Delegate Name: Sam Ostrow
In the Tanakh, David writes,
סור מרע ועשה־טוב בקש שלום ורדפהו
“Shun evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.”
The pursuit of peace faces troubling times, and the production and utilization of indiscriminate weapons hinder this virtuous pursuit. The Israeli delegation stands firmly in its belief that the issue of indiscriminate weapons must be dealt with in a timely manner, to protect the innocent, and fulfill the summons to live righteously as nations.
On October 7, 2023, we were attacked by terrorists whose mission was to slaughter Israelis without regard for the sanctity of human life. In acts of execution, rape, human cruelty, and pure evil, the lives of more than 1,200 of our brothers, sisters, fathers, and mothers were taken in the most horrible manner, and hundreds were taken hostage. Due to these brutal acts of violence, we are at war. The terrorist organization Hamas infiltrated our nation to commit these atrocities under the cover of indiscriminate rocket attacks. Tens of thousands of rockets and missiles have rained down on our towns, cities, and villages since that horrific day. Let alone the tens of thousands that have been launched in the preceding decades. We have done what we must to defend our nation and protect our people. While we recognize the pain that Palestinians have suffered due to the cowardly actions of Hamas, we vehemently oppose all accusations that the Israel Defense Forces are utilizing indiscriminate weapons. We will under no circumstance let this accusation stand, and we have the evidence to dispute it and prove its falsity.
Israel has suffered from reckless and irresponsible missile attacks since October 7th that have only served to jeopardize the common pursuit of nations in the Middle East for a continued and lasting peace. The irresponsible parties have made it clear that they will attack Israeli citizens, which is why we now urge this committee to adopt a focus on implementing strategies to combat nuclear weapon production by nations that sponsor or commit acts of terrorism. We maintain our vow to not be the first party to introduce nuclear weapons in the Middle East, but we are aware that others cannot make the same promise. As a nation that has signed onto the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and is party to the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, we understand the threat that nuclear weapons pose to the world. However, through our continued opposition to a full non-proliferation agreement as evidenced by our opposition to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, we understand the purpose of nuclear weapons as a method of deterrence. However, as evidenced by the continued escalation of conflict in the Middle East and implementation of indiscriminate warfare through direct attacks or proxy warfare, it is clear that others in the region do not view weapon proliferation as a method of deterrence, but rather as a means to eradicate any society that does not adhere to a certain agenda.
We urge the Disarmament and International Security Committee of the United Nations to adopt a method to target, with economic and diplomatic consequences, nations that undertake actions of nuclear proliferation while sponsoring or committing terrorist actions.
