UN Security Council Debate on Counter-terrorism

Statement by Amb Prosor at UN Security Council Debate on Counter-terrorism
MFA 15.1.2013

We face the frightening possibility that Hezbollah could soon get its hands
on Assad's vast stockpiles of chemical weapons. This Council must act today,
not tomorrow. We have a responsibility to prevent the world’s most dangerous
weapons from falling into the hands of the world’s most dangerous actors.

Yes, we must attack terrorist infrastructure, and go after those who support
and finance terrorism. However, true counter-terrorism must also begin by
disrupting the ecosystem of extremism in which terror thrives.

Mr. President,

There is a specific kind of ecosystem that creates terrorism. Terrorism is
rooted in hate, watered with instability and state support, and then planted
in the next generation.

Every roadside bombing, every suicide attack, and every act of terrorism
begins with words and thoughts of hate. It begins with Al Qaida websites
that turn suicide bombers into Jihadi celebrities. It begins with Hezbollah
summer camps that use arts and crafts to glorify martyrdom and teach
bomb-making skills to children.

It begins with statements by Hamas leaders like Atallah Abu Al Subh, who
recently said on public Palestinian television, (and I quote) “The Jews are
the most despicable and contemptible nation to crawl upon the face of the
Earth.” This is the poison that is being fed to people across the Middle
East, day after day.

So I want to take the opportunity of this debate to ask the simple question:
how do we truly counter terrorism? Yes, we must combat terrorists wherever
they seek to strike. Yes, we must attack terrorist infrastructure, and go
after those who support and finance terrorism.

However, true counter-terrorism must also begin by disrupting the ecosystem
of extremism in which terror thrives. It means advancing education that
teaches peace, not hate, and mutual understanding, not martyrdom. It means
speaking out against incitement and all forms of terrorism, even when it is
politically inconvenient.

We are far from that reality. In too many corners of the planet, extremists
have the tools to grow the next generation of terrorists. In this very
Council, some states offer justification for certain terrorists, while
condemning others.

Mr. President,

The Counter-Terrorism Committee, the Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee, and the
1540 Committee all remain essential parts of the global effort to isolate
terrorists and deny them the means to inflict harm.

Israel appreciates the work of the UN's counter-terrorism agencies. The UN
has expanded its counter-terrorism efforts over the past decade - in
particular by coordinating and facilitating technical assistance to member
states.

Israel is proud to be an active partner and donor in these efforts. We
continue to share the knowledge and experience that comes through years of
combating terrorism. We remain committed to implementing the relevant
Security Council resolutions, and to that end, we recently submitted our
periodic report, in accordance with Resolution 1540. We also support the UN
Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. All four pillars of this strategy must be
treated as a whole.

Israel is working closely with many states and regional organizations to
advance counter-terrorism cooperation in areas from aviation security to
border protection to terrorist financing. These activities reflect our
fundamental belief that terrorism can only effectively be confronted through
international cooperation. No state should stand alone.

Mr. President,

It takes a network to beat a network. The challenge we face is growing as a
result of an increasingly linked network of smuggling rings, transnational
criminals, and terrorists.

Ayman Juma was recently indicted in a U.S. court for smuggling 85 tons of
cocaine into the U.S. and for laundering $850 million for a Mexican drug
cartel. He took a 14 percent commission for these efforts on behalf of his
bosses, the Hezbollah terrorist organization.

Juma is one of many thousands of Hezbollah operatives in a network that
spans from West Africa to the Middle East to Latin America to Europe. This
global criminal network funds Hezbollah’s terrorist activities, and provides
the logistical support to carry them out.

Make no mistake. There is a direct connection between powder cocaine
smuggled from Latin America and the gunpowder of Hezbollah weaponry in
Lebanon.

Mr. President,

Criminals are not the only supporters of terrorists. Many states - including
some in this hall - work hand-in-hand with them as well. Iran stands chief
among these nations.

Across the African continent, Iranian weaponry has become the tool of choice
for some of the region's bloodiest insurgencies and terrorists.

In Gaza, Iran is funding, training and arming Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other
terrorists, giving them the capabilities to strike Israel’s largest cities.
Iran's politicians and military commanders boast about providing terrorists
with this assistance. The head of Islamic Jihad in Gaza said last November
(and I quote) "the entire world knows that Iran is the main source of our
weapons."

Iran has also helped Hezbollah to build its arsenal to unprecedented levels
in Lebanon, amassing 50,000 deadly missiles - in flagrant breach of
resolution 1701. These weapons can reach all of Israel and well beyond.
Hezbollah intentionally stores its weapons in civilian areas. Just last
month, a large Hezbollah weapons storage facility exploded in the Lebanese
village of Tair Harfa, just 300 meters from a school. The people of Lebanon
are more valuable to Hezbollah and Iran as human shields than as human
beings.

We face the frightening possibility that Hezbollah could soon get its hands
on Assad's vast stockpiles of chemical weapons. This Council must act today,
not tomorrow. We have a responsibility to prevent the world’s most dangerous
weapons from falling into the hands of the world’s most dangerous actors.

This Council cannot turn a blind eye to those states that sponsor, support,
and arm terrorists. The international community must hold them accountable
for the violence that they spread - and the lives that they have taken.

Mr. President,

We have passed many resolutions in these halls in the global fight against
terror. Our collective efforts cannot end there. The voices of the victims
of terrorism call to us. They demand our united action.

We must take the words from the printed page and breathe life into them
every day. We must be steadfast. We must be strong. We must, as Churchill
said, "seek victory however long and hard the road may be." We cannot rest
until the evil ideologies that fuel terror become nothing more than relics
of the past.

Thank you, Mr. President.