Israel urges global community to crack down on state-sponsored terrorism

Sponsoring terrorism and permitting terrorist groups to act with impunity are not among the prerogatives of sovereignty, Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gabriela Shalev said at the Security Council on Tuesday.

"A state which is unwilling to effectively deal with such activities must be held accountable for its deeds," she said. "A number of UN treaties already provide a legal framework to address this threat. What remains to be seen is sufficient political will. "

Shalev made the comment during an open Security Council session on counterterrorism committees. Israelis, she said, know firsthand the devastation caused by terrorism. From Hamas in the south to Hizbullah in the north, Israel's security is threatened on both sides.

"In certain parts of our region we witness safe haven given to terrorists, the transfer of weapons to terrorist organizations and the growing incitement to terrorism," she said. "Most alarming in this regard are the member states of this organization (the UN) that support, harbor, finance, train, transfer, and smuggle terrorists and weapons in our region."

The Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee, guided by resolutions 1373 and 1624, has been working to bolster the ability of UN members to prevent terrorist acts both within their borders and across regions.

Shalev emphasized the pressing need to address the implementation of both resolutions beyond mere obligation of country reporting. In addition, she said, no counter-terrorism strategy is complete without addressing the issue of incitement.

The international community has "an obligation to address in a proactive and decisive manner the threat posed by the transfer of weapons and capabilities by some member states to terrorist organizations, including in our region, where the danger from the continuous smuggling of arms is increasingly clear," she said. " This support, which constitutes a violation of numerous Security Council resolutions, undermines the stability of our entire region. "

Source:Xinhua