Colleagues, for two agonizing years, Gaza -- home to over two million souls -- has
been a crucible of conflict, a hell on earth, where Hamas’ brutality and terror
met Israel’s fierce response, leaving rubble where schools once stood and graves
where playgrounds thrived. The death toll climbs into the tens of thousands,
hunger gnaws at the vulnerable, and hope flickers like a candle in a storm. But
colleagues, here today -- November 17th -- we stand at a crossroads. Today, we have
the power to douse the flames and light a path to peace.
That path is the draft United Nations Security Council resolution before us -- a
bold, pragmatic blueprint born from President Trump’s 20-point Comprehensive
Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, forged in the fires of diplomacy with Qatar,
Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE, [Jordan], Türkiye, Pakistan, and Indonesia. Those
countries stood with President Trump -- right back here in this very chamber, right
in this room. They stood with him during the UN General Assembly High Level Week
just eight weeks ago and they have now publicly stood for this resolution. Over
a dozen European heads of state, including the EU, the Secretary-General, and
Mahmoud Abbas stood with President Trump then at Sharm El-Sheikh after he
presented his plan to the Israeli Knesset.
So colleagues I ask you before this
vote: With this kind of support, I ask you if the region most affected, the Arab
nations, the Muslim majority nations, the Palestinians, and the Israelis can
accept this resolution, how could anyone be against it? There is an old saying
where I come from: “You can’t be more Catholic than the Pope.” And I ask
everyone today, are you more righteous in this cause than those who must live
with it and will ultimately benefit from this plan for peace?
This resolution, colleagues, is no mere paper promise; it’s a lifeline. The
resolution endorses a hard-won ceasefire. And I thank Special Envoy Steve
Witkoff. I thank my dear friend Jared Kushner who forged what so many people
said was impossible. The living hostages released. There is still more
absolutely to go with families suffering, but we have a ceasefire that is
holding. Their plan has already silenced the guns and freed 45 hostages in this
fragile, fragile first step. And let me be clear -- the United States remains
committed to ensuring that the remains of the last three hostages held by Hamas
must come home.
The resolution authorizes the
International Stabilization Force -- a strong
coalition of peacekeepers, many from Muslim-majority nations like Indonesia,
Azerbaijan, and others -- to deploy under a unified command. These brave souls will
secure Gaza’s streets, they will oversee demilitarization, they will protect
civilians, and they will escort aid through safe corridors, all while Israel
phases out its presence and a vetted Palestinian police force takes on a new
role.
At the heart of this plan, colleagues. lies the Board of Peace, a transitional
administration with an international, coordinating reconstruction financing from
a dedicated trust fund -- backed by the World Bank itself -- to rebuild shattered
lives. Homes, hospitals, schools -- that’s what we will see with this resolution.
Not talking points, but actual deliverables. And crucially, per the carefully
negotiated language in the 20 Point Plan, this resolution charts a possible
pathway for Palestinian self-determination, after the Palestinian Authority has
completed the necessary reforms, where rockets will give way to olive branches
and there is a chance to agree on a political horizon. It dismantles Hamas’
grip, it ensures Gaza rises free from terror’s shadow, prosperous and secure.
Now colleagues, we hear critics whispering of challenges -- Russia has had a
counter-draft, we hear concerns over mandates -- but, colleagues, hesitation here
is the true enemy. We’ve seen ceasefires crumble before; we cannot repeat the
definition of insanity here by doing the same thing that was done before. And by
returning to the same frameworks and same talking points that will doom us to
repeat this horror all over again. Delaying will cost lives: And every day
without this force, aid trucks lie idle, children starve, and extremists regroup
to try and maintain control. So colleagues, voting yes today isn’t just
endorsing a plan; it’s affirming our shared humanity. It’s telling Gaza’s and
Israel’s mothers that the world has not forgotten them.
Adopting this resolution today will prove the United Nations can still be a
beacon, and not just a bystander.
Colleagues, the eyes of history -- and humanity -- are upon us -- right here, right now.
A vote against this resolution is a vote to return to war. Time is not on the
side of peace. This is not the time for endless debate and lawyering. The clock
is ticking, like a timebomb. So, let us vote for this resolution not as a
compromise, but as a covenant. For the children of Gaza. And for peace that
endures. And for a Middle East reborn.
Mr. President, I thank you.
Original Text Source: usmission.gov
Audio Source: United Nations YouTube
Channel
Audio Note: AR-XE = American Rhetoric Extreme Enhancement
Page Created: 11/18/25
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