The State of Israel, Policy Statement for 2011 NMMUN

Good evening most esteemed Chair and fellow delegates of these United Nations. The State of Israel would like to extend its thanks for the opportunity to dialogue openly with all member nations. We hope that we can come to fruitful agreements peacefully.

First, the health of the European Union economy is of utmost importance to the State of Israel. Bearing in mind that Israel has had a strong commitment to economic development, it supports the economic growth and stabilization of the EU. Currently in Europe’s economy, there are several countries which are in debt, such as Spain, Ireland, and Italy—but the country that is in the most turmoil is Greece. Plagued by political and economic problems, Greece is now the topic of discussion in the EU, in terms of whether to keep Greece in the EU and continue to help them, or to let them work their problems out on their own. Greece’s economic issues and the stability of the EU are important to Israel, because our economies depend on each other. According to the Association Agreement (effective since 2000), Israel and the EU have a free trade policy. There is also much support between Israel and the EU in scientific cooperation, making the EU a major factor in our country’s well-being. As such, we support the debt deal agreed upon by EU leaders on October 26, 2011, which included 50% loan forgiveness for Greece from EU member countries.

The issue of post-revolutionary nation stabilization is of particular importance to us, given that the recent revolutions of the Arab Spring—Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya—have been among our neighbors, and more Arab nations may face revolution in the near future. Given this climate, it is essential that we develop a policy stating guidelines for post-revolutionary states to stabilize their governments as soon as possible. Specifically, we call on interim leaders to establish fair election procedures which ensure democratic election. In this, Tunisia has given us a wonderful example, with its transparent ballot boxes, pre-election voter education, and similar measures to ensure a fair voting process. Equally important, interim military rulers must relinquish power as soon as possible following revolution to prevent their own abuse of power. Finally, adequate time tables for post-revolutionary parliamentary and presidential elections, such as those currently in place for Egypt, must be established. In these ways, we can ensure democratic rule following national destabilization.

With regard to Private Military Contractors, Israel, like any other sovereign state, reserves the right to hold military force. It is crucial for the safety of citizens, the upholding of the state and of foreign relations. According to the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, all eligible men and women are drafted into Israeli Compulsory Service for two to three years. Under certain circumstances, a man or woman can be deferred from service, or he/she may continue services after the two to three year Compulsory Service term. Also according to the Ministry, the Israeli Defense forces’ motives are defensive, while their actions may be offensive. Similarly, due to a lack of territorial depth, Israeli Defense doctrine states that if an attack on the state is initiated, the response will be transferred to enemy territory outside Israeli borders. We have a lack of defense in terms of number, compared to our foreign enemies, even after mandatory recruitment of eligible citizens. Therefore, Israel finds it necessary to recruit troops from other sources. Israel would like to recognize its right to recruit military reinforcement form alternative sources and every country’s right to exercise its freedom to select and regulate these alternative sources internally.

Last but not least, the definition of terrorism and international responses to it will thankfully be addressed at this conference, since there is “no one definition of terrorism that has gained universal acceptance” (Whitaker, 2011). Violence toward the Israeli military, either by organized military attacks or guerilla warfare, is hard to define because there are simply too many exceptions. Israel feels that when a guerilla attack occurs either against us or against Palestinians, it should not be blamed on the country but the individual non military citizens who performed the military attack. When it is an organized attack, i.e. military attack, it should then be considered a terrorist act by that country. Although not yet a UN policy, we feel that this should be included in the policy on terrorism. Within Israel we want to change mandatory civil service because those who do not want to be part of it, then stage guerilla attacks against our own military causing great distress within our own country. Outside of our country, however, we do feel that it is necessary to help those in need and respond to other terrorist/ guerilla attacks. In fact after a terrorist attack on a Russian school house, we sent a team of psychologists to assist the victims and their families. Israel sees favors like this as something that should be done by all countries in the UN. We would like to see a team by the UN put together to assist other countries in under terrorist attack. Aware of the effect of terrorism on nations, the Jewish nation of Israel supports the United Nations actions to counter-terrorism and we proclaim that terrorism is not be justified under any circumstances.

The State of Israel has great gratitude for being able to attend this conference. We hope that we will be heard throughout this general assembly. Our wish is that we come up with peaceful and productive ways to discuss the topics at hand and that we make progress towards resolving issues that affect us all.


Work Cited
• Whitaker, Brian. "The Definition of Terrorism | World News | Guardian.co.uk." Latest News, Sport and Comment from the Guardian | The Guardian. Web. 06 Nov. 2011. .