H.E. Mr. Mohamed Selim:

I thank the Chair. Very briefly, we missed one point by Deputy Carthy regarding the double standard when it comes to Gaza. I absolutely agree with the Deputy. There is definitely a double standard. It has been felt and sensed not only in the Arab world but even in the west as well. We have seen it already. We have had leaders from the international community, namely, from the west, talking about certain values, such as respecting the UN charter and international humanitarian law when it had to do with a conflict in Europe. However, when it happened in Palestine a few months later, everybody was shying away and turned their heads, which is very sad, to be quite honest. It will have major repercussions in the international community mechanisms in the coming period. It has started already. We have already seen many countries in the UN and different bodies drawing the comparison between the positions of certain states when it had to with a conflict in Europe and what is happening in Palestine.

Regarding the Senator's question on Gaza, the administration that could follow and whether there is anything positive, with regard to the administration, it has to do with the Palestinian administration. Unfortunately we do not have our Palestinian ambassador here who would be best to talk about it. Egypt, and indeed any other country, should have the same answer, which is that it is up to the Palestinians to decide what they are going to do their administration. Any talk regarding an interim administration or ideas and things like that is fantasy, to be quite honest.

If it is not driven by the Palestinians themselves, it will not bear fruit and will not materialise.

As for anything positive that could come up, unfortunately it is a very sad situation. There are a lot of negative aspects regarding this situation. If there is anything positive about this conflict, it is the fact that the Palestinian position internationally and on the world stage is much better. There is a lot of support, and I have not seen that in decades. The solidarity with the rights of Palestinians and Palestinian statehood is evident and clear, especially among newer generations. We have seen it in universities and among the younger generation, including in the West. These are things we have not seen previously.

With regard to reconstruction, it has been alluded to that there could be something like a Marshall Plan - that was not the term used - for Gaza after the conflict. I think it is a futile exercise if we talk about reconstruction because Gaza has been reconstructed several times before. The European countries have provided billions of euro to fund areas and institutions in Gaza and they have been bombed once again. Many of the Arab states have also provided a lot of money for Gaza. Many places have been bombed not once but twice and thrice. Basically, it is unending. The question this raises is why any donor state would even consider providing any aid for an institution when there is a likelihood that it will be bombed a few weeks later and the same country will be asked again to provide finance and aid for it. The only way out of this is to address the core issue, namely, the cause of the Palestinians and their right to statehood. Everybody should be working for a political solution that addresses the grievances of the Palestinian people. They should go ahead in regard to declaring the Palestinian state, hopefully in negotiation with the Israeli side, which is not showing any signs of flexibility towards having a political solution to this conflict.