# Riyad al-Maliki

Riyad al-Maliki (Arabic: رياض المالكي‎ born 1955) is former Minister of Information, government spokesperson, and Foreign Affairs Minister of the Palestinian National Authority in its 12th government, and resumed office as Foreign Affairs Minister in the current 13th government.

## Quotes

* To those who say that Israel has the right to defend itself, what right are you talking about exactly? Israel is the colonizing power. It is occupying our land. It is persecuting a whole people. Israel would ask you, “What would you have done if missiles were targeting your cities?” But Israel forgets that its occupation is the root cause of the violence. So I would like to ask you: What would you do if your territory is occupied, if your people were displaced, if your people were killed, detained, arrested, persecuted? How can an occupying power have the right to defend itself, when the whole people under occupation is deprived of the very same rights? How can some rush to issue statements to condemn the killing of one Israeli at a time when the whole world stays silent and turns a blind eye to the genocide of whole Palestinian families?
** As quoted in “We Want Real Dignity and Freedom”: Gazans Welcome Ceasefire But Demand End of Siege & Occupation, Democracy Now, (21 May 2021)
* International community content with speeches without any real action.
** Palestine FM slams world’s failure to stop Israel

## Quotes about Riyad al-Maliki

* The Palestinian foreign minister has called on the international criminal court to immediately open an investigation into alleged Israeli war crimes, crimes against humanity, and apartheid. Riyad al-Maliki met the ICC’s chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, at the tribunal on Tuesday in The Hague and referred the case, calling it an “important and historic step towards justice for the Palestinian people who continue to suffer ongoing, widespread and systematic crimes”. He said the move was “due to the intensity and the rate and the severity of the crimes against our people” including the targeting of “unarmed protestors in the Gaza Strip”.
** Palestinian minister delivers Israel 'war crimes' referral to ICC, The Guardian, (22 May 2018)
* Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki also shed few tears over Trump’s departure, calling the former president “nothing but bad news for the Palestinians.” “Zionist sympathist advisors — who worked in the interest of Israel and used their positions to do what others were unable to do — leave with [Trump]. At least we will not wake up every morning expecting the worst,” al-Maliki said in a statement to Palestinian news agency Ma’an.
** ‘We stood tall against the bully’: Palestinians hail end of Trump, welcome Biden, Aaron Boxerman, Times of Israel (20 January 2021)
* At Tuesday’s Security Council meeting, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki called for the revival of the Quartet and reiterated Abbas’s call for an international peace conference “that can signal a turning point in this conflict.” He also expressed hope that “the US will play an important role in multilateral efforts for peace in the Middle East.” Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow is convinced that the Quartet, working closely with both sides and Arab states, “can play a very, very effective role.”
** Under new US leadership, UN chief sees ‘hope’ for Mideast peace progress, Times of Israel (29 January 2021)

## See also

* Hamas
* Israel
* Palestinian National Authority
* Palestine