Al-Sharaa's message to UN chief holds Israel responsible for ME peace stumbling
Syria-Israel-UN, Politics, 2/17/2000

Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa has sent UN Secretary General Kofi Annan a message on Syria's position concerning Israel's recent aggression against Lebanon. The message is also a reciprocation of a message sent to the UN chief by Israeli Foreign Minister David Levy.

The message was handed over to the UN chief by Syria's permanent representative to the UN, Michael Wahbah, who asked for considering the message as one of the UN General Assembly's documents as per articles nos. 43 and no. 160 of the General Assembly agenda and part of the documentation of the UN Security Council.

The message reads: "In his message sent on 9. February, 2000 by document no. 744/ 54/ A/ 98.

"The Israeli foreign minister David Levy is trying to justify the brutal air raids carried out by the Israeli war machine against Lebanon on Feb, 8th, 2000. The raids inflicted losses among innocent Lebanese civilians and caused heavy damage to power stations. By blaming others, Levy is making an irrational and illogical disavowal of the responsibility for this open aggression. What is more grave is the fact that Levy's message implies a threat to go on with the aggression and with resorting to military acts against Lebanon. The Chief of the Israeli diplomacy did not only threaten to use force but he personally, and through international TV screens, vows to 'set Lebanon ablaze and destroy it.' Thereby, Israeli asserts carelessness for the principles on the international law, the UN charter and international resolutions, especially the security council resolution 425 which forces Israeli troops to immediately and unconditionally withdraw from the Lebanese territories.

"The message of the Israeli foreign minister described acts of the Lebanese resistance as 'terrorist' which should be curbed by the Lebanese and Syrian governments. The message ignored that resisting foreign occupation is a legitimate right guaranteed by international charters and exercised by the peoples of the world throughout history. If Israel tried to consider its aggression as a legitimate self-defense act, it is in fact an act of defending aggressions.

"Power arrogance in Israel has reached the extent where aggressor has been changed into a victim and the real victim, who defends his/ her land, into an aggressor according to the Israeli criteria.

"International community has tackled the explosive situation in south Lebanon through establishing 'April Understanding Monitoring Committee' which the message of the Israeli foreign minister tries to cancel its role and given it a name, at the same time, attributed to previous Israeli aggression on the people of Lebanon, threatening of a new and wide act of aggression against more then one country in the region.

"Syria, as a member of the April Understanding committee, continued support and respect to the committee and hold Israel responsible for obstructing the work of the committee and hindering its meetings.

"Therefore, the allegation made by the Israeli foreign minister (that Syria) will be responsible for halting Syrian-Israeli negotiations, if resistance operations continue in south Lebanon is a misleading to the international community and an evasion of achieving the peace which Syria viewed it as its strategic option.

"Shepherdstown meetings held in West Virginia on January 3-10 proved that Israel does not want to withdraw from the Syrian lands it occupied in 1967 and demarcate the borders on this basis. This is despite the fact that Syria and the international community are adherent to a just and comprehensive peace in implementation of UN Security Council resolutions 242 and 338 as well as the land-for-peace formula.

"It is more obvious now that Israel does not only find it sufficient to paralyze the peace process and empty it from its content but also wants to use its huge military capabilities instead of adopting the political means confirmed by UN resolutions and charter."

Previous Stories:
  A message from al-Sharaa to Annan regarding peace   (2/16/2000)
  Israel expects resumption of talks with Syria   (2/14/2000)
  Israel denies reaching agreement to resume negotiations with Syria   (2/12/2000)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search