Security Council discusses dispatching observers To the West Bank
Palestine, Politics, 8/21/2001

UN Security Council started late Monday special session for discussing the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories. The session, opposed by Israel, was attended by representatives of 40 countries.

Addressing delegates, Chief Palestinian delegate to the UN Ambassador Nasser Al-Qodwa blamed the SC for failure to take a decision on March 27 due to the US veto.

'The continued deterioration due to the lack of any mechanism of organized effort to stop the deteriorating situation led the Palestinians to resort again to the SC,' Qodwa said.

The Chief Palestinian delegate to the UN branded the Israeli practices against defenseless Palestinians as war crimes.

"Israel had recently taken a number of illegitimate measures including storming the Orient House, the Political Headquarters of the Palestinian Authority (PA) in East of Jerusalem, and occupying nine other PA institutions in a flagrant violation of signed agreements," added Qodwa.

"Despite the Oslo Accords, Israel has not terminated its occupation," he noted.

"The PA has been opposing the bombings in Israel and condemned all acts targeting civilians," he asserted.

"The PA has earlier announced acceptance of the Mitchell Recommendations that seek to bring the situation back to pre-September, 2000 status in a step that would lead to the resumption of the Middle East peace process," Qodwa said.

He reiterated call for an immediate, comprehensive and honest implementation of the report recommendations.

Qodwa underlined that the PA is committed to all signed agreements as well as the resumption of negotiations on the basis of UN SC resolutions 242 and 338 in order to reach a final agreement on all issues including Al-Quds, refugees and borders.

In conclusion, the Chief Palestinian Delegate to UN voiced hope that SC would stop the bloodshed in the occupied territories in a bid to resume peace negotiations.

Chief US delegate to UN Ambassador James Cunningham said the debate should address how to help the conflicting parties to break the cycle of violence and resume negotiations.

"The US and other parties have been exerting much effort in this regard," Cunningham added.

The US Ambassador demanded a cessation of what he termed as "terrorism and violence." He stressed that it is important to arrest perpetrators and end incitement.

Cunningham demanded the PA to take measures that could help prevent further deterioration of the situation in the region and claimed that without such measures the situation would be aggravated.

He, meantime, demanded Israel to avoid any measures that could escalate the situation and take steps on the ground that would ease restrictions on Palestinians. He also called for the implementation of the Mitchell peace plan.

The chief US delegate to UN said negotiations should be resumed on basis of the UN SC resolutions 242 and 338.

Egypt's chief delegate to the UN Reda Bahars underlined the importance of the Israeli withdrawal, return of the Palestinian sovereignty over Jerusalem, Israel's commitment to legitimacy resolutions, halting acts of violence and deploying international observers.

Israeli sources said preparations underway for arranging a meeting between Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres who intends to submit a proposal calling for carrying out ceasefire gradually, besides a pledge by Israel to ease down restrictions on the Palestinians.

However, Hanan Ashrawi, the spokesperson of the Arab League said she gages no much interest to Peres statement that he intended to meet Arafat.

Palestinian officials said contacts with Peres would be useless as he repeats the notion that he was not having a political authorization from his government.

European sources have expected the falling down of Sharon government soon in case new martyrdom operations took place.

This was also confirmed by European security reports. The sources said majority of Israelis have lost confidence in Sharon's ability to end the Intifada.

Previous Stories:
  Two Palestinians killed by Israeli bullets   (8/20/2001)
  Muslims will not abandon al-Aqsa mosque   (8/20/2001)
  Envoy denies Egyptian team blamed Palestinians for violence   (8/20/2001)

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