{"id":213711,"date":"2002-04-17T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-03-12T20:39:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/?p=213711"},"modified":"2019-03-12T20:39:50","modified_gmt":"2019-03-12T20:39:50","slug":"auto-insert-213711","status":"publish","type":"document","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/auto-insert-213711\/","title":{"rendered":"UN International Meeting to Support Middle East Peace (Nicosia) – Press release"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n\t\t\t\tPANELLISTS EXAMINE INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO CONTAIN<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t <\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tMIDDLE EAST CRISIS, RESUME DIALOGUE<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t(Received from a UN Information Officer.)\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tNICOSIA, 17 April –- The events of Sabra and Shatila were being repeated today\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tin the Palestinian occupied territory, Jerusalem Times<\/u> publisher Hanna Siniora\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tsaid this morning at the International Meeting in Support of Middle East Peace.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tHe said that United States Secretary of State Colin Powell had not realized the\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tobjectives of his mandate to effect a ceasefire, a withdrawal of Israeli forces\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tand the beginning of negotiations.  Despite President Bush’s call for a\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\twithdrawal, the Israeli army was present in all the cities they had invaded.  \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tAfter Mr. Powell’s departure, Palestinians would be left with the siege of\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tBethlehem and of President Arafat’s headquarters.  The occupation continued with\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tno further word from President Bush or Colin Powell demanding that Israel\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\twithdraw.  \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t      \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tThe representative of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tsaid the major goal today was to implement immediately Security Council\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tresolutions <\/span>1402 (2002)<\/a> and <\/span>1403 (2002)<\/a> which provided for a meaningful <\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tceasefire and an immediate Israeli withdrawal.  As soon as there was a ceasefire\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tand Israeli forces pulled out, the Tenet and <\/span>Mitchell scheme<\/a> should be <\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\timplemented.  Its merit was that it led to reinvigorating the negotiating\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tprocess by providing an interconnection between security arrangements and\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\trenewed political negotiations.  \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tProfessor Markus Kaim of the Friedrich Schiller University in Germany said that\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tanything that happened in the Middle East region could have more direct\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tconsequences for the Europeans than for the Americans.  Regional stability\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\toccupied a higher priority on Europe’s agenda than the peace process per se.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tEurope had played a major role in institution building and reducing major\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\timbalances in the Middle East.  Without European financial aid it would be\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tdifficult for a Palestinian State to exist or be consolidated.  While a more\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tactivist European Union policy was called for, there were constraints, the most\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tserious being Israel’s perception of its pro-Arab tilt.  There were, however,\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tsteps which the European Union could take, including helping in the placement of\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tmilitary monitors in key positions such as the Golan Heights as part of an early\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\twarning unit or as monitors for Israeli-Palestinian cooperation and securing\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tneeded resources in the region, namely in the area of water and water\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tmanagement.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tThe United Nations Charter had always provided guidelines to preserve future\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tgenerations from the scourge of war, said Associate Professor of International\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tRelations at the University of Cyprus, Joseph S. Joseph.  Israel would be in a\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tbetter position to expect peace and security if it paid more attention to the\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tmessages coming from the international community.  The European Union could do\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tmore with regard to the situation in the Middle East.  It could let Israel know\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tthat their actions were not acceptable.  The United States’ special relation\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\twith Israel could be a useful tool in bringing the two parties together.  \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tThe representatives of Namibia, Tunisia and China also made statements.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tThe meeting will reconvene this afternoon to hold its final session which will\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\texplore the theme “The urgency of ending the Israeli occupation and establishing\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\ta Palestinian State”.  Panellists will examine the Oslo process; elements of a\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tpermanent solution based on international legitimacy; and Palestinian statehood\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t– a key to peace in the Middle East.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tPresentation by Experts\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tHANNA SINIORA, publisher, The Jerusalem Times<\/u>, said that the events of Sabra and\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tShatila were being repeated today in the occupied Palestinian territory.  Eleven\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tyears after Madrid, there were new actors and new massacres.  Whole families\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\twere being killed by the Israeli onslaught.  Although the Israelis denied that\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tthere were massacres, it had not allowed reporters to enter the affected areas.  \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tDespite the new Arab peace plan, Palestinians continued to suffer.  \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tAs a result of the invasion of the cities, there had been three Security Council\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tresolutions calling for the withdrawal of Israeli troops and, for the first\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\ttime, stated that at the end of negotiations there would be a Palestinian State.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t The resolutions, however, have not been fulfilled.  United States Secretary of\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tState Colin Powell had a mandate to call for a ceasefire, a withdrawal of\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tIsraeli forces and the beginning of negotiations.  None of those objectives had\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tbeen realized.  Despite President Bush’s call for a withdrawal, the Israeli army\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\twas present in all the cities they had invaded.  After Mr. Powell departed,\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tPalestinians would be left with the siege of Bethlehem and of President Arafat’s\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\theadquarters.  The occupation continued, and there had been no further word from\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tPresident Bush or Colin Powell demanding that Israel withdraw.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tHe said that the European Union had sent Javier Solana to examine the situation\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tbut he had been rebuffed by Ariel Sharon.  When he returned to Europe there was\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\ttalk of sanctions against Israel but that talk had stopped.  Without sanctions,\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tSecurity Council resolutions would not be implemented.  Why was there a double\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tstandard when dealing with the State of Israel?  The Russian Federation had\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\ttried to meet with Chairman Arafat but was also rebuffed.  Israel had said that\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tit wanted normal relations with the Arab countries, but when that was offered by\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tthe Arab peace plan, the Israelis responded by further invasions.  The\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tPalestinians wanted peace.  They wanted Israel to withdraw to the borders of\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t1967, not to the mandated borders of 1947.  According to news reports, Sharon\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\thad said recently that he would attend an international peace conference with\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tArafat.  Hopefully, that would be a result of Mr. Powell’s visit.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tOLEG OZEROV, representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tFederation, said his Government was deeply concerned about the unprecedented\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tsufferings of the civilians in the occupied Palestinian territory.  It was\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\ttroubled by the fact that Israeli forces had twice seized a Russian Orthodox\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tChurch–owned property where Russian pilgrims were accommodated.  In general, the\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tRussian Federation was concerned about the situation around the religious\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tsanctuaries in the territory of the Palestinian National Authority.  Moreover,\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tthere were indications that the conflict was spreading to other areas of the\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tregion.  The international community must do everything possible to stop the\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tconflict from expanding and urge restraint on all sides.  Israeli use of force\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tcould not lead to peace or to security.  Palestinians too must be aware that\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tachieving political aims by means of terror was unacceptable and would not be\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tsupported.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tHe said the major goal today was to immediately implement Security Council\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tresolutions 1402 (2002) and 1403 (2002) which provided for a meaningful\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tceasefire and an immediate Israeli withdrawal.  The siege of Chairman Arafat’s\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\theadquarters must be lifted.  He insisted that firing at residential areas,\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tdemolition of houses and destruction of historical and religious sites be\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tstopped.  As soon as there was a ceasefire and pullout of Israeli forces, the\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tTenet and Mitchell scheme should be implemented.  Its merit was that it led to\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\treinvigorating the negotiating process by providing an interconnection between\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tsecurity arrangements and renewed political negotiations.  That interconnection\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\thad been a key stumbling block.  \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tPalestinians would require international assistance to reconstruct their\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tinfrastructure, security services and capability, he said.  On 10 April, the\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tRussian Federation, United States, European Union and the United Nations had\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\ttransformed the “Quartet” into an authoritative international mechanism.  For\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tthe first time, leading international mediators declared that there must be\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\timmediate, parallel and accelerated movement towards near-term and tangible\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tpolitical progress.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tMARKUS KAIM, Professor of Political Science, Friedrich Schiller University,\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tGermany, said a consensus existed that Europe had not had the political will or\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tinclination to directly struggle with the United States over the majority of\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tissues dealing with the Middle East.  Europeans tended to be vocal critics of\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\twhat the United States did, or rather did not do, in the Middle East.  The\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tUnited States responded by critiquing Europe’s tendency to be “biased” toward\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tthe Arabs. The differing analytical approaches were a result of differing\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tpriorities and political orientations.  Europe was more attuned to and affected\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tby local developments than the United States.  Anything that happened in the\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tMiddle East region could have more direct consequences for the Europeans than\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tfor the Americans.  Regional stability occupied a higher priority on Europe’s\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tagenda than the peace process per se.  Washington’s deep engagement in the peace\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tprocess was driven by the need to ensure Israel’s security and its integration\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tinto the social fabric of the Arab arena.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tHe said the United States was a single State actor while Europe was composed of\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tseveral States with no single foreign policy.  While United States policies\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tfocused mainly on “high” politics such as military and strategic objectives,\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tEurope concentrated on the “low” politics of economy, culture and society and\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tstressed multilateral approaches.  United States policies were dependent on and\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tresponsive to domestic politics.  European policymakers’ actions were less\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tfettered by domestic factors.  Europe had played a major role in\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tinstitution-building and reducing major imbalances in the Middle East.  Without\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tEuropean financial aid it would be difficult for a Palestinian State to exist or\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tbe consolidated.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tAlthough the Palestinians had been satisfied with the low-key role of the\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tEuropeans, he said, they would have preferred that the European Union be more\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\topenly critical of the excessively brutal Israeli reactions.  They would also\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tlike to have more support for the deployment of United Nations security forces\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tbetween Israeli troops and the Palestinian population.  While a more activist\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tEuropean Union policy was called for, there were constraints, the most serious\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tbeing Israel’s perception of its pro-Arab tilt.  There were, however, steps\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\twhich the European Union could take, including conditioning further aid to the\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tPalestinians Authority on full financial and political transparency.  A\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tPalestinian State with an authoritarian leadership would never be a suitable\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tpeace partner for Israel.  European negotiators should also make it clear that\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tthe European Union would not support a mass refugee return.  It could also\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tmonitor Palestinian media to ensure that blatant anti-Semitism and calls for the\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tdestruction of Israel were eliminated.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tThe European Union should strongly advise Syria to participate in multilateral\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\ttalks, he said.  Further, the Union could help in the placement of military\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tmonitors in key positions such as the Golan Heights, as part of an early warning\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tunit or as monitors for Israeli-Palestinian cooperation.  The Union could also\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tsecure needed resources in the region and enhance regional cooperation, namely\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tin the area of water and water management by building and maintaining water\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tdesalinization plants.  For Euro-Atlantic cooperation to be successful in the\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tarea of Arab-Israeli peace-making, an institutional mechanism needed to be set\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tup to coordinate European Union and United States efforts.  The United States\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tmust understand that it alone could not bring about a peace settlement.  \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tMoreover, there must be genuine unity in the European Union and it must be\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\twilling to cooperate with the United States.  Finally, the Union must not only\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tmaintain its ties with Israel’s Arab neighbours, it must improve its political\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tties with Israel.   \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tJOSEPH S. JOSEPH, Associate Professor of International Relations, University of\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tCyprus, said the Middle East problems should be solved peacefully with an\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\texchange of words, not the exchange of violence.  Passion and revenge was\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tdominating actions.  That vicious cycle could only lead to disappointment.  The\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tinternational community must take steps to end the conflict.  It could provide\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tuseful guidelines for approaching the situation in a positive manner.  It was\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\ttime to develop a plan of action that was result-oriented.  Sending a\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tmultinational peacekeeping force was an idea worth promoting.  The failures of\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tthe past should be a source of strength and not of discouragement.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tThe United Nations Charter had always provided guidelines to preserve succeeding\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tgenerations from the scourge of war.  Israel would be in a better position to\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\texpect peace and security if it paid more attention to the messages coming from\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tthe international community.  The United Nations was a microcosm of the real\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tworld.  It was an institutional arrangement.  Each of the countries needed to\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tstand behind the resolutions.  In the long run, the future of the European Union\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\twould depend on the role it played on the international scene. Today, the\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tEuropean Union let Israel know that their actions were not acceptable. The\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tUnited States could use its special relation with Israel as a useful tool to\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tbring the two sides together.  The European Union and other organizations could\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tbe helpful in bringing about a settlement to the situation and in the Middle\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tEast.  The establishment of a Palestinian State was not only what the\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tPalestinians wanted but it was what the global will called for.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tThe representative of Namibia said his Government condemned terrorism in all its\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tforms and manifestations.  It did not condone suicide bombings.  However, it\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tsupported legitimate acts of resistance against foreign occupation and\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\taggression.  The illegal occupation of Palestine, the oppression, the settlement\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tactivities and the collective punishment of the Palestinian people by the\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\toccupying Power were the root causes of violence and insecurity in the region.  \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tUnless they were removed, the situation would continue to deteriorate.  He\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\twelcomed the Security Council’s recent reassertion of its responsibility in the area.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tUnfortunately, Israel had chosen to ignore Council resolutions.  To maintain its\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tcredibility, the Council must ensure that its resolutions were implemented immediately\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tand without preconditions.  If Israel did not withdraw its troops from Palestinian\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tterritory, the Council must consider taking appropriate measures against the\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tIsraeli Government.  He supported the idea of an international observer force\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tand urged the Council to move speedily to authorize the establishment of such a\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tMission to protect the Palestinian civilians.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tThe representative of Tunisia said the Palestinian people continued to live in\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\toccupied territories, fearful of Israeli military attacks.  He reiterated\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tTunisia’s support and solidarity with the Palestinian people.  The Israelis were\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tattempting to undermine the Palestinian people and spread misery among them.  It\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\twas clear that Israel’s refusal to implement resolutions <\/span>1397 (2002)<\/a>, 1402 <\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t(2002) and 1403 (2002) and its continued onslaught on the territories were\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tintended to deny the Palestinian people their inalienable rights and to hinder\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tany initiative that would lead to a settlement on the basis of international\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tlegitimacy.  He urged all peace-loving States and parties, especially the most\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tinfluential parties on the international level, to force Israel to respect\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tinternational law and Security Council resolutions.  He requested those parties\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tto use their influence to force Israel 51ÁÔÆæ the recent resolution\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tadopted by the Human Rights Commission.  Sharon’s actions would only give the\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tIsraelis the illusion of being invincible.  The international community had to\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tconvince Israel that military action would get them nowhere and that only\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tnegotiations would bring them hope.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tThe representative of China said his Government strongly appealed to both the\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tIsraeli and Palestinian sides, the Israelis in particular, to implement relevant\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tUnited Nations resolutions, to actively coordinate with the international\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tcommunity’s peace-making efforts, withdraw all of its troops from Palestinian\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tterritories and restart negotiations at an early date.  Political solution\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tthrough negotiations on the basis of United Nations resolutions and the land for\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tpeace principle was in accord with the fundamental interests of the people of\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tall countries of the Middle East.  China had consistently supported the\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tPalestinian people in their just cause to restore their legitimate national\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\trights.  It had made every effort to urge Israel to implement relevant United\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tNations resolutions, terminate the military campaign against the Palestinian\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tpeople, and lift the siege of President Arafat immediately and unconditionally.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t* *** *\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n

Related document:<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

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– <\/span>GA\/PAL\/880<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

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– <\/span>SG\/SM\/2100-GA\/PAL\/881<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

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– <\/span>GA\/PAL\/882<\/a>
\n– <\/span>GA\/PAL\/883<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

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– <\/i><\/span>CPR\/IM\/2002\/8<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

PANELLISTS EXAMINE INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO CONTAIN   MIDDLE EAST CRISIS, RESUME DIALOGUE     (Received from a UN Information Officer.)     NICOSIA, 17 April –- The events of Sabra and Shatila were being repeated today in the Palestinian occupied territory, Jerusalem Times publisher Hanna Siniora said this morning at the International Meeting in Support of […]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"country":[],"document-category":[1329],"document-source":[1753,1897],"committee-meeting":[],"document-subject":[2161,1749],"entity":[1729],"document-language":[6542],"class_list":["post-213711","document","type-document","status-publish","hentry","document-category-press-release","document-source-ceirpp","document-source-united-nations-department-of-public-information-dpi","document-subject-intifadah-ii","document-subject-palestine-question","entity-united-nations-system","document-language-english"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/213711","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/document"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/213711\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=213711"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=213711"},{"taxonomy":"document-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-category?post=213711"},{"taxonomy":"document-source","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-source?post=213711"},{"taxonomy":"committee-meeting","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/committee-meeting?post=213711"},{"taxonomy":"document-subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-subject?post=213711"},{"taxonomy":"entity","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/entity?post=213711"},{"taxonomy":"document-language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-language?post=213711"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}