| Israel
hints it may consider peace-keeping force in Palestine  UNITED
NATIONS�Israel may be changing its mind about an observer
force that would serve as a buffer in the Palestinian occupied
territories according to its UN ambassador. Israeli Ambassador to
the United Nations Yehuda Lancry told the press on Nov. 28 that an
observer force was "possible," if the parties returned
to the peace talks.
Mr. Lancry had told an emergency Security
Council meeting on Nov. 22 that Israel would not even consider
conversation concerning an observer force. After the Nov. 27
emergency meeting Ambassador Lancry said, "maybe some
possibilities will emerge which must be agreed upon by the
Palestinians and Israelis, but first I reiterate the need for all
parties to return to the peace table."
Again a reporter asked the Israeli Ambassador,
had Israel softened their position? He said Israel is not changing
its position at this time, "but a change in position is our
option."
Arab nations, led by Libya, requested an
emergency Security Council meeting on Nov. 22 to spotlight the
Palestinian death toll and rally support for a 2,000 strong UN
military observer force to protect civilians.
Speaking first in a debate, which involved
representatives of over 20 countries, the Permanent Observer of
Palestine to the UN, Dr. Nasser Al-Kidwa, stressed that the
meeting had been requested in response to the intensified violence
on the part of Israel.
"While we abhor the loss of over 250
lives, mostly Palestinians, since the fighting began in September,
we must call attention to the 10,000 Palestinians who have been
injured. Many of them have permanent disabilities," he said.
"The two parties can not put an end to
this situation, a third party is needed. We fail to understand why
anybody is objecting to this," Dr. Al-Kidwa said. He
questioned why there had been procrastination in response to the
request for the establishment of the observer force, stressing
that as an occupying power Israel�s approval could not be a
requisite condition for the Council to act.
"The Security Council must assure
necessary international protection for Palestinians under Israeli
occupation," Dr. Al-Kidwa added.
Israel repeated its objection at that time to
any kind of outside observers. "We are not convinced of the
usefulness of these observers," Israeli Ambassador Yehuda
Lancry said. He said Palestinian lives were endangered only when
they violently attacked Israeli soldiers, while Israelis were
targeted "for the simple fact that they are Israeli."
There is no call for an inquiring commission to
investigate Palestinian wrongdoing, he said. "There are no
resolutions passed in condemnation of Palestinian violations or
even a clear call for the Palestinians to relinquish the path of
violence," the Israeli representative charged.
U.S. Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, speaking
after the Israeli representative, said the Nov. 22 emergency
Council meeting should not have been held in the first place
because it was "designed only as a place to exchange verbal
barbs, which are best left to different forums." Nonetheless,
the United States participated in the meeting because the UN is
the central organization of the world and the Security Council is
its most important committee, he said.
Mr. Holbrooke stressed that the United States
continued to support the work of the international fact-finding
committee, which was proposed and agreed upon at the Sharm
el-Sheikh conference in Egypt, held in October. Israel reportedly
does not want the fact-finding committee to begin its work until
the level of violence subsides. The United States says the
committee "could help reduce the violence."
While there seems to be an impasse on this
issue between the United States and Israel, UN observers believe
that the U.S. will not buck Israel. They point to the rhetoric
during the presidential election as President Bill Clinton, Vice
President Al Gore and Texas Gov. George W. Bush, which repeatedly
emphasized the point that the U.S. would never pressure Israel to
do anything against Israel�s interest.
"That is the American double
standard," Cuban Ambassador Bruno Rodriguez said. "Cuba
calls on the Security Council to take action without delay, and
Israel must withdraw to the borders prior to June 4, 1967,"
he said. This was agreed upon in the Oslo Accords.
Agreeing with Cuba was the representative of
Malaysia: "Israel is the occupying force and must remove all
military forces and settlers to the pre-1967 border."
Egypt, which in 1979 became the first Arab
country to sign a peace treaty with Israel, recalled its
ambassador from Tel Aviv after the Israeli escalation of
retaliatory violence, explained its position through the statement
of Ambassador Ahmed Aboulgheit: "We recalled the ambassador
in hopes that Israel would hear this message that we cannot remain
silent on the issue of military occupation. Israel represents an
unlawful and illicit presence."
But, perhaps the strongest condemnation came
from the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya representative, Ambassador Abuzed
Omar Dorda, when he said the priority for the international
community was to protect the Palestinians. "There is no hope
for peace for the Palestinian people as long as they are under
occupation. You stop the occupation, you stop the violence,"
he said.
No decision was taken on a protection force and
it is still not clear how many nations would support one if the
issue came to a vote.
The Final Call spoke with Dr. Nasser Al-Kidwa
after the emergency session. "What would you want the
American people to understand?" he was asked.
"The problem is the lack of accurate
information. We are a people fighting for independence and
self-determination. We believe that the American people, if told
the truth, will join us in asking their government to come forth
with a more balanced, more reasonable position," Dr. Al-Kidwa
said. |
