2 November 1998 (A/53/567,
S/1998/1024)
Letter from Dr. Nasser Al-Kidwa, Permanent Observer of Palestine to the
U.N., to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the President of the Security
Council: (Response to Letter from Israeli Foreign Minister Sharon)
In reference to the letter, dated 30 October 1998, from the Permanent
Representative of Israel to the United Nations (A/53/561, S/1998/1021), which conveys a
letter from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Israel, the Palestinian side would like to
make the following comments:
- It is unfortunate that the Israeli side chose to present a flawed interpretation of the
Wye River Memorandum of 23 October 1998 in a United Nations document, rather than choosing
to present, jointly with the Palestinian side, the text of the memorandum for the
information of Member States, as was the case with previous agreements, in an effort to
nurture a common understanding of such an important agreement.
- It is also disturbing that the Foreign Minister considers Israels undertakings, as
stated in the Wye Memorandum, as "conditional" upon compliance by the
Palestinian side. This interpretation obviously goes beyond the famous Israeli concept of
"reciprocity" and departs from the appropriate joint commitment for mutual
compliance by the two sides with the terms of the agreement.
- It is shocking that the Foreign Minister, while speaking of the agreement, uses a phrase
like "Judea and Samaria" to describe the West Bank in flagrant violation of the
Wye Memorandum and other existing agreements between the two sides. The use of such a term
is indicative of an expansionist ideology and policies.
- The letter contains inaccurate information and a distorted presentation of the Wye
Memorandum, which is a very dangerous sign in itself. An example of that is the fact that
the memorandum speaks about "the nullification of the Palestinian National Charter
provisions that are inconsistent with the letters exchanged between the PLO and the
Government of Israel on 9/10 September 1993"; while Mr. Sharons letter speaks
about "bringing to fruition a process by which the Palestinian National Covenant is
to be annulled."
- The Ministers letter repeats Israels prejudice towards international
legitimacy and its attempts to defy international law and relevant United Nations
resolutions. We once more reiterate that the existing Israeli-Palestinian agreements do
not, cannot and should not negated international law or relevant United Nations
resolutions. It is the right and the duty of the United Nations, given its permanent
responsibility towards the question of Palestine, to reaffirm its resolutions. Finally, it
must be stated that the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including their
right to a State, do not stem from the existing agreements; they are natural rights
congruous with the Charter of the United Nations and established positions of the
international community.
- With regard to the issue of Israels membership in a regional group at the United
Nations, we agree that the natural group is the Asian Group. We are confident that members
of the Asian Group will be ready to sanction such membership when Israel heeds
international law, international humanitarian law and relevant United Nations resolutions
and when it ends its occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including
Jerusalem, and the rest of the occupied Arab territories. In essence, that will be when
the question of Palestine is solved in all its aspects and a comprehensive, just and
lasting peace is achieved in the Middle East.
The Palestinian side reaffirms its commitment to implementing the
provisions of the Wye River Memorandum towards the implementation of the existing
agreements (Declaration of Principles of 1993 and Interim Agreement of 1995) and towards
reaching a final settlement based on Security Council resolution 242 (1967). We expect the
Israeli side to be equally committed.
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