I refer to the letter addressed to you by the Israeli Representative to the United Nations, dated 6 March 2001 (A/55/823-S/2001/197), and its attachment, the exchanged letters of mutual recognition signed by Yasser Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin in September of 1993. I refer as well to other previous letters by the representative of Israel, which contained similar accusations leveled at the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian leadership.

The crux of the Palestinian-Israeli peace process is indeed the mutual recognition between the two sides and the agreement to implement Security Council resolution 242 (1967) upon conclusion of a transitional period of five years. However, in spite of the achievements of the peace process, the Israeli side has over the years adopted many policies undermining the process and its crux as well as its successful conclusion. The new Israeli government, even after the end of the transitional period and its extensions, is calling for yet another interim agreement, thus attempting to escape implementation of resolution 242 and abandon existing agreements altogether.

With regard to the ongoing Israeli military campaign against the Palestinian people, which began on 28 September 2000, Israeli accusations are indeed preposterous. It is the Israeli occupying army and the Israeli settlers who are killing and wounding Palestinian civilians and who are effectively and severely punishing the entire Palestinian population under occupation, using the most sophisticated military machinery. Until now, we have nevertheless taken Israeli accusations as attempts to divert attention from reality and to evade responsibility, albeit partially. However, we believe that the increasing intensity of those accusations, including the above-mentioned letter, might indicate Israeli preparation for even worse and much more dangerous actions.

Several hostile Israeli statements allude to such a possibility as well, including statements by the Chief of Staff of the Israeli occupying army, Lt. General Shaul Mofaz, who bears special responsibility for the illegal actions of the Israeli occupying forces, and some ministers in the new Israeli government. For example, on 7 March 2001, the Israeli Public Security Minister, Uzi Landau, stated that it was "not enough to build defensive walls, we must take the battle into the adversary’s camp". Further, Minister Ze’evi, in an article in the Ma’ariv newspaper on 4 March 2001, affirmed that he and his movement call for the transfer of Palestinians as a solution for the Arab-Israeli conflict. In defending his position, he claims that other historic Israeli leaders supported transfer and some of them even carried it out in 1948.

Your Excellency, we are sharing our serious concerns in this regard with the international community so that it is forewarned and remains vigilant in order to contribute to the prevention of potentially worse Israeli positions and actions against the Palestinian people and the Palestinian leadership.

In the meanwhile, the bloody Israeli military campaign against our people continues. Today, Israeli settlers shot a Palestinian shepherd, who is now in critical condition, claiming that he exhibited a "threatening posture". I also wish to refer to previous letters to you on the matter, dated from 29 September 2000 to 2 March 2001 (A/55/432-S/2000/921; A/55/437-S/2000/930; A/55/450-S/2000/957; A/55/466-S/2000/971; A/55/474-S/2000/984; A/55/490-S/2000/993; A/ES-10/39-S/2000/1015; A/ES-10/40-S/2000/1025; A/ES-10/42-S/2000/1068; A/ES-10/43-S/2000/1078; A/ES-10/44-S/2000/1093; A/ES-10/45-S/2000/1104; A/ES-10/46-S/2000/1107; A/ES-10/47-S/2000/1116; A/ES-10/48-S/2000/1129; A/ES-10/49-S/2000/1154; A/ES-10/50-S/2000/1173; A/ES-10/51-S/2000/1185; A/ES-10/52-S/2000/1206; A/ES-10/53-S/2000/1247; A/ES-10/54-S/2001/7; A/ES-10/55-S/2001/33; A/ES-10/56-S/2001/50; A/ES-10/57-S/2001/101; A/ES-10/58-S/2000/131; A/ES-10/59-S/2001/156; A/ES-10/60-S/2000/175; and A/ES-10/61-S/2001/189). Since my last letter to you on 2 March, five more Palestinians were killed by the Israeli occupying forces, bringing the total number of Palestinian martyrs to 371 persons. (The names of the five martyrs are contained in the annex to the present letter.) Many more have also been injured, including twenty wounded just today.

At the same time, in addition to the closure being imposed by Israel, the occupying Power, on the entire Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, since 7 March the Israeli occupying forces have isolated Bir Zeit University and the surrounding area in the West Bank, which is home to 70,000 individuals. Such closures, curfews and measures of isolation continue to devastate the already difficult socioeconomic conditions of the entire Palestinian territory.

We repeat our urgent call for the provision of protection for the Palestinian civilians and the establishment of the U.N. observer force in this regard.

Names of Martyrs killed by Israeli security forces

 

 

1. Aida Dawoud Feteha

2. Baher Shafeek Odeh

3. Ahmed Mohammed Hassan Allan

1. Ra’ed Shehdah Al-Halees

1. Osama Ibrahim Naghnaghiah