Aggiornamento di Alvaro De Soto al Consiglio di Sicurezza Onu sulla situazione palestinese.

Briefing TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL

ON THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST

19 OCTOBER 2006

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ALVARO DE SOTO

UNITED NATIONS SPECIAL COORDINATOR

FOR THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS

 

 

Mr. President,

 

1.        Today, in the Middle East, crisis and opportunity exist side-by-side, in a daily struggle for dominance over the fate of Israelis, Palestinians, Lebanese, Syrians, and the region as a whole.  

 

Israeli-Palestinian conflict

 

2.        At the heart of the conflict is the problem of Israel and Palestine. In this theatre, a deadly crisis continues in Gaza. For many months, Israel has conducted military operations, featuring tank, commando and infantry incursions, targeted killings from the air and firing from the sea, with the stated purpose of preventing the daily Palestinian militant rocket fire into population centres in southern Israel. These operations intensified after the capture of an Israeli soldier on 25 June and the killing of two others by Palestinian militants who had crossed from Gaza into Israel.

 

3.        Since that time  Israeli operations have killed 295 Palestinians, including 66 children, and injured 1,113 others. However, neither these intensive operations nor continuing diplomatic efforts have led either to the release of the captured soldier, or to the cessation of indiscriminate rocket attacks, which have injured 20 Israelis since 25 June.  

 

4.        A number of Israeli sources in the IDF and intelligence services claim that weapons smuggling into Gaza has increased in recent months, including through tunnels under the Philadelphi corridor and elsewhere. IDF forces launched a ground operation along the corridor in recent days, and there are reports that the IDF is preparing for a further intensification of its military operations in Gaza.

 

5.        Egyptian officials are leading diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis, and report that a package is on the table designed to address both parties’ concerns, but the captors say they seek additional guarantees. In Cairo last week, I conveyed the UN’s full support for these efforts, and our readiness to assist in any way we can.

.

6.        The other crisis that must be overcome is the political crisis of the Palestinian Authority, which has for several months been governed by a President and a Prime Minister with divergent programmes, and has been polarized by deadly clashes between rival security forces. Palestinian society is teetering between national unity one day and civil conflict the next.

 

7.        On 11 September, President Abbas announced that he had agreed with Prime Minister Hannieh on the political platform of a national unity government. On 20 September, the Quartet encouraged these efforts, in the hope that a national unity government programme would reflect Quartet principles and allow for early international engagement.

 

8.        Regrettably, following statements of Prime Minister Hannieh calling basic points into question, these efforts did not succeed. Recent efforts of regional mediators to help the Palestinians unite have also not borne fruit. In our contacts with both the Presidency and the government, we continue to urge them and the movements of which they are members to make a new effort to overcome their differences.

 

9.        We saw how important it is for these efforts to succeed two and a half weeks ago, when at least eight Palestinians were killed and more than 70 were injured in armed clashes in Gaza between the striking Palestinian security forces, largely loyal to Fateh, and the executive force deployed by the Hamas Minister of the Interior. UN workers on the ground also report an increased reliance on traditional law enforcement as family groupings resort to self-protection and take justice into their own hands. The members of the Civil Police, the only civilian service with a potential to provide public order and protection within the occupied Palestinian territories’ increasingly insecure communities, have received less than 40% of their salaries since March, and only half of them now show up for work.

 

10.        A rolling strike has, in fact, been widespread throughout the public sector since 13 August. As many as three-quarters of medical workers are not turning up at work, and WHO reports that most hospital wards are in fact closed. In response, UNRWA has had to open its medical facilities to non-refugees. Ninety per cent of teachers employed by the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank are on strike, imperiling this year’s academic cycle. Here again, UNRWA has been obliged to step in.

 

11.        There are growing indications that ministries are being transformed by the continued replacement of mid- to high-level officials with new appointees loyal to the current government – a process that may also be accelerated by the departure of former officials in the absence of regular salary payments.  

 

12.        I welcome the efforts of the European Commission to mitigate the worst effect of the crisis by renewing and expanding the Temporary International Mechanism, as agreed by the Quartet last month. However, the TIM can neither substitute for the Palestinian Authority, nor can it be sustained financially over time.  

 

13.        The continued withholding by Israel of over half a billion dollars of Palestinian money, collected via Value Added Tax and customs receipts, is the biggest single direct cause of the Palestinian financial crisis. Its importance has led the Quartet to invite the parties to consider channeling these funds through the TIM for the present.

 

14.        Another ingredient for restoring hope to Palestinians would be implementation of the Agreement and Movement and Access, the first anniversary of the conclusion of which will come next month. The Quartet believes that Rafah and other crossings must remain open in accordance with the Agreement. Despite discussions by Quartet members with the Israeli authorities of concrete steps to move forward – including proposals put forward by the UN – Israel’s policy of near-blanket closure of Gaza continues. Israel has legitimate security concerns relating to human and commercial movements in and out of the Gaza Strip, and we continue to press the Palestinian Authority to meet its obligations under the Agreement on Movement and Access relating to the protection and administration of passages. For its part, Israel has undertaken in the AMA to ensure the continuous operation of passages and to facilitate the export of agricultural goods from Gaza; and while specific security threats may require specific actions, analysis of AMA implementation patterns shows that the significant tightening of closures at Rafah, Karni and Erez crossings have been heavily shaped by two events in 2006 – the formation of the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority government and the abduction of the Israeli soldier. Only by de-coupling economic access for civilians from the broader political impasse will the AMA be implemented, and will Palestinian economic life be given a chance to recover.

 

15.        Meanwhile, obstacles to movement in the West Bank have risen by 40 percent in a year. Settlement activity continues, with the recent announcement of the construction of a further 950 settlement units in the West Bank. The construction of the main structure of the police station on the E-1 bloc between Jerusalem and Ma’aleh Adumim has largely been completed. The construction of the barrier on occupied Palestinian territory, including around Jerusalem, has continued, in defiance of the ICJ advisory opinion.

 

16.        Access to the occupied Palestinian territory by Palestinians of the diaspora has also been tightened in recent months. Palestinians holding foreign passports, including businessmen, students and professionals, have, in ever larger numbers, been denied visas which would permit them to visit spouses or families, or tend to businesses.  

 

17.        I should also report that Prime Minister Olmert announced in the aftermath of the Lebanon war that the plans on which he had been elected to withdraw Israeli settlements from parts of the West Bank are on hold. Prime Minister Olmert has, however, stated his willingness to meet President Abbas, and aides to the two leaders are exploring this possibility. Foreign Minister Livni and President Abbas also met during last month’s opening of the General Debate.

 

 

Lebanon and Syria 

 

Mr. President,

 

18.        The fragile balance between crisis and opportunity is also apparent in Lebanon, where momentum has been generated in the implementation of SCR 1701, but also where the country’s heavy political tensions remains a constant source of concern. The UN is continuing to work closely with all sides to encourage political leaders to commit themselves to dialogue in order to bridge their differences. The Council will receive the report on implementation of resolution 1559 today. The Secretariat will also continue to report to you directly on the status of implementation of Resolution 1701; this will not therefore be addressed in this briefing.

 

19.        I should report also that Israeli Prime Minister Olmert has called for direct talks between Israel and Lebanon, but Lebanese Prime Minister Siniora has said his country will the last to sign a peace treaty with Israel.

 

20.        Meanwhile, Syrian President Assad has stated publicly on more than one occasion a desire to negotiate with Israel to secure the return of the occupied Golan Heights and a lasting peace between Syria and Israel. While this has generated some debate in Israel, the Israeli Prime Minister has dismissed these statements, and stated that Syria must cease alleged support for terrorism, while also assuring that so long as he is Prime Minister, the Golan Heights will remain a permanent part of the state of Israel.

 

 

Conclusions

 

Mr. President,

 

21.        The continuing violence in Gaza and southern Israel continues to kill, injure, and endanger civilians. Palestinian militant rocket fire should cease, as should Israeli military operations. Both sides should comply with their obligations to respect civilians under international humanitarian law. The virtual siege of Gaza is having a devastating effect on the lives of ordinary Palestinians, stifling hope and fomenting despair, while the continued dangerous launching of rockets at Israeli population centres such as Sderot is a source of deep distress for ordinary Israelis.

 

22.        Palestinian institutions continue to be degraded, and the suffering of civilians widens and increases, particularly in Gaza. The combination of near total closure of the Gaza Strip, non-payment of public sector salaries, absence of basic law and order, declining service delivery, continued military strikes by air and land, and the lack of any apparent political horizon is a truly explosive one – as potentially dangerous for Israel as it is currently dangerous for Palestinians. As Jan Egeland puts it, Gaza is a ticking time bomb. Only a political way out can defuse it.

 

23.        The UN fully recognizes the challenges facing both Prime Minister Olmert and President Abbas in this regard. At the same time, we believe they and their citizens have a shared interest in meaningful dialogue, and we offer them our full support in trying to develop it.

 

24.        The difficulties that continue to bedevil efforts to form a Palestinian national unity government should not lead us to think that there is another simple, magic formula or quick-fix that is likely to solve the current Palestinian political crisis. The route of national unity offers the most credible opportunity – indeed, perhaps the only one – to stem the slide into anarchy and for the security forces controlled by the presidency and those under the jurisdiction of the ministry of the interior to work together to provide basic law and order for Palestinians and prevent attacks against Israel, rather than continue to face off on the streets. Such a government will need international support if it is to respond to the aspirations of the Palestinian people for law and order and progress towards a two State solution. This is why its platform should reflect Quartet principles, and why donors, in turn, should signal their readiness to re-engage if there is genuine movement — in full awareness that such movement is more likely to be a process rather than an event.

 

25.        The international community should also expect all members of the Israeli government, and its acts of legislation, to reflect their commitment to the principles of the peace process – including the goal of a two State solution which ends the occupation that began in 1967 – and to meeting its obligations not to advocate or pursue policies that create irreversible facts on the ground or prejudge final status issues. Israel clearly has more to do in this regard, in light of the continued building of the barrier, entrenchment of settlements, and the rarely impeded mushrooming outposts considered illegal by Israel itself – despite statements of intent regarding commitment to Road Map obligations.

 

26.        Last month, at its meeting in New York, the Quartet reaffirmed its commitment to the Road Map as the means to realize the goal of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security. The Quartet also stressed the need for a credible political process in order to make progress towards a two state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The UN continues to work closely with Quartet partners to identify ways to re-start such a political process between Israelis and Palestinians.

 

27.        The international community’s long-term goal is, of course, not only peace between Israel and Palestine, but also peace between Israel and Syria, and Israel and Lebanon. Security Council resolution 1701 stresses the need for a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the region. My regional terms of reference reflect the UN’s commitment to this goal. The Arab Peace Initiative, which was endorsed by the Council of Arab States in Beirut in 2002, also represents a crucial piece of the regional puzzle. A serious and systematic search for peace in the region requires dialogue with all the parties in the conflict, pari pasu , to ensure that crises are managed and opportunities explored, and that developments on one track are not undermined by developments on another.  Recent developments have also driven home the interconnectedness of the region’s problems, and the shortcomings of piecemeal or compartmentalized approaches as opposed to an approach that is coordinated and comprehensive.  Signs of willingness by Israel to open discussions with the Government of Lebanon, and by the Syrian President to talk to Israel – tentative as these are – should be considered in this light, and we hope that opportunities for adversaries talking to resolve differences will not remain unexplored.

 

28.        Together with our Quartet colleagues, working with the parties and our regional parties, the UN will do its part in trying to re-build this bridge, in the form of a carefully monitored and credible political process based on parallel implementation of obligations leading towards a clearly defined comprehensive peace. The UN’s objectives remain security and full recognition to the state of Israel within internationally recognized borders, an end to the occupation for the Palestinian people in an independent, sovereign state, recovery of lost land to Syria, a fully sovereign and secure Lebanon – through the full implementation of all relevant resolutions of this Council. 

 

29.        Thank you, Mr. President.