H.E. Mr. Kofi Annan
Secretary-General
The United Nations
New York
Excellency,
I would like to update you on the tragic events that have taken place in
recent days in Jerusalem and in the West Bank and Gaza.
The events in these areas represent the latest and most severe developments
in a wave of violence that has been building over the past few weeks. The
attacks began with the throwing of stones and Molotov cocktails in the
vicinity of the Netzarim Junction on 13 September. This was followed by the
killing of an Israeli soldier by a roadside bomb on 27 September, and the
murder of an Israeli police officer by a Palestinian policeman in a joint
patrol on 29 September.
The events of this past Friday on the Temple Mount represent a further
escalation of the Palestinian violence. Muslim worshippers, out of a desire
to violently confront both Israeli police and civilians on the eve of the
Jewish New Year, hurled rocks and other objects at Jewish worshippers
gathered at the Western Wall below. Israeli police attempted to turn back
the protesters through non-violent means, but the mob persisted, attempting
to force its way out of the Temple Mount area and through the Mughrabim gate
to the Western Wall plaza. At this point, Israeli forces, who had been
deployed outside the perimeter of the Mount, were compelled to enter the
area to push back the charging mob. The stone-throwing mob continued in its
violence for a period of more than four hours.
Regrettably, the wave of Palestinian violence did not stop there. During the
last 24 hours alone, there have been over thirty incidents of unprovoked
live gunfire directed against Israeli civilians and security forces. One
Israeli civilian was shot and killed at close range when dropping his car
off at a Palestinian-owned garage in the village of Maskheh.. A soldier was
killed, and a civilian moderately wounded, in a shooting near the town of
Beit Sahour. Two Israeli policemen were wounded in gunfire from armed
Palestinian security forces near Jericho and Palestinian attackers opened
fire on a school bus near Shiloh.
Meanwhile, the mob violence continues unabated. Let there be no doubt, we
are not faced with peaceful demonstrators. There have been numerous
instances of live fire emanating from within protesting crowds, in a fatal
phenomenon encountered throughout the PA territories.
Let me stress that in all the cases mentioned above, Israeli security
personnel returned fire only when absolutely necessary and when faced with
an imminent threat to life and limb. Israeli forces exercised all possible
restraint in their efforts to restore calm and security, and only took
action as a last resort, in order to protect the lives of civilians, police
officers and Israeli soldiers, as any government would be obligated to do.
We must stress that the responsibility for this distressing escalation lies
squarely with the Palestinian Authority, not only due to its failure to take
action to halt these events, but also for its incitement of the population
through inflammatory rhetoric and calls to violence. Furthermore,
Palestinian Authority policemen and security forces have taken an active
role in the events, including the use of live ammunition against Israelis.
Most disturbing for Israel is the wholesale violation of signed agreements
regarding the use of weapons by Palestinian policemen and paramilitary
groups such as the Tanzim group of Arafats own Fatah faction. The
Palestinians have turned these weapons against the same Israeli soldiers
with whom they were meant to carry out joint security tasks.
It is regrettable that at such a sensitive time in the Middle East Peace
Process, the Palestinians have once again decided to resort to violence for
political gain. Experience has repeatedly shown that the Palestinian
Authoritys willingness to incite popular violence as a means to elicit
concessions in the negotiations, serves only to divert the peace process
from its course and to hinder our ability to arrive at a final settlement.
We call upon the Palestinian leadership to do their utmost to calm the
situation and to create a climate conducive to the advancement of peace
negotiations. Specifically, we call upon the Palestinian Authority to act
responsibly, and to put an immediate halt to the unrestrained use of gunfire
by Palestinian police, to collect the illegal weapons in the hands of the
Tanzim, and to distance Palestinian protesters from Israeli positions, as is
their obligation under our agreements.
I must reiterate that Israel, for its part, remains committed to achieving a
peace settlement with our Palestinian neighbors, even in the face of such
violence. We call upon Chairman Arafat to cease the incitement and bloodshed
and to return to the negotiating table in earnest. For our part, we will
continue the search for peace with the same determination that we use today
to confront the violence and restore security.
In closing, I would like to express my sorrow at this tragic loss of life.
It is precisely this human suffering that our peace efforts are meant to
eliminate.
I would be grateful if you would have the text of this letter circulated as
a document of the General Assembly, under agenda item 40, and of the
Security Council.
Sincerely,
Ambassador Yehuda Lancry
Permanent Representative of Israel
to the United Nations