Israel submitted this week a draft resolution to the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly on the effects of Palestinian terrorism on Israeli children.

The submission of this resolution marks the first time in decades that Israel has introduced a resolution to the agenda of any committee at the UN General Assembly.

The resolution entitled, The Situation of and Assistance to Israeli Children, will be considered under Agenda Item 117(b) of the Third Committee which deals primarily with issues of human rights.

For the second straight year, the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine will introduce a biased and distorted resolution in the Third Committee entitled, The Situation of and Assistance to Palestinian Children. This resolution serves to further the political aims of one side of the conflict, and stands devoid of any reference to the destructive effects of Palestinian terrorism and suicide bombings on innocent Israeli and Palestinian lives.

Indeed, the central threat to the well being of Palestinian children is terrorism itself, which causes severe physical and psychological harm, and destroys hopes for peace and a more secure future for the region.

Israel shares the concern for the plight of Palestinian children, but we believe that all the worlds children are deserving of protection, Israeli and Palestinian alike. The Israeli draft resolution on The Situation of and Assistance to Israeli Children recognizes the basic and universal rights of all children to live a normal life free from terrorism, destruction and fear, and expressly condemns all acts of violence and incitement to violence and terrorism. Indeed, to afford specific protection to Palestinian children, and not to Israeli children perpetuates a false reality which pretends that one side of the conflict has a monopoly on the status of victim.

The Israeli resolution also raises global awareness for the suffering of Israeli children as a result of the tragic consequences of terrorist acts, and the responsibility of the Palestinian side to fulfill its obligations to fight terror.

Text of the draft resolution:

The Situation of and Assistance to Israeli Children

58th Session
Draft Resolution
Agenda Item 117(b)

The Situation of and Assistance to Israeli Children

The General Assembly,

Recalling the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

Recalling also the World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children and Plan of Action for Implementing the World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children in the 1990s, adopted by the World Summit for Children, held in New York on 29 and 30 September 1990,

Recalling further the Declaration and Plan of Action adopted by the General Assembly at its twenty-seventh special session,

Concerned that Israeli children suffering from the effects of Palestinian terrorism are deprived of many basic rights under the Convention,

Concerned also about the continuous grave threat to Israeli children from Palestinian terrorism, and about the severe consequences of continuing terrorist attacks by Palestinian terrorist groups such as Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade directed against Israeli civilians, including children,

Expressing its condemnation of all acts of violence and incitement to violence and terrorism, resulting in extensive loss of human life and injuries, including among Israeli children,

Deeply concerned about the severe consequences, including psychological consequences of Palestinian terrorist attacks on the present and future well-being of Israeli children,

1. Stresses the urgent need for Israeli children to live a normal life free from terrorism, destruction and fear;

2. Demands, that the Palestinian Authority respect its obligations to undertake effective operations aimed at confronting all those engaged in terror and the dismantlement of terrorist capabilities and infrastructure, and to guarantee that those responsible for terrorist acts are brought to justice;

3. Requests the Secretary-General to report on compliance with paragraph 2 above within one month and upon receipt of which further actions should be considered, if necessary, within the United Nations System.