Letter from Israeli Ambassador Gillerman to the UN Secretary-General and President of the Security Council

12 December 2007

H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-moon
Secretary-General
The United Nations
New York

H.E. Mr. Marcello Spatafora
President of the Security Council
The United Nations
New York

Excellency,

I write with regard to the alarming Palestinian terrorist attack carried out today, Wednesday, 12 December 2007, against Israel.

Earlier today, at least 15 Qassam rockets were launched by Palestinian terrorists in the Gaza Strip at the Israeli town of Sderot. The rockets caused injury to five Israeli civilians, who were slightly wounded from the barrage.

Israel views these terrorist attacks with grave severity, particularly in light of the fact that they occurred the morning prior to a meeting between the Israeli and Palestinian Authority chief negotiators, Ms. Tzipi Livni and Mr. Ahmed Queria, to launch the important peace talks discussed last month in Annapolis. The timing of the attack is another clear indication of the Palestinian failure to end the violence and terrorism against Israel. The terrorists obviously struck with the explicit intention of derailing our efforts in pursuit of peace and security.

More than 2,000 rockets have been fired by Palestinian terrorists since the beginning of the year, and security services estimate that, since Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip in June 2007, a rocket is fired at Israel, on average, every three hours.
 
Israel retains the right to exercise itself in self-defense, as is the right of all sovereign nations, under article 51 of the United Nations Charter. Israel will continue to do all that is necessary to safeguard the lives of its citizens and ensure their right to live free from fear and terrorism.

I should be grateful if you would have the contents of this letter circulated as an official document of the sixty-second session of the General Assembly, under agenda items 17, the "Situation in the Middle East," and 18, "Question of Palestine," and of the Security Council.

Allow me, Excellency, to renew to you the assurances of my highest consideration.

Yours truly,
Dan Gillerman
Ambassador
Permanent Representative 

Letter from Israeli Chargé d’Affaires Carmon to the UN Secretary-General and President of the Security Council

17 December 2007

H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-moon
Secretary-General
The United Nations
New York

H.E. Mr. Marcello Spatafora
President of the Security Council
The United Nations
New York

Excellency,

I write with regard to the alarming Palestinian terrorist attacks against Israel, which were carried out over the recent weekend.

Yesterday, Sunday, 16 December 2007, a Qassam rocket fired by Palestinian terrorists in the Gaza Strip scored a direct hit on a house in Kibbutz Zikim, an Israeli communal farm less than a mile from Gaza, and wounded a two year-old boy. The boy and his mother, who needed treatment for trauma and shock, were rushed to a nearby hospital. Their home was destroyed in the rocket attack as well.    

On Friday evening, 14 December, Palestinian terrorists in the Gaza Strip fired a rocket that slammed into a kibbutz factory, destroying equipment. Another rocket hit the same kibbutz almost 24 hours later.

These rocket attacks, like the other daily barrage fire, were intentionally aimed at Israeli towns and civilian populations, in order to inflict death and damage and instill fear and intimidation. Moreover, this terrorist activity is in blatant violation of international law, and those responsible, directly and indirectly, must not be allowed to continue with impunity.

Excellency, Israel views these terrorist attacks with grave severity, particularly as Israeli and Palestinian leaders met last week to commit to moving negotiations forward. The rocket attacks are a deliberate attempt by the enemies of peace, like Hamas, to derail the peace process. Since Hamas violently took control of the Gaza Strip in June 2007, 353 rockets and 554 mortars have been fired at Israeli cities, a sign of Hamas' intransigence and refusal to embrace the three conditions of the Quartet. The Palestinian Authority must end the violence and terrorism against Israel, as is required according to its obligations under the Road Map. All states in the region should refrain from supporting this terrorist activity.
 
Israel retains the right to exercise itself in self-defense, as is the right of all sovereign nations, under article 51 of the United Nations Charter. Israel will continue to do all that is necessary to safeguard the lives of its citizens and ensure their right to live free from fear and terrorism.

I should be grateful if you would have the contents of this letter circulated as an official document of the sixty-second session of the General Assembly, under agenda items 17, the "Situation in the Middle East," and 18, "Question of Palestine," and of the Security Council.

Allow me, Excellency, to renew to you the assurances of my highest consideration.

Yours truly,
Daniel Carmon
Ambassador
Chargé d’Affaires, a.i.