September 1994
Vol. II, No. 1 Newsletter

CONTENTS:

1. SETTING GOALS FOR THE 49TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
2. SECURITY COUNCIL CONDEMNS TERRORIST ATTACKS IN BUENOS AIRES, LONDON
3. ECOSOC ADOPTS RESOLUTION SUPPORTING PEACE PROCESS
4. ISRAEL SENDS MEDICAL ASSISTANCE TO RWANDAN REFUGEES

SETTING GOALS FOR THE 49TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Israel and the Arabs have taken historic steps towards peace in the past year. Major developments include the Declaration of Principles signed by Israel and the PLO in Washington, DC on 13 September 1993; the subsequent Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area signed in Cairo on 4 May 1994; the Agreed Common Agenda signed by Israel and Jordan in Washington, DC on 14 September 1993; the Washington Declaration signed on the occasion of the meeting between President Clinton of the United States of America, King Hussein of Jordan and Prime Minister Rabin of Israel, in Washington, DC on 25 July 1994; and the ongoing bilateral negotiations between Israel and Jordan, and Israel and the Palestinians. We hope to see progress in the negotiations with Syria and Lebanon, leading to the signing of formal peace treaties. Positive developments have occurred in the multilateral talks as well.

The 48th session of the General Assembly responded to the new reality in the Middle East by beginning to change and eliminate obsolete resolutions drafted at the height of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Still, more must be done to bring General Assembly resolutions into accord with reality. The ultimate criterion for tabling and adopting resolutions should not be old resolutions, but the new reality in the Middle East.

POSITIVE RESOLUTIONS

48/58: Middle East Peace Process

Last year, the General Assembly adopted for the first time a resolution that expressed strong support for the Middle East peace process. An updated version of this resolution should be adopted, taking into account the positive developments that have taken place since the last General Assembly. Adoption of this resolution under its own agenda item and at an early stage of the General Assembly could help set a positive tone in subsequent discussion of Middle East issues in the GA.

48/213: Assistance to the Palestinian People

Israel believes that providing substantial economic assistance to the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip is vital to the achievement of peace and stability in the region. We, therefore, welcome the consensus achieved last year on this resolution. The consensus was achieved after lengthy negotiations, and is based on a delicate balance. It is imperative that this delicate balance not be disrupted by the introduction of contentious political issues, bodies or references.

OUT-DATED RESOLUTIONS WHICH WARRANT CHANGE

48/59 A: Jerusalem

According to the Declaration of Principles, the issue of Jerusalem should be dealt with in the framework of the final status negotiations. There is no justification for addressing this issue in the General Assembly now.

48/59 B: Golan Heights

The issue of the Golan Heights is part of the bilateral negotiations between Israel and Syria, that are based on the principle of direct negotiations between the parties concerned without preconditions. There is no justification for addressing this issue in the General Assembly now.

48/158 A-B: Question of Palestine

Resolution A endorses and authorizes the work of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, while Resolution B supports the work of the Division for Palestinian Rights of the Secretariat. Israel has opposed the existence of these bodies since their inception. They have obstructed dialogue and understanding through a one-sided and distorted portrayal of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Indeed, their very mandates stand in direct contradiction to the principles upon which the peace process is based, namely, direct negotiations between the parties without preconditions. These two bodies needlessly expend valuable resources which could be devoted to better causes, such as improving social and economic conditions for the Palestinians.

48/158 C: Information Relating to the Question of Palestine

Resolution C requests the DPI, among other things, to disseminate information on all activities of the UN system relating to the Question of Palestine. We believe that this is a needless expenditure of valuable resources which could be put to better use. However, should the General Assembly decide to adopt the resolution, it should, at the very least, remove contentious political references such as those regarding the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People.

48/158 D: Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine

Israel has long advocated direct negotiations as the only framework to advance peace in the Middle East. The recent achievements vindicate this approach. The six "principles" for a final settlement included in this resolution are in direct contradiction to the principles upon which the peace process is based, namely, direct negotiations without preconditions, freely agreed upon by all the parties concerned. Moreover, contrary to any notion of genuine negotiations, the resolution attempts to predetermine the outcome of the final status talks, agreed upon by Israel and the PLO in the Declaration of Principles.

48/78: Israeli Nuclear Armament

This resolution singles out Israel. The issues it deals with are already addressed in the resolution regarding the establishment of a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in the Middle East. Beyond this, the appropriate forum for discussing issues concerning Middle East disarmament and arms control is the relevant working group in the multilateral peace talks. The number of states opposed to this resolution grew from three in 1992 to 45 in 1993. There has been a corresponding decline in the number of states supporting the resolution over the past several years. In 1991, 76 countries voted in favor of the resolution. In 1992, this number declined to 64 and in 1993 to 53. Israel welcomes the considerable change in the pattern of voting on this resolution. However, we strongly feel that this item should not be included on the agenda and that this resolution should not be adopted again.

48/41 A-D: Report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices

The Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices was established in 1968 as an instrument of the political warfare conducted by the Arabs against Israel at the UN. As in the case of the other Palestinian organs, we believe that this body's mandate should not be renewed. Although the Committee is supposed to investigate Israeli practices, its mandate, as indicated by the Committee's very name, predetermines its conclusions in advance of its deliberations. The resolutions adopted under this item overflow with bitter and one-sided criticism of Israel. Israel believes that the new United Nations spirit, indeed the new reality that is being created in the region itself, should be reflected in less rhetoric and a more responsible and balanced approach which is essential to encourage the efforts to achieve peace. We, therefore, hope that these resolutions will not be adopted in the 49th session, and that the Committee's mandate will not be renewed.

48/40 A, D-J: United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East

The series of resolutions on UNRWA ignores the new political reality following the agreements between Israel and the PLO, as well as the bilateral and multilateral negotiations. Israel believes that UNRWA can play an important role in promoting the social and economic advancement foreseen in the above-mentioned agreements.

Israel considers it essential that the General Assembly focus its resolutions regarding UNRWA on the issues directly related to the agency's humanitarian tasks and that it refrain from adopting resolutions related to political issues irrelevant to the work for which UNRWA is responsible, and detached from the new reality.

The General Assembly should consolidate its resolutions regarding UNRWA into one resolution relating only to the agency's relevant humanitarian work. This would also be compatible with the necessity to rationalize the work of the General Assembly.

48/212: Economic and Social Repercussions of Israeli Settlements

In view of the Declaration of Principles signed by Israel and the Palestinians, which stipulates that the issue of settlements should be dealt with in the framework of the final status negotiations, and in view of the on-going bilateral negotiations between Israel and Syria, we believe that the issues contained in this resolution should not be discussed in the framework of the General Assembly. Rather, the appropriate forum to discuss these issues is the bilateral negotiations between the parties concerned.

Conclusion

The continued achievements in the framework of the bilateral and multilateral tracks of the peace process raise high hopes. Still, this is a delicate process that needs to be encouraged and nurtured. The General Assembly has an opportunity to contribute to this process by further bringing its resolutions in line with the new realities in the region and by eliminating resolutions which are detrimental to peace. The criteria for making such changes should not be the obsolete resolutions that are a testimony to a bygone era, but rather the new reality in the Middle East and our shared hopes for a peaceful, prosperous future.

SECURITY COUNCIL CONDEMNS TERRORIST ATTACKS IN BUENOS AIRES, LONDON

On July 29, 1994, the President of the Security Council for the month of July, Ambassador Jamsheed Marker of Pakistan, issued a statement condemning the terrorist attacks on Jewish communal offices in Buenos Aires and London, and on the Israeli Embassy in London.

Addressing the media following the statement's adoption, Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gad Yaacobi expressed support for the statement, which he called "very important." However, he expressed disappointment with the statement's failure to state specifically that the attacks were directed against Jewish and Israeli targets.

Ambassador Yaacobi's comments follow, accompanied by the text of the Presidential statement issued on behalf of the Security Council:

Ambassador Yaacobi's comments

"I would like to express our full support for the international effort to combat terrorism, and for full cooperation with all Member States of the United Nations to fight against the international terrorist network that has been active lately against Jewish and Israeli targets all over the world.

"I would like to thank the Argentine Government and the Argentine Minister of Foreign Affairs for their cooperation with us on the investigation of those events. We are fully aware that these are not just separate actions of terror in different places, but a concerted, organized, international network, which is now trying to undermine the peace process and trying to hurt Israel, the Jewish people all over the world, and moderate countries in the Middle East, in order to drag the region into another vicious circle of violence.

"Israel is fully committed to the continuation of the peace process, and will not lend a hand to any interruption or undermining of the peace process by those fanatic terrorists.

"I think that it is very important from an international point of view and from the point of view of the security of the Middle East and the peace process, that the Security Council took a position on this matter and called for international cooperation against the terrorist activities and for cooperation against any kind of threat to innocent human lives. We fully support the statement in this sense.

"However, I would like to express my disappointment, following the opposition of some of the members of the Security Council which caused the deletion of the explicit reminder that the terror activities in Buenos Aires and in London were aimed against Jewish targets, Jewish communities, and the Embassy of Israel in London. This general language is an escape by those who are not ready to fight aggressively against this international threat to stability and peace. The deletion of the references to the targets is unfair, and it causes damage to the moral position and standing of the Security Council on other matters."

Text of Presidential Statement

"The members of the Security Council recall the statement issued on the occasion of the Security Council Summit of 31 January 1992 (S/23500), expressing deep concern over acts of international terrorism, and emphasizing the need for the international community to deal effectively with all such acts.

"The members of the Security Council strongly condemn the terrorist attack which took place in Buenos Aries, Argentina on 18 July 1994, which resulted in great loss of human life.

"The members of the Security Council express their sympathy and condolences to the victims and their families and to the people and Government of Argentina, who have suffered the consequences of this terrorist act.

"The members of the Security Council also strongly condemn the terrorist attacks in London on 26 and 27 July 1994, and express their sympathy to the victims and their families, and to the people and Government of the United Kingdom.

"The members of the Security Council demand an immediate end to all such terrorist attacks. They stress the need to strengthen international cooperation in order to take full and effective measures to prevent, combat and eliminate all forms of terrorism, which affect the international community as a whole."

ECOSOC ADOPTS RESOLUTION SUPPORTING PEACE PROCESS

On July 29, 1994, the United Nations Economic and Social Council

(ECOSOC) adopted by an overwhelming majority a resolution supporting the Middle East peace process and encouraging regional development and cooperation. Forty-seven countries voted for the resolution, which was opposed by Libya alone. There were no abstentions. Thirty-six countries co-sponsored the resolution.

The resolution follows two similar ones adopted in the United Nations General Assembly and Commission on the Status of Women. It is the first resolution of its kind to refer to the Washington Declaration ending the state of belligerency between Israel and Jordan.

The text of the resolution follows:

MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 48/58 of 14 December 1993,

Recalling also the convening of the Peace Conference on the Middle East at Madrid on 30 October 1991, on the basis of the Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) of 22 November 1967 and 338 (1973) of 22 October 1973, and the subsequent bilateral negotiations, as well as the meetings of the multilateral working groups, and noting with satisfaction the broad international support for the peace process,

Noting the continuing positive participation of the United Nations as a full extraregional participant in the work of the multilateral working groups,

Bearing in mind the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements, signed by the Government of the State of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization in Washington, D.C., on 13 September 1993, and the subsequent Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho area, signed by the Government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the representative of the Palestinian people, in Cairo, on 4 May 1994,

Also bearing in mind the Agreement between Israel and Jordan on the Common Agenda, signed in Washington, D.C., on 14 September 1993, and the Washington Declaration signed by Jordan and Israel on 25 July 1994,

1. Welcomes the peace process started at Madrid, and supports the subsequent bilateral negotiations;

2. Stresses the importance of, and need for, achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East;

3. Expresses its full support for the achievements of the peace process thus far, in particular the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements signed by the State of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the subsequent Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho area, signed by the Government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the representative of the Palestinian people, and the Agreement between Israel and Jordan on the Common Agenda, and the Washington Declaration signed by Jordan and Israel on 25 July 1994, which constitute important initial steps in achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East, and urges all parties to implement agreements reached;

4. Stresses also the need for achieving rapid progress on the other tracks of the Arab-Israeli negotiations within the peace process;

5. Welcomes the results of the International Donors Conference to Support Middle East Peace, convened in Washington, D.C., on 1 October 1993, and the subsequent work of the World Bank consultative group, and urges Member States to provide economic, financial and technical assistance to the Palestinian people during the interim period;

6. Calls upon all Member States also to extend economic, financial and technical assistance to parties in the region and to render support for the peace process;

7. Considers that an active United Nations role in the Middle East peace process and in assisting in the implementation of the Declaration of Principles can make a positive contribution;

8. Encourages regional development and cooperation in the areas where work has already begun within the framework of the Madrid Conference.

ISRAEL SENDS MEDICAL ASSISTANCE TO RWANDAN REFUGEES

Eight Israeli cargo planes carrying equipment and supplies for a field hospital arrived on July 25, 1994 at the camp for Rwandan refugees in Goma, Zaire. The airlift was the first of several providing humanitarian assistance to the refugees, who number between one and two million.

Fifty Israeli doctors and 30 other medical personnel who arrived on the flights established a 120-bed field hospital to provide needed care to the refugees. The medical staff includes several pediatricians and doctors of internal medicine. The team is organized to function without outside assistance. Its initial two-weeks worth of supplies will be replenished as necessary.

Eight Israeli Air Force cargo planes left Israel on August 24 carrying food, antibiotics and water purification systems for the refugees. One of the planes was filled entirely with clean drinking water.

Following the 6:00 a.m. landing, locations for a hospitalization center and for an emergency ambulatory center were found with the help of the UNHCR. The heads of the Israeli delegation later met with the Prime Minister of Zaire.

The humanitarian mission, named Operation Interns for Hope, was headed by Environment Minister Yossi Sarid, and under the command of the Chief Medical Officer of the Israel Defense Forces, Brigadier General Mickey Wiener. The medical team is composed of reservists in the IDF Medical Corps who volunteered for the mission.

Israel was the first country to establish a field hospital to care for Rwandan refugees. The mission was coordinated with the relief efforts of UNHCR. Israel's ambassador in Kinshasa obtained the permission of the authorities in Zaire for the arrival of the uniformed IDF delegation.

Israel has sent medical aid missions to several countries in the past. In 1979, a team was sent to Cambodia for a month and a half to treat refugees on the border with Thailand.

A medical corps mission was sent to Cameroon in 1986 following a volcanic eruption there. The 16 member team spent two weeks on site and treated thousands of people suffering from respiratory problems and chemical burns.

In December 1988, an Israeli medical team established a field hospital in Armenia that treated some 2,000 victims of a massive earthquake.

Israeli medical teams have also been sent during the past five years to Moscow, Romania, Turkey and Bosnia.

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