Holbrooke's Remarks On UN Resolution On Mideast Violence
Mr. President,
Thank you for convoking today's meeting, the urgency of which you
rightly highlighted in the early hours of this morning. The
decision-makers in our government, including the President and
Secretary of State, have spent a sleepless night with leaders in the
region to help restore calm.
We are deeply troubled by the violence and confrontations of the past
week. As Secretary Albright said in Sharm al-Sheikh, "there have been
too many funerals, too much sorrow, too many tears shed and too many
lives shattered. This must not be the future for Israelis and
Palestinians."
Mr. President,
On behalf of the people of the United States, our leaders and myself
personally, I extend our deepest condolences to the families of all
those who have died, and offer our sympathies to all those who have
been injured and kidnapped. In terms of the number of deaths and
injuries, it is the Palestinians who have suffered most from the
recent violence. Israelis, too, have been killed, injured and, most
recently, kidnapped.
Mr. President,
Today, we face a charged and dangerous situation in the Middle East,
one that has claimed thousands of casualties -- including the lives of
nearly 100 people - and one that threatens the security of the entire
region. Already the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict has spilled
over into neighboring Lebanon, claiming more victims and further
undermining prospects for a just, comprehensive and lasting peace.
Hizballah guerrillas violated the UN Blue Line and kidnapped Israeli
soldiers today.
Mr. President,
My government views the current situation with alarm. As you know,
President
Clinton and Secretary Albright have long been involved in the in
Middle East peace process and have been fully engaged in the Council's
deliberations
this week.
The United States has taken steps, in cooperation with the parties, to
try to end violence and restore calm and to create an environment
where a different future can be pursued through negotiations.
First: In Paris this past week, both Prime Minister Barak and Chairman
Arafat assured Secretary Albright of their commitment to end the
violence, and issued instructions to their commanders to reduce
tension and eliminate confrontations, including Israel's willingness
to move its forces back to positions in which they were deployed
before the current crisis and to use live fire only if directly
threatened. For their part, Palestinians agreed to separate
demonstrators from Israeli forces in an effort to prevent
confrontations. Both sides agreed to enhance communication and defuse
potential flashpoints. It is critical that these commitments be
carried out in a concrete way on the ground and sustained over time.
We noted recently that Israel took a significant step to defuse
tensions in Nablus by withdrawing from Joseph's Tomb. Unfortunately,
that step was not
reciprocated.
Second: Prime Minister Barak and Chairman Arafat have agreed to
President
Clinton's proposal to establish a trilateral committee chaired by the
US to discuss security issues and to work out practical arrangements
on the ground to defuse tensions, learn lessons from these tragic
events, and prevent new outbreaks of violence.
Third: The United States is working with Israelis and Palestinians on
developing a fact-finding committee to examine the cause of the recent
violence in an effort to prevent its reoccurrence.
Fourth: Recognizing that only a permanent status agreement that meets
the needs of both sides will create a better future for Israelis and
Palestinians, President Clinton and Secretary Albright will continue
their efforts to advance and intensify negotiations toward a permanent
status agreement.
Mr. President,
Here at the UN, we have addressed the crisis first through an Open
Meeting of the Security Council and now through this resolution, a
resolution we had hoped would be balanced, fair, and would help calm
the situation. Unfortunately, Mr. President, this resolution does not
contribute to that.
The focus of our efforts should not be on finger pointing and
recrimination. What is critical now is to end the violence and restore
calm throughout the region. That will require a maximum effort by all
sides. Israel has a responsibility to avoid the use of excessive force
against Palestinians. Palestinians have a responsibility to avoid
provoking Israelis through use of violent means. Every party must not
only respect the commitments that it has made, but must also ensure
that its words are transformed into real action on the ground to
prevent violence.
Mr. President,
The U.S. role as an honest and effective broker in the pursuit of
Arab-Israeli peace requires us to have the full confidence of both
sides as we continue to work with them to achieve a comprehensive,
just and lasting peace. Trying to respect and recognize the needs and
interests of both sides is a key component of our credibility as a
mediator. For this reason, it is not appropriate for us to support
positions that are likely to be perceived as unbalanced by one side or
the other or are likely to exacerbate rather than ameliorate current
tensions.
The United States is therefore unable to support this resolution
because it does not reflect that essential balance.
Mr. President,
The willingness of the Palestinians and the Israelis to overcome
differences and take bold steps to shape a peaceful future has made
clear that peace between them is achievable. It is for Palestinians
and Israelis to turn aside from the path of confrontation and begin
again to acknowledge the critical interests they share. And it is for
the international community to support them as they seek the path to
peace and to do so in a mariner that is forward-looking and
constructive.
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