U.S. Opposes General Assembly Session on Mideast Violence
(Holbrooke: session could be misinterpreted) (600)
By Judy Aita
Washington File United Nations Correspondent
United Nations -- The United States is opposed to a scheduled
emergency General Assembly session on the violence between
Palestinians and Israelis, U.S. Ambassador Richard Holbrooke said
October 17.
Holbrooke said that such a session could be misinterpreted and
undermine the peace process at this important time.
The assembly session, set for October 18, was requested by the
Palestine Observer Mission to the U.N. with the support of the
114-nation Non-Aligned Movement. The session, officially referred to
as the 10th emergency special session, was first held in April 1997 to
discuss Israeli action in the Occupied Territories. The session
October 18 will be the 5th time it has been recalled. The last session
was in February 1999.
Holbrooke pointed out that at the just concluded Sharm el-Sheikh
summit Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian Authority
Chairman Yasser Arafat agreed to eliminate points of friction. "This
General Assembly session is a point of friction. It would only
exacerbate the tensions," Holbrooke said.
"We have urged the General Assembly and member states not to hold the
session and at a minimum delay it," the ambassador said.
Such a session will also undermine the efforts of U.N. Secretary
General Kofi Annan, who attended the Sharm el-Sheikh Summit, Holbrooke
said.
At the end of the summit, Annan issued a statement praising the
Israelis and Palestinians for "stepping back from the abyss" and
urging them to move forward, "painful though it is" to heal the wounds
and end the mistrust.
Annan also said that "silencing the guns, ending the violence, is a
real achievement. But language can be violence too."
"I also appeal to the leadership on both sides, to all Israelis and
Palestinians, and to the wider international community to weigh their
words carefully. For words can inflame or soothe, and everyone needs a
restoration of calm and quiet so as to create the best possible
atmosphere for a resumption of peace talks," Annan said.
Palestinian representative Nasser Al-Kidwa said that "we reviewed the
situation in light of the recent news from Sharm el-Sheikh and we
conclude the General Assembly has to proceed on time. We also felt we
need to have additional time to make sure of the actual situation on
the ground and the degree of implementation."
Al-Kidwa said that the plan is to have the session the morning of
October 18 with limited statements by U.N. member states and ask the
Secretary General to provide the assembly with a report.
In light of that report, Al-Kidwa said, the proposed draft resolution
may be changed.
The resolution being proposed would condemn "acts of violence and the
excessive use of force by the Israeli occupying forces against
Palestinian civilians."
Al-Kidwa had also requested a Security Council meeting October 12
prior to the summit, but the United States, which has veto power in
the council, opposed a council meeting at that time.
"It is hard to conceive of any action the Security Council could take
today which would be anything other than negative to an explosive
situation and further it would undermine the valiant efforts of the
secretary general," Holbrooke said October 12.
Resolutions of the 189-member General Assembly are not binding on
member states. Resolutions of the Security Council, which is the main
U.N. body responsible for maintain peace and security, have the force
of international law and are binding on U.N. members.
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