U.S. Criticizes UN Vote on Middle East
AMBASSADOR NANCY RUBIN
EXPLANATION OF VOTE
5TH SPECIAL SESSION OF THE
UN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
GENEVA, OCTOBER 19, 2000
(As Delivered)
Mr. Chairman:
We opposed the session because we feared that it would not contribute
to and would, in fact, undermine international efforts underway to
halt the violence in the Middle East and return the parties to the
path of peace.
It is in the paramount interests of the Israelis and Palestinians that
the hopes engendered at Sharm al-Sheikh be redeemed by positive steps
in the days to come. It is equally in the paramount interests of the
international community that all of us do everything we can to
encourage the parties to fulfill their commitments. We understand the
anger of all the parties who have suffered in this tragic situation.
All of us, the parties and the international community, must act in a
responsible way to maximize our chances of ending the violence.
Sadly, the resolution presented here today does not do justice to
those hopes. It does not provide the balance and the humane wisdom
that were expressed in the remarks of the High Commissioner. Instead,
its language is one-sided and vituperative; its prescriptions are at
variance and in conflict with those agreed to by the parties
themselves. And it offers no pathway to reconciliation among peoples
who though on the brink of conflict were so recently on the very brink
of a final peace settlement.
My country deplores the violence and the loss of life in the Middle
East; we value the lives and the human rights of all Palestinians and
all Israelis. We value, moreover, the potential of this Commission to
contribute to the protection of human rights in the Middle East and
throughout the world. We regret, therefore, to see this potential
squandered in an effort which risks undermining the only prospect
before us of a better future for Palestinians and Israelis alike.
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