Military

DATE=04/19/02

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=ROBINSON/ISRAEL

NUMBER=2-288921

BYLINE=DALE GAVLAK

DATELINE=GENEVA

INTERNET=YES

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: The United Nations human rights chief has

called off a mission to Israel and the Palestinian

territories to investigate alleged abuses. Dale

Gavlak has the story from the Geneva.

TEXT: Human Rights High Commissioner Mary Robinson

says the mission was canceled because Israel said it

could not facilitate such a visit. She stressed that

the cooperation of the Israeli government and the

Palestinian Authority were essential for the mission

to succeed.

Kevin Boyle serves as Mrs. Robinson's Special Senior

Advisor. He says one of the experts appointed to

travel with Mrs. Robinson, former Spanish prime

minister and foreign minister Felipe Gonzalez, spoke

with Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres on Thursday

about the mission.

///FIRST BOYLE ACT///

On the basis of that conversation and the indication

from the foreign minister of Israel that the mission

would not be facilitated, the decision was taken by

the three members of the mission not to proceed with

the mission.

///END ACT///

South African labor activist Cyril Ramaphosa would

have also traveled with Mrs. Robinson team.

But Israel's ambassador to the U-N, Yaacov Levy, says

his country is still studying the possibility of a visit.

///LEVY ACT///

We have informed her that the request for a visiting

mission to the area is still under consideration

pending a decision by the government of Israel.

///END ACT///

Diplomats say that in the past Israel has permitted

U-N investigations in the Palestinian territories, but

offered no security or protection.

The 53-member U-N Human Rights Commission, currently

meeting in Geneva, voted earlier this month for Mrs.

Robinson to head a mission to Israel and the

Palestinian territories to look into escalating

violence between the two sides.

Earlier this week, the Commission had expressed what

it called its deep dismay about the failure of Israel

to provide the green-light for the mission to travel.

Mr. Boyle says Mrs. Robinson is still mandated by the

Commission to produce a report on the human rights

situation. Although he says a visiting mission would

have been preferable, he expressed confidence that a

thorough report could still be prepared in Geneva.

///SECOND BOYLE ACT///

It is in that sense not as effective a way to proceed

where you must write a report from here. But on the

other hand, we have direct communication with all the

U-N agencies and the other organizations, many N-G-Os

on the ground.

///END ACT///

Mr. Boyle says Mrs. Robinson's team has requested

information from both Israeli and Palestinian

authorities about the human rights situation taking

place.

He says that the report presented next week

will acknowledge that Mrs. Robinson

has been waiting for a positive response from Israel

to begin her mission since April 8th. (Signed)

NEB/DG/SAB