Security Council meeting 5667

The President

I should like to inform the Council that I have received letters from the representatives of Israel, Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic, in which they request to be invited to participate in the consideration of the item on the Council's agenda. In conformity with the usual practice, I propose, with the consent of the Council, to invite those representatives to participate in the consideration without the right to vote, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter and rule 37 of the Council's provisional rules of procedure.

There being no objection, it is so decided.

The President

I should like to inform the Council that I have received a letter dated 19 April 2007 from the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations, which will be issued as document S/2007/228 and which reads as follows:

"I have the honour to request that, in accordance with its previous practice, the Security Council invite the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations to participate in the meeting of the Security Council which will be held on Wednesday, 25 April 2007, regarding the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question."

I propose, with the consent of the Council, to invite the Permanent Observer of Palestine to participate in the meeting in accordance with the rules of procedure and the previous practice in this regard.

There being no objection, it is so decided.

The President

In accordance with the understanding reached in the Council's prior consultations, I shall take it that the Security Council agrees to extend an invitation under rule 39 of its provisional rules of procedure to Mr. Lynn Pascoe, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs.

It is so decided.

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Security Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations.

At this meeting, the Security Council will hear a briefing by Mr. Lynn Pascoe, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, to whom I give the floor.

Mr. Pascoe (Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs)

Since I last briefed the Council, political and diplomatic initiatives aimed at rejuvenating peacemaking in the Middle East have continued to evolve in a mostly positive fashion.

The Secretary-General, who returns today from his second trip to the region, is actively encouraging those local, regional and international initiatives. However, the forward momentum we are witnessing on the political-diplomatic level is threatened by the deteriorating security situation on the ground, especially the continuing violence experienced by Israelis and Palestinians alike. Leaders on all sides must do their utmost to prevent this latest upsurge of violence from escalating further.

Let me first turn to the major political developments for the period, beginning with the formation of the National Unity Government. After being approved by an 83-to-3 vote in the Legislative Council, the Palestinian National Unity Government was sworn in on 17 March, in accordance with the programme agreed at Mecca. The Quartet, reiterating respect for the agreement and Palestinian democracy, has encouraged progress in the direction of its three principles, while indicating its intention to assess the Government's commitment not only by its platform and composition, but also by its actions.

President Abbas and Prime Minister Olmert met in Jerusalem on 15 April. They discussed immediate humanitarian and security issues, including efforts to build confidence through action on security reform and implementation of the Agreement on Movement and Access. They reportedly also exchanged views on aspects of a future Palestinian State and a time frame for achieving it, and agreed to meet again soon. We encourage them to build on those discussions, which were agreed to during Secretary Rice's March visit to the region, and the Secretary-General has urged continued efforts in that regard.

Following the reaffirmation of the Arab peace initiative at the Arab League Summit, a follow-up Ministerial Committee meeting in Cairo on 18 April established working groups to engage international partners and Israel and created greater public awareness of the potential of the Arab peace initiative. The Secretary-General welcomed the engagement of the League of Arab States and stated that he looked forward to meeting with the Ministerial Committee that has been formed to promote that process. Prime Minister Olmert has welcomed the initiative as a "positive approach".

At the invitation of the Israeli Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, a Syrian-American businessman, Ibrahim Suleiman, visited Israel to brief the Committee on unofficial efforts to draft elements of a peace agreement between Israel and Syria. Both Governments as well as the participants have underlined that this was a private initiative.

I would also like to record that the Palestinian Central Election Commission conducted registration of 61,400 new voters between 28 March and 2 April, with technical assistance from the United Nations and under the scrutiny of some 2,800 domestic observers and party agents, who qualified the process as inclusive, fair and transparent.

Despite a number of positive political developments, we are deeply concerned at the overall situation on the ground. In the reporting period, at least 43 Palestinians have been killed -- 22 in intra-Palestinian fighting and 21 by the Israel Defense Forces -- while over 200 Palestinians and at least 13 Israelis have been injured. According to reports from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the bulk of fatalities and injuries from 14 March through 17 April were attributed to 83 incidents involving Palestinian factional fighting or family feuding and 69 incidents involving the Israel Defense Forces and Palestinians.

In addition, according to United Nations figures, between 14 March and 17 April, 54 rockets and mortars were fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel. Prime Minister Olmert noted last week that there had been a significant drop since mid-April in the rate of rockets being fired, which appeared to be the result of the continuing efforts of President Abbas with the various factions. However, last weekend Israel carried out a number of arrests in West Bank cities, during which nine Palestinians were killed, and a rocket hit the town of Sderot, underlining the dangers that those attacks still pose. Israel has reported that over 24 rockets and mortars were fired from Gaza on the morning of 24 April. The military wing of Hamas has claimed responsibility. The Palestinian Government has called for the ceasefire to be respected, and the Israeli Government has exercised restraint.

Israeli officials continue to express concern about the alleged smuggling of weapons between Egypt and the Gaza Strip and about the reported increase in the payload and range of the rockets that are fired from Gaza into Israel. In that regard, the efforts of the Government of Egypt to maintain the ceasefire and halt rocket fire are appreciated.

The lack of substantial improvement in the security situation is a matter of great concern. The obstacles to achieving progress recently led the new Minister of the Interior to offer his resignation. It is important that the Palestinian Authority acts to counter the smuggling of weapons and rocket fire against Israel and takes steps to implement the internal security plan endorsed by the Palestinian Cabinet to restore law and order. That is not only the overwhelming desire of Palestinians but is also vital for continued international engagement in Gaza.

In that connection, we continue to be deeply concerned about the fate of kidnapped BBC journalist Alan Johnston, and we reiterate the Secretary-General's call for his safety and immediate release. We were also greatly alarmed when a vehicle carrying the Director of the operations in Gaza of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East and a senior United Nations security official came under heavy attack on 18 March. Those and several other incidents -- including attacks against Internet cafes, other business establishments and the American International School in Gaza -- have led the United Nations to take further mitigating measures to ensure staff security. That situation is being kept under close review.

The release of Israeli Corporal Gilad Shalit is also crucial to moving ahead. In that regard, it is reported that various proposals for prisoner exchanges have been discussed. On 16 April, Prime Minister Olmert stated that he was open to a "reasonable exchange" in order to free Shalit.

The Government of Israel must also play its part to calm the situation, in particular with regard to the Israeli settler community. Attacks in Hebron on Palestinian children and a mentally disabled Palestinian man, which were carried out by groups of settlers, have been widely reported. Likewise, the Government of Israel must ensure that measures for Israeli security are not carried out at the expense of innocent Palestinians. All security measures must be proportionate. Continued operations into Palestinian population centres in the West Bank -- almost inevitably with resultant civilian casualties -- are matters of great concern.

Despite the provisions of the Road Map that call for a settlement freeze, the construction of new housing units is taking place in some 75 of the 121 settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory. Settlement development continues on both sides of the barrier. There is major ongoing construction in Maale Adumim, Beitar Illit and Modiin Illit.

On 10 April, Israeli Defense Minister Peretz ordered the eviction of settlers who had moved into buildings in central Hebron in February, but that order has not yet been implemented. Despite the obligation of the Government of Israel under the Road Map, none of the additional 101 outposts in the West Bank has been removed. In addition, Israel continues to construct the wall in the West Bank, ignoring the 9 July 2004 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice. Despite commitments by the Government of Israel to ease movement in the West Bank, a total of 547 physical obstacles to movement were in place as of 3 April 2007 -- up from the 529 obstacles cited in our last report.

For Gaza, access through Karni has improved slightly since our last report. The crossing was open every scheduled day, but only for 43 per cent of the scheduled opening hours. Approximately 10 per cent of the ultimate target set by the Agreement on Movement and Access -- 400 truckloads of exported goods per day -- was reached. Movement through Rafah improved, as it was open 42 per cent of the time -- up from 27 per cent during the last reporting period. The targets set out in the Agreement on Movement and Access, to which Israel has committed, must be reached if there is to be an improvement in the socio-economic situation of the Gaza Strip.

United Nations staff members and other humanitarian workers crossing from Gaza into Israel are subjected to increasingly arbitrary treatment by Israeli authorities. Internal searches of United Nations vehicles and property, including laptop computers, are conducted out of sight of United Nations staff. That practice violates United Nations security standards as well as United Nations privileges and immunities. We continue to work closely with all the relevant Israeli authorities to correct the situation, but there has been little progress thus far.

President Abbas and the new Palestinian Finance Minister have continued to underline the precarious state of Palestinian finances, including to senior European and United States officials. Donor Governments are studying various options.

There will likely be a requirement for the renewal of the temporary international mechanism beyond its current three-month mandate. I take this opportunity to remind the Council of the Quartet's call for the international community to support the mechanism, which has disbursed some $330 million to date. We also continue to urge Israel to transfer the customs and value added tax funds that have been withheld from Palestinians.

Meanwhile, immediate humanitarian issues must still be addressed. United Nations agencies continue to support populations affected by a sewage spill that killed five persons in the northern Gaza Strip on 8 April. Longer-term measures to rehabilitate the sewage plant must urgently be implemented.

I should also draw to the Council's attention the recent visit of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy, to Lebanon, the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel. During that visit, the Special Representative obtained first-hand information on the situation of children and discussed concerns with senior Government officials. She will be reporting in due course to the Security Council, the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council.

I turn now to Lebanon, where the Secretary-General has been encouraging dialogue to resolve the political impasse. Intensive efforts to ease the political stalemate ahead of the Arab League summit in Riyadh helped to reduce tension but did not produce any breakthroughs concerning a national unity Government or the special tribunal for Lebanon. The Secretary-General made Lebanon a priority during his first visit to the region. More recently, Nicolas Michel, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, visited Lebanon and met with political leaders of all parties to discuss the statute of the tribunal, in order to advance its ratification in accord with the Lebanese Constitution. The Secretary-General will continue his efforts to encourage the implementation of all relevant Security Council resolutions and to support Lebanon's independence, sovereignty, stability and security.

Lebanon remains committed to moving ahead with an important programme of political and socio-economic reform, irrespective of domestic challenges. At a recent meeting of the core group of countries that have offered their support to Lebanon, Prime Minister Siniora's Government presented a progress report on the implementation of the reform package delivered at the Paris III Conference for Lebanon. The report showed allocation of donor pledges by sector and provided an update on ongoing bilateral negotiations for the disbursement of funds. However, thus far only a small percentage of the pledges have been disbursed. We encourage donors to work with the Government of Lebanon to ensure the speedy implementation of the Paris Conference's framework of assistance.

In south Lebanon, we are pleased to note that as of 10 April, the total strength of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) stands at 13,000 peacekeepers. The Secretary-General visited UNIFIL on 31 March and noted the vital role it is playing to preserve calm along the Blue Line. That near-total calm has held since the last reporting period.

However, Israeli air violations of the Line have continued, with Israel claiming that those air violations are necessary for security measures in the face of continued breaches of the embargo on the transfer of arms, while the Government of Lebanon maintains that they are provocative actions that increase tension along the Blue Line. The United Nations will continue to assert, in the strongest terms, to both parties that one violation cannot justify another.

It is clear that the situation in the region is fragile. There are a number of elements in play that, taken together, could generate progress within the occupied Palestinian territory, between the PLO and Israel and between Israel and the Arab world. The Secretary-General is committed to nurturing these elements in close collaboration with his Quartet partners. At the same time, we are increasingly concerned that actions and inaction on the ground remain real obstacles to progress and have the potential to lead to paralysis or even a rapid deterioration. The renewed violence of the past few days shows how precarious the situation is. It is incumbent on the parties and all regional and international players to show restraint and to intensify their efforts to bring about immediate progress on the ground and to promote, as a minimum, the political will for the parties to discuss their future together. We need to move forward towards our shared goal of a just, lasting and comprehensive peace, based on Security Council resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973), 1397 (2002) and 1515 (2003).

As the Council knows, in the last month, the Secretary-General has visited the Middle East twice, including Iraq, Egypt, Israel, the occupied Palestinian territory, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and, most recently, Qatar and Syria. He has reported to the Council on his priorities and observations, and will continue to do so.

I should like to conclude this briefing by noting to the Council that the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Alvaro de Soto, has informed the Secretary-General of his decision to depart the United Nations next month, after 25 years of service. In his distinguished United Nations career, Mr. de Soto has advanced the cause of peace in many places, including the Middle East, Western Sahara, Cyprus, Myanmar and El Salvador, as well as contributing to the development of United Nations conflict resolution work and practice in many areas. I am sure that the members of the Council share the Secretary-General's deep appreciation for his outstanding contribution to the United Nations and wish him well in the future.

The President

Thank you, Mr. Pascoe, for that very comprehensive briefing.

Mr. Wolff (United States)

Recent months have seen some potentially promising developments in rebuilding the momentum necessary to advance efforts towards peace. The United States remains firmly committed to the vision of two States -- Israel and Palestine -- living side by side in peace and security, and to the Road Map as the best way to achieve that goal. There is a growing consensus in support of that vision and an urgent desire to achieve it.

Prime Minister Olmert and President Abbas are both committed to working towards the realization of that vision. We, the international community, should support their efforts and those of responsible regional actors who are committed to progress towards the establishment of a Palestinian State.

During the most recent visit of Secretary Rice to the region, Prime Minister Olmert and President Abbas agreed to hold bi-weekly meetings to discuss practical issues such as security and movement and access, which impact the daily lives of Palestinians and Israelis. They also agreed to work on developing a political horizon. The first of those meetings was held on 15 April, and we believe that represents an important step forward on the bilateral Israeli-Palestinian track. It is our hope and expectation that these regular meetings will build confidence between the parties, improve the lives of their respective peoples and lay the foundation for meaningful negotiations in the future. Palestinians must know that their State will be viable. Israelis must know that a future State of Palestine will not be a threat. While we are not yet at final status negotiations, those important issues can and should be discussed now.

The work of peace is made more complex by the posture of the Palestinian Authority Unity Government. The position of the United States and that of the Quartet is clear: we will support a Palestinian Authority Government committed to the Quartet's foundational principles of peace, renunciation of violence, recognition of Israel and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations, including the Road Map. Those are principles upon which any Palestinian State must be founded. Its commitment to those principles must be the measure of international support for the Palestinian Authority Government. Only a Palestinian Authority Government that accepts those principles can fulfil the aspirations of the Palestinian people for a better future and a State of their own.

But there are those who wish to undermine the efforts of President Abbas, Prime Minister Olmert and the international community to advance peace. It is the responsibility of the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority Government to prevent terror and take the necessary steps to stop attacks from within Gaza, and we call on them to do so. Hamas' latest rocket attacks and breach of the ceasefire send a clear signal that it is not prepared to support progress towards peace and that Hamas is the obstacle to the Palestinian people's ability to achieve their aspirations of statehood. In that regard, we also call again for the long-overdue release of Corporal Shalit. And we also support the immediate release of BBC journalist Alan Johnston.

Beyond the parties themselves, the international community, particularly States in the region, should commit itself to helping the parties succeed. The Arab League's reaffirmation in Riyadh in March of the 2002 Arab League Peace Initiative offers the prospect of a regional political horizon for Israel to complement the bilateral Israeli-Palestinian track. Just as Israelis and Palestinians should clarify a political horizon together, so should the Arab States clarify a political horizon for Israel. Those two tracks are not substitutes one for the other; indeed they reinforce each other.

We welcome the 18 April meeting of the Arab League Follow-up Committee. Its decision to charge Egypt and Jordan with outreach to Israel on the Initiative is a good first step, and it is important that this dialogue expand in the future to include more Arab States.

Turning to Lebanon, the United States remains committed to a sovereign, democratic and prosperous Lebanon. We continue to call for the full implementation of all Security Council resolutions pertaining to Lebanon, including 1559 (2004), 1680 (2006) and 1701 (2006). And I would note that this includes the immediate release of the Israeli soldiers abducted last summer.

It remains critically important that all those involved in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and in other attacks in Lebanon since October 2004 be held accountable. We support the efforts of the United Nations International Independent Investigation Commission and look forward to the timely establishment of a tribunal of an international character in order to help insure that justice is done. We remain concerned by mounting evidence of the continued shipment of arms to Hizbollah and other armed groups and call on all States to enforce the arms embargo established by Council resolution 1701 (2006).

The presidential statement of 17 April (S/PRST/2007/12)underscored the Council's resolve that the arms embargo be enforced. In that regard, we are pleased with the Council's support for the dispatch of an independent mission to assess the monitoring of the Lebanese-Syrian border. The Security Council must be united in insisting that Syria and Iran abide by their obligations under Council resolutions to respect Lebanese sovereignty and end their support for the armed militias, who pose a threat to the Lebanese State and to the stability of the region.

Mr. Biabaroh-Iboro (Congo)

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