A Critical Analysis of
Resolution 1073
(October 1, 1996)
Resolution 1073 takes as its basis the letter of the Saudi representative regarding
the "action by the Government of Israel to open a tunnel in the vicinity of Al
Aqsa Mosque". This is in fact a distortion of the situation
as the tunnel is an archeological site which has nothing to do with
the Mosque.
The resolution ignores the
letter of Israel's permanent representative, to the UN Secretary
General, on this very subject and at the outset constitutes a
one-sided approach to the issue.
The resolution mentions the
"consequent results" of the tunnel's opening and as such
ignores the the campaign of incitement and vilification on the part of
the Palestinian Council and several Arab states which engendered the
current outbreak of violence.
While the Security
Council expresses its "deep concern" over the deaths of
Palestinian civilians and "concern" over the violent clashes
between the Israeli Army and the Palestinian Police, nowhere does this
resolution express "concern", deep or otherwise, regarding
the blatant violation by the Palestinian Police of the Agreements
between Israel and the Palestinians. Not only did the Palestinian
Police not exercise effective control to prevent violence, there were
repeated instances when Palestinian Policemen joined rampaging mobs
and fired on Israeli positions with the very weapons that were
supposed to be used to keep order, causing the killing of 15 Israeli
soldiers and policemen and the wounding of more than 60.
It should be noted that the
violence in the territories was instigated and encouraged in a cynical
and calculated manner by the leadership of the Palestinian Council as
well as other states in the region. Israel has not, nor will it ever,
undertake or countenance any action which would damage the holy sites
of any religion in Jerusalem, or in any other locale under its
jurisdiction. The members of the Security Council as well as the
Palestinian Council are well aware of this. Nevertheless, the
resolution is silent about the distortions and incitement which were
aimed at Israel in the days prior to the violence in the territories
and which set the stage for its outbreak. Furthermore, the resolution
does not call upon those who engaged in this dangerous incitement to
desist from it in the future.
It must be stated that this
resolution is also silent regarding those who actually resorted to
violence. The Palestinian Police and Security Services who were armed
by virtue of the agreement between Israel and the Palestinians and are
charged with keeping order in the areas under Palestinian
jurisdiction. Instead they turned these weapons on Israeli soldiers
and police, without any provocation, in what can only be described as
an horrendous abuse of the trust with which they were invested and the
powers which they were granted. None of this finds any expression in
the resolution.
One can only, and sadly,
conclude from this resolution that the Security Council has sent a
message that artificially generated violence achieves political
advantage and rewards those who cynically endanger human lives and the
cause of peace in the Middle East.
Sources: Israeli
Foreign Ministry |