UNITED NATIONS: U.N. Security Council debates middle East situation and Secretary-General Kofi Annan condemns the suicide bombing in Tel Aviv

Record ID: 336581

  • Title: UNITED NATIONS: U.N. Security Council debates middle East situation and Secretary-General Kofi Annan condemns the suicide bombing in Tel Aviv
  • Date: 18th April 2006
  • Summary: (W5) UNITED NATIONS (FILE) (REUTERS) CAMERA OPERATOR
  • Embargoed: 3rd May 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations,Defence / Military
  • Reuters ID: LVAAXSTI5JK76E2OGL3PF1W5VT13
  • Story Text: In an address to the United Nations Security Council, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations called actions by Iran, Syria and Palestinian leaders "declarations of war," but the Palestinian envoy said on Monday (April 17, 2006) Israel's attacks on Gaza were inhumane and violated international law.
    The two diplomats opened a U.N. Security Council debate, that included more than two dozen speakers. The session had been scheduled before Monday's (April 17) Palestinian suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, in which nine people were killed and 60 wounded.
    Nevertheless, the Palestinian U.N. observer, Riyad Mansour, echoed the condemnation made by Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority. The Hamas-led Palestinian government has not made similar comments.
    Mansour plead with the U.N. body, however, to condemn Israel's targeted strikes on Gaza.
    "The international community needs to show more resolve in dealing with the situation. Whether on the ground or concerning the political aspect. Double standards concerning the situation in the Palestinian territory can not be accepted. This double standard can be perceived as the international community remains silent and sits idly by as the occupying power is being directly permitted to kill Palestinian civilians and continue with its illegal policies while the Palestinian people are being killed and collectively punished through political and economic isolation for democratically electing their government," said Mansour.
    Gillerman made clear Israel's position that suicide bombings can not be equated to Israel's targeted attacks in Gaza, which it claims are the most effective defense.
    "We will not passively allow human bombs, Katyushas or Qassams to penetrate our territory, kill Israeli citizens and put our people at risk. Let me make it very clear, Israel regrets any loss of life. But any attempt to equate the loss of life caused erroneously, by Israel acting in self defense, where the suicide bombers specifically targeting women and children is morally wrong and false. Terror is terror is terror. And can never and must never be justified. In view of all this Mr. President and distinguished members of the Council, what would you do?"
    He said Iran and Syria harbored and financed Hamas and Lebanon's Hizbollah group, citing comments from Hamas leaders based in Syria, Ismail Haniya, the Palestinian Authority's prime minister, and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has called for Israel to be wiped off the map.
    Arab and African delegates backed Mansour's condemnation of what he called Israel's "excess and indiscriminate force against Palestinian civilians," particularly those in Gaza that he said killed 15 to 21 civilians, among them two children.
    In the past week, Israel has bombarded targets in Gaza, from where militants often fire home-made rockets into Israel. The death toll is the highest since Israel pulled out of Gaza last August and September after 38 years of occupation.
    The meeting was called after the United States last week refused to agree to a compromise statement on Israeli military strikes in Gaza, saying the draft was "disproportionately critical of Israel." Secretary-General Kofi Annan called on the Palestinian Authority on Monday to take a strong stand against suicide bombings and said the quartet of Middle East advisers would meet next month.
    Speaking hours after the Palestinian suicide bomber attack in Israel, Annan told reporters he would host the quartet meeting in New York on May 9 that would also include "regional partners" from the Middle East.
    Russia has previously suggested that Egypt and Jordan attend.
    The quartet, now sharply divided, includes the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations, and had devised a road map towards a negotiated two-state solution, which appears in tatters.
    Russia has promised emergency aid to the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority while the United States and EU have halted direct assistance to the government because it has not renounced violence, recognized Israel or agreed to abide by interim peace deals.
    Annan told reporters he strongly condemned the suicide bombing and urged Hamas to follow President Mahmoud Abbas in criticizing it. The Islamic Jihad group has taken responsibility for the attack.
    "I hope President Abbas will be able to get the Authority to also take a firm stand against this, and I've urged him to do that," Annan said.
    Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri called the Tel Aviv bombing "a natural result of the continued Israeli crimes against our people."
    "Our people are in a state of self-defense and they have every right to use all means to defend themselves," he said.
    Annan said it was important that neither side take action that put civilians at risk.
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