Arab States Tell UN to Condemn Israeli Settlements

July 14, 2008
Tripoli Post
Original Source: http://tripolipost.com/articledetail.asp?c=1&i=2099


Arab states asked the UN Security Council on Wednesday to re-declare Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories illegal and condemn new constructions in East Jerusalem. 

Libya, a council member and head of the Arab group in the UN, submitted a draft resolution calling on Israel to immediately stop its expansion in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967. 

The League of Arab States urged the council in a statement issued at UN headquarters on Wednesday to take action on the draft soon, complaining that its previous draft resolution submitted a month ago on the same issue of Jewish settlements has been ignored.

As usual, the American government rejected the draft resolution presented by the Arab states. International law rquires that occupying forces such as Israel do not alter the status of occupied territories in Palestine.

Meanwhile, late on Wednesday, Libya put in blue a revised version of a United Nations Security Council draft resolution calling for the cessation of Israeli settlements and an end to attacks against civilians.

Putting a resolution in blue signals to the council that the sponsor of the resolution is ready for a vote, and that the drafting period is over.

Like the original, the revised document calls for an immediate and complete end to the building and expansion of West Bank settlements, and to all attacks against civilians, and reaffirms a commitment to a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. 

Though it does not appear on this week's council schedule, the draft could be taken up later this week.

The revised text makes note of the importance of achieving a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East based on all relevant resolutions, including the Arab League peace initiative, and takes note of progress made in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations aimed at the establishment of a Palestinian state by the end of the year. 

The document calls on all parties to continue making every effort to realize that goal.

These revisions come at the heels of last week's attack in Jerusalem where a Jerusalem Palestinian drove a bulldozer into a crowded street leaving three dead and dozens wounded. 

Israel asked the Security Council to condemn the attack and call for an end to terrorism and violence.

The revised draft resolution submitted by Libya is intended to reflect concerns put forth by the US in closed session discussions of the text, but it remains unclear how the US will respond.

The position we have on settlements is well known, of course, and hasn't changed, but the way the resolution is crafted at least gives us pause, a representative of the US Mission to the UN said. It still uses language we don't find constructive.

The text refers to Israel as the occupying power.

The representative of the US Mission said ambassadors were reviewing the text and would decide how to respond.