CONFLICT-ISRAEL: Arabs Persist in Request for UN Inquiry

By Gustavo Capdevila Reprint | | Print |

Gustavo Capdevila

GENEVA, Oct 18 2000 (IPS) - Arab nations insist that the United Nations Commission on Human Rights call a special inquiry into abuses reportedly committed by Israeli soldiers in the Palestinian territories, even while the summit of heads of state at Sharm el- Sheikh, Egypt, reached a similar decision Tuesday.

The accords achieved at the summit establish, among other points, the creation of “a fact-finding committee to inquire into recent tragic events and how to prevent their recurrence,” said United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan in a statement.

But almost simultaneously with Annan’s announcement, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, called for the creation of an independent investigative commission to clarify the events in the Palestinian territories and Israel of the last few weeks and resolve the issues in question.

The appropriate forum for carrying out such an investigation is the UN Commission on Human Rights, pointed out Robinson at the opening of that body’s special session dedicated to the Palestinian-Israeli case.

Clashes between Palestinian civilians and Israeli troops have left more than 100 people dead since Sep 28, when Ariel Sharon, a conservative Israeli politician, visited the compound of a seventh century Moslem shrine – a site that is also considered sacred to Jews – in East Jerusalem.

Moslems viewed Sharon’s visit as a threat to the Islamic shrine, the third holiest place in Islam.

The potential for two overlapping investigations sparked concern in diplomatic circles, in particular because of the possibility that the UN would be involved in both, given Annan’s participation in the summit at Sharm el-Sheikh.

The UN cannot wash its hands of the case, and the forum in charge of the issue must be the Commission on Human Rights, said a Latin American diplomat.

The Arab nations stood behind their proposal to create an investigative committee, which is to be discussed by the Commission at its Wednesday evening session.

Contrary to what some western diplomats believe, the inquiry would not complicate future peace negotiations between the Israeli government and the Palestinian National Authority, according to delegates from Arab nations.

The actions of such a committee would strengthen the pro- negotiation position in the conflict, they pointed out.

Discussions at the UN Commission on Human Rights began Tuesday in Geneva just as the summit was drawing to a close in Egypt, where leaders reached a deal they hope will bring a halt to the tense situation in the Middle East.

In its morning session, the representatives from the UN Commission’s 53 member states were engrossed in a political debate that reflected the crossfire of accusations flying between the Israelis and the Arabs during recent days, primarily about who is responsible for the violence that exploded Sep 28.

The same tone of discussion remained in the afternoon, even after the results of the summit in Egypt were known.

The delegates who spoke in the first portion of the special session were clearly aligned with one side or the other in the conflict.

“The resolution under discussion is so one-sided and inflammatory as to complicate, if not undermine, efforts underway to bring the violence to a halt,” said Nancy Rubin, US delegate to the UN Commission.

But Algerian representative and president of the Arab bloc, Moamed-Salah Dembri, said the creation of the investigative commission is necessary and urgent for human rights and for establishing a fair balance among those occupying and those being occupied in the Palestinian territories.

The countries of the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as many of the African and Asian nations, maintained a cautious attitude during the UN Commission’s first day in session.

The fate of the Arab initiative will likely be decided by Wednesday, and will depend on reactions in the Middle East to the Sharm el-Sheikh accords.

The UN Commission’s special session is slated to conclude Wednesday, but may be prolonged if the delegates deem it necessary.

The emergency summit in Egypt included the participation of presidents Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, Bill Clinton of the United States and Yasser Arafat of the Palestinian National Authority, Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak and King Abdullah II of Jordan.

Also taking part in the talks were Secretary-General Annan and the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Javier Solana.

The agreement reached Tuesday, following intense negotiations at Sharm el-Sheikh, calls for the withdrawal of the troops Israel deployed in the West Bank and Gaza, and an end to the blockade of Palestinian controlled areas.

The parties also agreed to set up an inquiry to determine responsibility for the eruption of violence, while the United States committed to meeting with Israeli and Palestinian leaders in the next two weeks to lay the groundwork for renewing the peace process.

In addition, Israel promised it would allow the Gaza airport to reopen, which was shut down during the violent clashes.