ZOA: OFFICIAL UN RESPONSE TO US PROTEST OVER 'MAP OF PALESTINE' WITHOUT ISRAEL IS UNACCEPTABLE

The ZOA has described as unacceptable the official response of the United Nations to a letter from the US Ambassador to the UN, John Bolton, posing questions to the Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, regarding the "International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People" held last November in New York under UN auspices and in particular the 'Map of Palestine' prominently displayed at the event from which Israel is erased. The ceremony was held at the UN headquarters in New York and was attended by Annan and the presidents of the UN Security Council and the General Assembly. The 'Map of Palestine' displayed was provided by the UN Division for Palestinian Rights, is kept within the UN Secretariat and paid for through the UN budget.  Ambassador Bolton wrote to the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, on January 3, 2006 posing three questions: "First, who is the highest level official within the Secretariat who approved the use of the map for the event? Second, does the United Nations intend to use the map in future U.N. sponsored functions and events? Third, in light of prohibitions under U.S. law to fund events such as this one, do you consider it appropriate for the United Nations to advertise and promote the event on its general website and other venues, which do in fact benefit from U.S. funds?"  The response to Bolton's letter came not from Kofi Annan, but from Ibrahim Gambari, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, who shirked any UN responsibility for the event or the use of the 'Map of Palestine,' saying that "the decision to display the map is a decision of Member States not the Secretariat" - implying that the Secretariat has no control or authority over functions convened by UN bodies like this one. In fact, as international law authority Professor Anne Bayefsky of Touro Law School (formerly of Columbia University Law School) has observed, "According to the UN Charter 'The staff shall be appointed by the Secretary-General under regulations established by the General Assembly.' So those staff members are directly appointed by, and responsible to, the Secretary-General. The UN Charter establishes six principal organs of the United Nations, including the General Assembly and the Secretariat. This gives the Secretary-General the capacity to refuse to associate himself, or his staff, with an action that is incompatible with the UN Charter. Actively taking steps to depict the erasure of a UN member state is hardly compatible with the Charter 'principle of the sovereign equality of all its Members.'"

Professor Bayefsky has documented the history of the UN Committee on the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP) which organized the event and established the practice of displaying the map, quoting from the record of the Committee's 1981 session, at which the map was first introduced, and which makes it clear that this occurred within the context of opposing Israel's very existence. Professor Bayefsky also explains, "The title of the map is not the 'British' Palestine mandate but just 'Palestine.' And what would the British mandate be doing with a flag on it representing Arab nationalism? The Sharifian flag was designed in connection with the Arab Revolt in 1916, and became a symbol of Arab nationalism. (In 1922 the order of the colored stripes was changed.) At the Palestinian conference held in Gaza October 1-3, 1948 the Palestinian National Council adopted the flag (as well as a bill purporting to establish a government and a declaration of independence). The adoption of the flag occurred after the May 14, 1948 expiration of the British mandate and the May 15, 1948 Israeli declaration of independence. A map dated 1948, entitled Palestine, with an Arab flag adopted by the Palestinian National Council along with a declaration of independence, making no reference to the 1947 UN division of the British mandate, is not merely historical except as a statement of the historical rejection of the state of Israel."  ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said, "The official response to Ambassador Bolton is simply unacceptable in addition to being an insult to the United States. The letter did not even come from the Secretary-General, as would be normal when receiving a written communication from a UN ambassador, and it also refuse to respond to Ambassador Bolton's query, instead advising him to take up the issue with the Senegalese Ambassador, Paul Badji, who chairs the CEIRPP and who only last November accused Israel in the General Assembly for 'provoking' suicide-bombing. It is precisely Badji and the CEIRPP who are part of the problem, not the
solution.  "We are also deeply disappointed that in Mr. Gambari's letter, the Secretary-General is reported to be concerned about the 'Map of Palestine' solely in the context of the supposedly 'new and very troubling connotation [the map takes on] in the light of the remarks made recently by the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran.' Calls for Israel's violent elimination are nothing new in the annals of the UN and the Secretary-General cannot seriously expect people to believe otherwise. Israel is the only UN state which is not a full member of any of the UN regional groups, key negotiating and appointment-making bodies. Within the last two months the UN General Assembly adopted 31 resolutions critical of human rights records of particular states, 19 of which were directed at Israel alone. It is hard to take at face value this expression of concern regarding the words of the Iranian president when there is so much entrenched institutional bias and anti-Israel extremism within the UN system itself.  "Mr. Gambari's letter was an opportunity for the UN to face up to these problems and to show by addressing Ambassador's Bolton's questions in a timely and serious manner that it is committed to proper reform and justice for Israel. It is now clear that it is not. We applaud, however, Ambassador Bolton for raising these pertinent questions and are pleased that he has indicated that he will not drop this matter and others like it. Again, we praise President Bush for appointing John Bolton, a real fighter for reform, decency and fairness within UN."

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FM Livni indicates turning all terrorists into cops is breaking up terror infrastructure
                 
This morning IMRA asked Israel's new foreign minister, Tzippi Livni, the following question through her assistant media advisor: "Does Minister Livni accept the assertion made by the Palestinian Authority that if it recruits all armed Palestinian groups into the ranks of the PA police that this would constitute breaking up the terror infrastructure." This evening, after consultations with foreign minister Tzippi Livni, the assistant media advisor contacted IMRA with the following reply: "The Government of Israel expects the Palestinian Authority to break up the terror organizations as it has committed to do."-By Dr. Aaron Lerner   
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[Better late than never] Acting PM Olmert Holds Consultations On Palestinian Authority Elections

(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser). Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert this afternoon held consultations on the issue of the upcoming Palestinian Authority (PA) elections.  Justice and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, Public Security Minister Gideon Ezra, Minister Tzahi Hanegbi, IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz, IDF Deputy Chief-of-Staff Maj.-Gen. Moshe Kaplinsky, ISA Director Yuval Diskin, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Special Adviser Dov Weisglass, Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Maj.-Gen. Yosef Mishlav, National Security Council Chairman Giora Eiland and other senior officials attended the meeting. Acting Prime Minister Olmert was presented with various possible scenarios regarding the PA elections and their significance..  He appointed a team composed of IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt.-Gen. Halutz, ISA Director Diskin, Foreign Ministry Director-General Ron Prosor, Prime Minister Sharon's Military Secretary Maj.-Gen. Gadi Shamni and Prime Minister Sharon's Special Adviser Weisglass. Acting Prime Minister Olmert instructed the team to monitor developments in the PA, both during and after the elections, and formulate recommendations to the political leadership.  The recommendations will be submitted to Defense Minister Mofaz for approval and will then be discussed by a ministerial committee chaired by the Acting Prime Minister. Acting Prime Minister Olmert also issued separate instructions to National Security Council Chairman Eiland to prepare a list of recommendations regarding possible scenarios for the day after the elections.

[IMRA: To Acting PM Olmert's credit, his team is starting to think about an  even a few days before it takes place rather than - as was the case with the  retreat - as it was already taking place.  Then again, PA security forces  began voting today so that it can be argued that Mr. Olmert is following in
Prime Minister Sharon's tradition of  "thinking while leaping" rather than  "thinking before leaping".]

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Palestinian conditional non-violence - denying the fundamental basis of the game

By Dr. Aaron Lerner                  

"We [me and Marwan Barghouti] support negotiations and other peaceful means with Israel as long as Palestinian aspirations may be realized through negotiations.  If Palestinian aspirations  can't be realized through peaceful means then the aspirations will be realized via resistance." Palestinian "moderate" PLC representative Qadura Fares on Israel Radio 27 November 2005

"The PLO commits itself to the Middle East peace process, and to a peaceful resolution of the conflict between the two sides and declares that all outstanding issues relating to permanent status will be resolved through negotiations. ... the PLO renounces the use of terrorism and other acts of violence and will assume responsibility over all PLO elements and personnel in order to assure their compliance, prevent violations and discipline violators." So wrote Yasser Arafat in his September 9, 1993 letter to Yitzhak Rabin, the Prime Minister of Israel. And it wasn't easy to get Arafat, acting as the representative of the Palestinian people, to sign off on those phrases. Words that forfeited any  possible legal claim to the right to continue employing terrorism and other acts of violence in what he and his supporters called a "liberation struggle".

Take a look at the phrase: Arafat didn't just renounce the use of "terrorism" - a word that the Arabs claim cannot ever be applied to their murderous activity - he also renounced the use of "other acts of violence". Arafat didn't want to sign off on the phrases, but Yitzhak Rabin made it clear that this was his red line. So there was Yasser Arafat in the summer of 1993: Arafat, essentially an aging has-been exiled to Tunis from Beirut, watching as each month Israeli security forces continued to whittle down their dwindling "wanted list" of terrorists. No. Contrary to what has become the story line in some quarters, it wasn't the "children of the stones" that raised Arafat from the dung heap of history, it was a group of Israeli ideologues seeking a way to facilitate an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Oslo was Arafat's lifeline. Israel could take it or leave it. So Arafat blinked first.

It wasn't a minor matter then. And it shouldn't be a minor matter today. Let's be clear about this: when the entire Palestinian leadership - from White House Lawn "man of peace" Mahmoud Abbas on down - explain that their commitment to nonviolence is conditioned on their getting what they want, they are trashing this fundamental Palestinian commitment. That's not to say that Arafat's letter and the agreements that followed it stripped the Palestinians of the ability to struggle for their interests. It just limited them to pursuing them via non-violent means - both on the domestic and the international front. Arafat's September 9, 1993 letter to Yitzhak Rabin committing to "a peaceful resolution of the conflict. . . resolved through negotiations" and assuming "responsibility over all PLO elements and personnel in order to assure their compliance, prevent violations and discipline violators" was supposed to be a watershed event.

But it wasn't.

Because from day one that commitment has been ignored and forgotten.

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European Commissioner for External Relations: "Middle East Peace Process"

Thank you very much Mr President.

Honourable Members,

It is an honour to address you today on the Middle East Peace Process. It is particularly timely since I have just returned from a visit to Gaza, the West Bank and Israel earlier this week. I had three objectives for my trip: (1) lend support to democracy building in the run-up to the Palestinian legislative elections; (2) underline the importance of EU financial support; (3) raise the visibility of a number of EU projects, notably in Gaza. This is a critical moment for the Middle East. In both Israel and the Palestinian territories, there have been tremendous changes in the political landscape. I hope these elections will bring two leaderships ready and able to inject new vigour into the Peace Process. I made it clear to both Israelis and Palestinians that the Commission will continue to offer our support to all those who seek peace by peaceful means. This means in particular, whatever the composition of the new Palestinian government, full respect of the principles in the Interim Association Agreement and Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan that we have agreed with the Palestinian Authority. These principles include respect of human rights and the rule of law and  commitment to the Roadmap. The Palestinian Authority has given the international community assurances that the elections will take place free from violence and intimidation and according to international standards. President Abbas has also made clear that acceptance of the Oslo accords and the Roadmap forms the basis for participation in the future government.

Acting Prime Minister Olmert assured me that Israel would facilitate the holding of these elections. His government took the difficult decision - in
the context of an Israeli election campaign - to allow voting in East Jerusalem. We have welcomed that decision, and hope that this constructive spirit will also help to resolve any remaining logistical and practical aspect of the elections. Within the security constraints, it will also be important that Israel does all it can to allow free movement for voters and candidates in the Palestinian territories up to and including polling day. The EU is supporting the Palestinian elections with the biggest Election Observation Mission - 240 observers, including 50 of your colleagues. I visited the Observation Team led by Véronique de Keyser, and was most impressed by her dedication and professionalism and that of her staff. I was also impressed to meet the Chairman of the Central Electoral Commission, Hanna Nasir. Thanks to the sustained support of the EU, the CEC has established itself as one of the most credible and respected institutions in the Palestinian territories. During my visit, I announced
another EUR1.4 million to help with voter registration and polling activities which brings our support to the electoral process to EUR18.5  million.

Honourable Members:

One of the purposes of my visit to Gaza was to raise the profile of the important work we are doing, providing urgent assistance to make Palestinians' ordinary lives more bearable. We are improving the health system, building schools, and repairing roads. I inaugurated some public works programmes, and announced the launch of four new energy and environment infrastructure projects in Gaza worth EUR20 million. We are working with all possible speed, but the security situation is not making our work any easier. Yet revitalising Gaza's economy is essential. What I saw only strengthened my conviction, and I will continue to press this point in the Quartet and
with Israel. We must continue to improve free movement of people and goods in and out of Gaza. So I have relaunched the procurement process for a EUR25 million cargo terminal at the airport, to help facilitate Palestinian trade once the airport is reopened. Of course, we will only be able to go ahead with the project once we have the agreement of both sides.Yet we will not be able to step up travel in and out of Gaza without properly managed borders. So we will provide a further EUR3 million package of support for the Rafah border mission as well as the further development of Palestinian customs. I visited General Pistolesi and his team at the EU Border Assistance Mission, and was moved by what I saw: Europeans helping ordinary Palestinians to move across the frontier with Egypt for the first time in
many years. I made clear to both my Israeli and Palestinian interlocutors that the EU is contributing substantially to creating the conditions for a two state solution. Like everyone involved, we face major challenges, but we are in it for the long haul. We have been a consistent and reliable partner for both sides. But to make progress, both sides must move. Israel should take steps to implement the agreement brokered in November by Quartet Special Envoy James Wolfensohn on improving movement and access -the port, the airport, the link between Gaza and West Bank and movement within the West Bank. And the Palestinian Authority must take charge of law and order and public  finances. It must take serious steps to relaunch its reform programme, and respect its commitments under the Interim Association Agreement and the European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan. At this critical juncture, our message is clear: the need for negotiations;  ceasing all action threatening a two-state solution; the importance of  imposing law and order; and fighting terrorism.

Thank you.

Dr Benita Ferrero-Waldner, European Commissioner for External Relations and  European Neighbourhood policy.

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Rocket barrage if Sharon dies'
1 terror leader threatening life of replacement prime minister

By Aaron Klein 

 Palestinian groups in the Gaza Strip are watching the news regarding Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's deteriorating health carefully and will celebrate with Qassam rocket firings at Jewish towns if Sharon dies, terror leaders told WorldNetDaily. One militant leader threatened the life of Sharon's temporary replacement, Deputy Minister Ehud Olmert, who was installed as prime minister just hours ago. "I am ready with my candies and my rockets and praying to Allah that Sharon dies. We have prepared a celebratory barrage of rockets ready to fire into Israel on the occasion of the death of our enemy," said Abu Abir, spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees, an umbrella group of Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists responsible for firing hundreds of Qassam rockets  and mortars at Jewish towns. Hamas leader Dr. Mahmoud al-Zahar told WND Sharon's condition "plunges the Israeli political scene into chaos, which could bring about an equal response from the Palestinians." Sharon tonight was rushed to the hospital and suffered a "significant stroke" that caused "massive bleeding to the brain," according to officials at Jerusalem's Hadassah University Hospital, which is treating the Israeli leader. Sharon is undergoing emergency surgery after being anesthetized and placed on a breathing machine, one of Sharon's attending physicians told reporters. Executive powers have been officially transferred to Olmert. According to Knesset law, Olmert can serve for a maximum 100 days, after which new elections would be held.

Sources close to Sharon told WND the prime minister's condition is life threatening, and that there was a significant chance he might not survive. "We are not hopeful," said a senior Sharon aide. One senior political leader said he has information Sharon is "clinically dead. He is on life support machines in the operating theater that can keep  him alive for an extended period, but doctors are pessimistic he can return to normal functioning." Celebrations reportedly are underway in the Gaza Strip, with families distributing sweets and gunmen shooting into the air. "I personally am waiting to celebrate. I have my fingers crossed," Abu Abir said. "Sharon was one of our biggest enemies." Abu Abir told WND now that Olmert is serving as prime minister "he is moved up on our list of targets. We will target Olmert with a lot of might." Al-Zahar said he is hoping Sharon survives. "Sharon's new party Kadima was good for us. They made clear in no uncertain terms that part of their platform was more withdrawals from the West Bank and from Jerusalem. His passing from the political scene now places all of that in jeopardy. We don't know what are the policies of Olmert. Whether he supports giving us the West Bank and Jerusalem."

Sharon this past summer withdrew Israel's Jewish communities from the Gaza Strip in spite of fierce opposition from members of his own Likud party. He recently announced he is leaving Likud to start his own "centrist" party, Kadima, prompting new elections that were scheduled for March. Since then, multiple Kadima members have told reporters the new party is looking to change Israel's borders and may withdraw from parts of the West Bank. But Israeli commentators across the political spectrum criticized Kadima as a one man party and warned Sharon's health could negatively impact the party's chances of winning upcoming elections. Sharon suffered a stroke last month. Doctors were planning to perform an invasive cardiac procedure tomorrow to close a microscopic hole in the Israeli leaders heart. His exact condition tonight is unknown.

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