Estimation: UN won’t condemn Israel
Deputy head of Israeli delegation to UN Danny Carmon estimates Security Council will not accept resolution to condemn Israel for Gaza attacks at end of emergency discussion Friday night. Carmon to address Israel’s right to defend itself, while Palestinian observer says ‘Gaza is under siege’
The Council is set to convene for an emergency meeting at the request of some of its Arab members.
The discussion was summoned by Algeria, which heads the Arab bloc at the council, and was initiated by Iran in accordance with the Palestinian delegation to the UN. The proposal seeks to condemn Israel for its ongoing attacks on the Gaza Strip and for the series of arrests in the West Bank.
Riad Mansour, the Palestinian observer to the UN, said that the proposal will include a demand to release the senior Hamas members, including ministers and parliament members, arrested by Israel in recent days.
At this stage, it is unclear whether the Council members will indeed vote on a condemnation of Israel at the end of the emergency meeting.
Since learning about the discussion, which will begin at 1 a.m. Israel time, the Israeli delegation to the UN is working on minimizing the damage. Representatives of the 15 permanent members of the Council are expected during the meeting. Carmon and Mansour are also expected to address the Council, as well as representatives of other countries who may ask to speak.
Carmon, who is standing in for Ambassador Dan Gillerman, who is currently in Israel, is expected to address Israel’s right to defend itself and to mention the fact that Israel did not initiate the recent escalation.
He is also expected to describe the development of events, from the ongoing barrage of Qassam rockets at Sderot and Gaza vicinity communities, to the Palestinian guerilla operation at the Kerem Shalom post and the kidnapping of Corporal Gilad Shalit, who is being held hostage by Palestinians.
As for the arrests of Hamas ministers and parliament members, Israel’s key claim will be that it acted in accordance with the international Terror Prevention Act. According to the Act, Hamas is an illegal organization.
“From the moment Hamas claimed responsibility for the incident in which two Israeli soldiers were killed and another was kidnapped, inside the Green Line, all organization members must pay the price,” Israel is expected to claim at the Security Council Friday night.
'Crime against humanity'
Meanwhile, France called on Israel on Friday to free captured Palestinian ministers and said both sides must move to reduce escalating tensions.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Jean-Baptiste Mattei said France fears that the situation will "feed an escalation and strengthen the most extreme elements, which is doubtless not Israel's objective."
Palestinian observer Mansour accused Israel of trying to re-conquer the Gaza Strip, saying that the IDF operation in which bridges and water infrastructures were destroyed left many Palestinians without food and water.
“This is a crime against humanity, which is hurting 1.3 million Palestinians. The Gaza Strip is under siege, no one can enter or leave,” he said.
He added that “the Council must adopt an appropriate decision which will not allow aggressiveness.”
Foreign Ministry officials estimated that the addresses Friday night will be balanced in favor and against Israel.
Ronny Leshno Yaar, deputy director general for UN affairs at the Israeli Foreign Ministry, is concentrating the diplomatic efforts among Security Council members.
“We are preparing for a diplomatic curbing battle at the Council,” a Foreign Ministry official said, “further to the series of talks held by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni in the past day with senior officials in the international community, including US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, whom she spoke to twice in the past 24 hours.”
Washington's UN Ambassador John Bolton estimated that the probability the Security Council will vote on condemning Israel at the end of the emergency meeting was small.
"Whenever the Security Council considers an issue, is to mind the Hippocratic oath provision, 'do no harm,' and in these circumstances, you have to see, if there's anything concrete the Security Council can do, rather than just blowing off steam," he said. "And, it's with that basis in mind, I said that considering a resolution today would be inadvisable."
