UNSC: OPEN DEBATE ON THE MIDDLE EAST CONTINUES

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000736

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KWBG KPAL KPO UNSC IS LE SY
SUBJECT: UNSC: OPEN DEBATE ON THE MIDDLE EAST CONTINUES
FOCUS ON ISRAELI SETTLEMENT ACTIVITY AND HIZBALLAH WEAPONS
IN SOUTHERN LEBANON

REF: A. STATE 77743

B. USUN NEW YORK 721


1. (SBU) Summary: Assistant-Secretary-General for Political
Affairs (A/SG) Oscar Fernandez-Taranco briefed the Security
Council during its monthly meeting on the Middle East on July

27. He focused his briefing on continuing Israeli settlement
activity, the humanitarian situation in Gaza, and the efforts
of the U.S. and the Quartet. While emphasizing that Israeli
settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem
undermined confidence in a two-state solution, he noted that
Israel had implemented measures to ease movement for
Palestinians in the West Bank. He also recognized the
Palestinian Authority's (PA) reform agenda. He recalled the
Secretary-General's statement that the situation in Gaza was
unsustainable, called for Israel to open Gaza's border
crossings, and reiterated that Security Council resolution
1860 remains the way forward in Gaza. Fernandez-Taranco also
highlighted the June Quartet meeting in Trieste, Italy, and
the efforts of U.S. Special Envoy George Mitchell.


2. (SBU) Summary Cont'd: All 15 Council members and an
additional 23 non-Council members spoke during the open
debate, including Israel and the PaleQnian Observer. Most
delegations cited opportunities arising from U.S. diplomatic
efforts, President Obama's Cairo speech, the Arab League's
recommitment to the Arab Peace Initiative and Egypts push
for intra-Palestinian reconciliation. All statements called
on Israel to halt its settlement activities, and most
described settlements as obstacles to peace. Delegations
also noted the urgency of resuming negotiations based on
relevant UNSC resolutions, land for peace, the Road Map and
the Arab Peace Initiative; the need for Palestinian
reconciliation; and, the need to open Gaza's borders for
humanitarian and construction materials. The Israeli Perm
Rep focused her remarks on Hizballah and the arms cache
incident (ref. B),and drew attention to the danger posed by
Iran. The Palestinian Observer welcomed "the more active,
balanced approach" of the Obama administration, but noted
that despite Palestinian concessions, Israel has not upheld
its commitments. The Lebanese Charge condemned Israel for
destabilizing Lebanon and the region, refuted Israeli
statements about (Hizballah) arms smuggling in southern
Lebanon, and requested that UNIFIL's mandate be renewed
without changes. Arab states and others criticized Israel's
blockade of Gaza, continuing settlement activity and home
demolitions in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, with many
calling for Israel to be held accountable for violations of
international law. European States focused on humanitarian
access in Gaza and the exhaustibility of donor funds to the
Palestinians. End summary.

Positive engagement tempered
by on-the-ground realities
--------------


3. (SBU) In his first briefing to the Council as Assistant
Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Oscar
Fernandez-Taranco, recognized the international community's
concerted efforts to create conditions for the resumption of
negotiations on the two-state solution, pointed to the
Quartet's meeting in Trieste, Italy in June, the efforts of
the U.S. Special Envoy George Mitchell, and the ministerial
Arab League meeting on the Arab Peace Initiative. He
emphasized the Quartet's agreement that both Israel and the
Palestinians must implement their obligations under the Road
Map. He also recalled that Arab ministers welcomed President
Obamas commitment to peace in the region, and "a new
beginning for United States relations with the Arab and
Muslim world" in their June 24 meeting in Cairo.


4. (SBU) Fernandez-Taranco said that Israeli's home
evictions, demolitions and construction in East Jerusalem
increased tensions and undermined confidence in a two-state
solution. He expressed concern over plans for the
construction of 20 new Israeli housing units in the Sheikh
Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem. He noted outbreaks of
settler violence iQhe West Bank and lamented Israel's
inadequate enforcement of the rule of law regarding violent
settlers. Despite these setbacks, Fernandez-Taranco said
Israel is implementing measures to facilitate movement in the
West Bank, thereby reducing the time required for
Palestinians to access some towns in the West Bank, and he
assessed that if this policy is sustained and expanded, the
potential for economic growth in the West Bank would greatly
increase. He recognized the ambitious reform agenda of the
Palestinian Authority (PA) and highlighted the PA's improving
security apparatus with the planned opening of five new
police stations in Jenin. Overall, he noted, the situation



in the West Bank had been calm. In Gaza, he said that
Security Council resolution 1860 "remained the way forward,"
that the drop in violence from the previous reporting period
had carried into the present period, and that all of Gaza's
crossings must open. He said that the Secretary-General had
shared his assessment of Gaza with the Quartet: that the
situation is unsustainable and not in the interests of any of
those concerned. He noted that UNRWA had opened more than
150 summer camps in Gaza, with over 185,000 children in
attendance, and that UNDP had begun to clear more than
600,000 of rubble remaining from the Gaza hostilities. On
Lebanon, Fernandez-Taranco recalled that the investigations
into violations of resolution 1701, following the explosion
of an arms cache in Khirbat Salim, were ongoing. He also
said the situation in the Syrian Golan was quiet, although
settlement activity continued.

Council Members
--------------


5. (SBU) All 15 Council members called on Israel to stop its
settlement activity, reiterated their support for the prompt
resumption of negotiations on the two-state solution, and
recognized that both Israel and the Palestinians must fulfill
their obligations under the Road Map. The U.K. called for a
halt of Israeli construction, saying that such settlements
were contrary to the two-state solution and against
international law. The U.K. was encouraged by Arab states
readiness to normalize relations with Israel. Russia said
the blockade on Gaza was unacceptable and that "we consider
inadmissible actions that could prejudge final status
negotiations," a reference to Israel's actions in East
Jerusalem. Russia also reminded members of its plans to hold
an international conference on the Middle East in Moscow this
year, which several other delegations echoed. France said
that improvements need to be made in the daily living
conditions of Palestinians, especially with regard to access
and movement. In this, France called for an immediate
opening of Israeli checkpoints to encourage a more normal
life for Palestinians. In welcoming the initiative of
President Obama, France said, "Rarely has there been such an
interest in concluding a peace deal."


6. Ambassador Wolff delivered the U.S. statement (see ref.
A),reminding members that all parties--Arabs and Israelis
alike--had their respective responsibilities to uphold. He
pointed again to the weapons cache that exploded in Southern
Lebanon and noted the violation of UNSC resolution 1701.


7. (SBU) Austria, Croatia, Mexico and Japan said they were
encouraged by President Obama's efforts to move the peace
process forward. Japan said such efforts were creating
conditions "not seen in a long time," but that the U.S.
cannot shoulder the burden alone; Japan called on all member
states to lend their support to U.S. efforts. Council
members also reaffirmed that talks must resume on the basis
of relevant UNSC resolutions, land-for-peace, the Road Map
and the Arab Peace Initiative. Libya was the only Council
member not to discuss the peace process. Instead, Libya said
the situation in Gaza had deteriorated since Israel's
"massacre," that Israel's lack of desire to end the blockade
of Gaza was a war crime, and that Israel was applying
policies to "Judaize" Jerusalem.

Israel and Palestinian Observer
--------------


8. (SBU) The Israeli Perm Rep focused her remarks on the
explosion of the arms depot in Khirbat Salim, in southern
Lebanon, and the dangers of Hamas, Hizballah and Iran. She
cited portions of a Khirbat Salim resident's letter decrying
Hizballah's actions that appeared in Al-Mustaqbal newspaper
on July 16. The letter detailed a Lebanese villager's
disgust at Hizballah, and highlighted the dangers posed by
Hizballah's storage of illegal weapons near civilian areas.
She underlined that the Khirbat Salim incident, a grave
violation of Security resolution 1701, "demonstrates to the
world the volatile reality on the ground" and underscored
that Hizballah's breach of Council demands "are indicative of
the danger posed to our region by Iran," and that "from
Southern Lebanon to Gaza, the arming, training and financing
of terrorism bear the same certificate of origin: Tehran."
Israel desires peace, she stressed, and continues to call for
the immediate resumption of a political dialogue with the
Palestinian Authority. She noted the steps taken to improve
Palestinian movement in the West Bank and the Palestinian
economy, including the dismantlement or extension of the
hours of passage for 152 roadblocks, the creation of an
industrial zone in Jenin, an agricultural export venture in



Jericho, and a tourist infrastructure project along the
Jordan river.


9. (SBU) The Palestine Observer welcomed "the more active,
balanced approach" of the Obama administration, but noted
that despite Palestinian concessions, Israel has not upheld
its commitments. He said that the President Obama's Cairo
speech and the diplomatic efforts of Special Envoy George
Mitchell have "renewed hopes in the vast potential of
responsible, fair United States leadership." However, he
underscored that the situation in the Occupied Territories
and East Jerusalem remains grave and the peace process
frozen. He said that Israel has undermined confidence and
progress by "illegal, destructive and unilateral measures
prejudicing the outcome of negotiations on the core final
status issues--Jerusalem, settlements, refugees, borders,
security and water." He remarked that Israel's credibility
as a peace partner is in question, that characterizing
Israeli acceptance of the two-State solution as a concession
should be rejected, and that Israel must be accountable for
war crimes.

Lebanon's prickly intervention
--------------


10. (SBU) The Lebanese Charge said that each step the
international community takes for a Palestinian state, Israel
introduces its own definition of that state and imposes its
own conditions. She rhetorically asked who will defend
Palestine, its people, the rights of refugees to return,
Gaza, the West Bank, Jerusalem, and the peace process. She
said that Israel violates resolution 1701 on a daily basis
and called for an immediate stop to Israel's overflights.
Israel destabilizes Lebanon and threatens peace and stability
in the region, she said, as evidenced by the dismantling of
Israeli spy networks in Lebanon and Israel's incomplete and
delayed information on locations of cluster munitions from
the July 2006 war. She said that the Security Council needs
to be aware of Israel's attempts to change the status quo in
southern Lebanon through creating facts along the Blue Line
and "provocations." Regarding the incident in Khirbat Salim,
she said a joint United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
(UNIFIL) and Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) investigation is
underway and that "preliminary information of the
investigation showed that arms and ammunitions found were
remnants of the July 2006 war." She underlined that Lebanon
rejects "any accusations launched by Israel of arms smuggling
into UNIFIL's area of operation." She reminded Council
members of the GOLs request to renew UNIFIL for one year
without any changes "either in the mandate or in any relevant
rules and concepts of operation."

Others offer some signs of hope
amid virulent criticism of Israel
--------------


11. (SBU) Arab States (Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Qatar, Syria,
Tunisia),Cuba, Iran, Malaysia and Nicaragua criticized
Israeli actions in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem,
and called for Israel to be held accountable for violations
of international law. Arab States recalled the Arab League's
recommitment to the Arab Peace Initiative and recognized
Egypt's efforts at intra-Palestinian reconciliation. Many
Arab states said Israel continues to "Judaize" East Jerusalem
and noted Israeli "spy networks" in Lebanon. Syria said that
"occupied Jerusalem is experiencing the most painful moment
in its history" and that Israeli leaders' "hostile
declarations" are "counter to peace." Qatar said Israel
should be held accountable for its war crimes in Gaza and the
continued suffering of civilians, remarking that "we must
expose the truth of human rights violations." Iran rejected
Israel's "baseless and absurd allegations," and said that
Israel is a danger to the world with nuclear weapons.


12. (SBU) The Swedish Perm Rep, speaking on behalf of the
EU, welcomed the U.S. administration's commitment to pursue a
two-state solution and called on Israel to halt its
settlement activities. He called for full implementation of
resolution 1860, for the Palestinians to advance
reconciliation efforts, and for Arab countries to assist the
PA both politically and financially. Norway emphasized that
donor funds cannot last forever, saying "without a political
endgame in clear view, donor commitment at current levels can
hardly be sustained." Switzerland spoke about the need for a
concerted effort to put in place a mechanism for humanitarian
access and reconstruction in Gaza.


13. (U) Note: A verbatim record of the meeting is available
on the Security Council section of the UN website,



www.un.org, under "Meetings."
RICE