Israeli settlements-Letter from Palestine

Letter dated 10 May 1991 from the Permanent Observer

of Palestine to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

I am instructed by the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, which has the powers and responsibilities of the Provisional Government of Palestine, to bring the following to your immediate attention:

Recently, Ariel Sharon, the Housing Minister of Israel, revealed yet another elaborate and dangerous Israeli plan regarding the settlement building campaign which is to be launched shortly in the occupied Palestinian territory.

One segment of the plan is to build a settlements belt between Jerusalem and other Jewish settlements thus expanding the size of the land which Jerusalem occupies in order to settle 1/million Jews in Jerusalem.  Another segment of the plan lies in building an additional chain of settlements located in an area between Al/Khalil and Bethlehem.  In total the plan entails the building of 36,000 residential units in addition to the 3,000 in Jerusalem that are currently under construction.

Clearly, Israel, the occupying Power, is in direct violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, as well as the General Assembly and Security Council resolutions which declared the settlements in the occupied territories as illegal and should be dismantled.

We call upon the international community to take immediate action to stop Israel, the occupying Power, from committing such illegal actions; and to further utilize its power to enforce the relevant Security Council resolutions swiftly and effectively.

I should be grateful if you would arrange to have the text of this letter circulated as an official document of the General Assembly, under agenda items/23, 35 and 75, and of the Security Council.

(Signed)  Dr. Nasser AL-KIDWA

 Permanent Observer of

 Palestine to the United Nations

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