Deportations – Letter from Israel

LETTER DATED 9 FEBRUARY 1993 FROM THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF ISRAEL TO THE UNITED NATIONS ADDRESSED TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL

I have the honour to inform you of the decision taken by the Government of Israel at a special session of the cabinet held on 1 February 1993 regarding the temporarily excluded members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad.  The following are the operative paragraphs of the decision:

"1.  Israel will allow the return of 101 deportees to the locations from which they were temporarily deported.  Those returning will be from among those whom the circumstances surrounding their temporary deportation were relatively less severe in comparison to the others.  Cases will be considered on an individual basis, as was the case concerning the reasons behind the temporary deportations.

"2.  The military commanders will be instructed to reduce by one half the term of the deportation for the deportees against whom the temporary deportation will remain in force.

"3.  With regard to the deportees against whom the temporary deportation will remain In force, the decisions of the Supreme Court will be carried out, and in particular, the right to appeal before an advisory committee (including contact with an attorney), in addition to a review of the security information regarding those who do not submit an appeal.

"4.  As is necessary, humanitarian provisions to the temporary deportees will be allowed by helicopter."

The decision of the Government of Israel was an act of good faith on part and, consistent with the principle of Security Council solution 799, it provides that all the excluded persons will be allowed to by the end of 1993.

Israel's decision does not in any way minimize the dangerous threat Hamas and its terrorists represent both vis-a-vis Israel and vis-a-vis the peace process as a whole.

I would be grateful if Your Excellency would have this letter circulated as a document of the Security Council.

—–