Mideast situation – Letter from Israel

Letter dated 28 December 2000 from the Permanent Representative

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

I wish to draw your attention to a grievous act of terrorism which occurred today aboard a public bus travelling on a busy thoroughfare in central Tel-Aviv.

In the early afternoon hours, two bombs exploded in the rear section of the number 51 bus as it was running between the Central Bus Station in Tel-Aviv and the town of Petach Tikvah. The blasts injured 12 people, two of them seriously.

Today’s attack is merely the latest in a string of terrorist attacks perpetrated over the course of the last two months. Just over a month ago, a similar bus bombing occurred in the city of Hadera, killing two and wounding 41, as referred to in my letter of 22 November 2000 (A/55/641-S/2000/1114). That attack followed by two days the heinous targeting of a bus of Israeli school children, killing two and wounding 10, on 20 November 2000 (see A/55/634-S/2000/1108). Earlier that month, a car bomb exploded in the crowded Jerusalem marketplace of Mahane Yehuda, killing two Israeli civilians and wounding a number of others (see A/55/540-S/2000/1065).

Despite various agreements calling for an end to violence and the resumption of security cooperation between the sides, in particular the Sharm Al-Sheikh understanding of 17 October 2000, the Palestinian Authority has failed to unequivocally call for an end to the violence and to re-incarcerate released terrorist prisoners — steps which, had they been taken, could have prevented these attacks.

We call upon the Palestinian leadership to fulfil its responsibilities to control terrorist elements operating in the areas under its control. The Government of Israel will continue to vigorously fight terrorism and will not be deterred in its quest to arrive at a peaceful settlement that will ensure genuine peace and security for all the peoples of the Middle East.

I should be grateful if you would have the text of the present letter circulated as a document of the General Assembly, under agenda item 164, and of the Security Council.

(Signed) Yehuda Lancry

Permanent Representative