Situation in the OPT/Process of annexation – Letter from CEIRPP Chairman

Letter dated 9 January 1984 from the Chairman of the Committee on

the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People

 to the Secretary-General

As Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, I have been authorized to express the Committee's deep distress at recent developments in the Israeli Knesset regarding the occupied Palestinian territory of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

It was reported in the daily Al Fajr on 4 January 1984 that the Israeli Knesset had approved two new laws on 3 January 1984 that would extend Israeli legislation into the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. It is the understanding of the Committee that an amendment to one of the laws has gone so far as to authorize the Israeli occupying authorities to impose the application of Israeli legislation in a number of cases with the purported aim of replacing Jordanian legislation in the occupied West Bank.

Equally, a new provision is reported to have been approved that authorizes the Israeli Minister for Justice to apply civil and criminal laws in "Judea, Samaria and Gaza" subject to the approval of the constitutional sub-committee of the Knesset without the approval of that body.

Members of the Committee believe that such measures are indicative of still one further step in the Israeli process of annexing the occupied territories and discriminating against the Palestinian people who still live in their homes in those Palestinian territories.

These recent measures cannot but be considered a flagrant violation of the principles of international law and innumerable resolutions of the Security Council and the General Assembly on this question.

In the light of this proposed Israeli legislation, on behalf of the Committee, I can but reaffirm that appropriate and vigorous measures should be taken without delay to protect the legitimate rights of the Palestinians living in the occupied territories. It is also the hope of members of the Committee that you might use your good offices to help bring an end to Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories occupied since 1967. In consequence, I should be most grateful if you would have the present letter circulated as a document of the General Assembly, under the item entitled "Question of Palestine", and of the Security Council.

84-00710 1368a (E)