Attacks/Measures to eliminate international terrorism – Letter from Israel

Letter dated 5 November 2001 from the Permanent Representative of

Israel to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

I wish to draw your attention to the latest attack in the ongoing Palestinian campaign of terrorism against Israel.

At approximately 4 p.m. (local time) yesterday, a Palestinian terrorist, armed with an automatic assault rifle, opened fire on passengers on a public bus as it reached an intersection in the northern Jerusalem neighbourhood of French Hill. Two Israeli teenagers, Shoshana Ben-Yishai, age 16, and Meni Regev, age 14, were killed in the attack, and approximately 45 others were wounded, several of them seriously. The terrorist organization Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack.

Yesterday’s attack represents the latest incident in the continuing campaign of Palestinian terrorism directed against Israeli civilians. Previous attacks have been detailed in my letters dated 24 October 2001 (A/54/406-S/2001/1011), 19 October 2001 (A/56/492-S/2001/990), 17 October 2001 (A/56/483-S/2001/975), 8 October 2001 (A/56/450-S/2001/948), 5 October 2001 (A/56/444-S/2001/943), 3 October 2001 (A/56/438-S/2001/938), 24 September 2001 (A/56/406-S/2001/907), 20 September 2001 (A/56/386-S/2001/892), 17 September 2001 (A/56/367-S/2001/875), 7 September 2001 (A/56/346-S/2001/858), 4 September 2001 (A/56/331-S/2001/840), 30 August 2001 (A/56/325-S/2001/834), 27 August 2001 (A/56/324-S/2001/825), 13 August 2001 (A/56/294-S/2001/787), 9 August 2001 (A/56/272-S/2001/768), 27 July 2001 (A/56/225-S/2001/743), 26 July 2001 (A/56/223-S/2001/737), 17 July 2001 (A/56/201-S/2001/706), 13 July 2001 (A/56/184-S/2001/696), 3 July 2001 (A/56/138-S/2001/662), 21 June 2001 (A/56/119-S/2001/619), 19 June 2001 (A/56/98-S/2001/611), 18 June 2001 (A/56/97-S/2001/604), 13 June 2001 (A/56/92-S/2001/585), 11 June 2001 (A/56/91-S/2001/580), 4 June 2001 (A/56/85-S/2001/555), 30 May 2001 (A/56/81-S/2001/540), 25 May 2001 (A/56/80-S/2001/524), 18 May 2001 (A/56/78-S/2001/506), 11 May 2001 (A/56/72-S/2001/473), 9 May 2001 (A/56/69-S/2001/459), 1 May 2001 (A/55/924-S/2001/435), 23 April 2001 (A/55/910-S/2001/396), 16 April 2001 (A/55/901-S/2001/364), 28 March 2001 (A/55/863-S/2001/291), 27 March 2001 (A/55/860-S/2001/280), 26 March 2001 (A/55/858-S/2001/278), 19 March 2001 (A/55/842-S/2001/244), 5 March 2001 (A/55/821-S/2001/193), 2 March 2001 (A/55/819-S/2001/187), 14 February 2001 (A/55/787-S/2001/137), 13 February 2001 (A/55/781-S/2001/132), 2 February 2001 (A/55/762-S/2001/103), 25 January 2001 (A/55/748-S/2001/81), 23 January 2001 (A/55/742-S/2001/71), 28 December 2000 (A/55/719-S/2000/1252), 22 November 2000 (A/55/641-S/2000/1114), 20 November 2000 (A/55/634-S/2000/1108) and 2 November 2000 (A/55/540-S/2000/1065).

The Government of Israel holds the Palestinian Authority responsible for yesterday’s attacks, in the light of its active role in orchestrating a campaign of violence and terrorism and its continuing refusal to take concerted action to bring such activities to an end. The Palestinian Authority has not only failed to control violent terrorist organizations that operate in the territory under its control, but it has also failed to take action against members of its own security forces who have perpetrated, or assisted in the perpetration of, several attacks against Israeli civilians.

It should also be noted that Islamic Jihad has its headquarters in Damascus and receives financial assistance from Iran and logistic assistance from Syria.

Israel continues to hope that the Palestinian leadership’s condemnations of this and other recent attacks are sincere and will be followed by concrete measures intended to restore calm and security. Had such measures been implemented previously, in conformity with signed agreements reached between the sides, scores of innocent lives would have been spared. However, it is the discrepancy between the declarations of the Palestinian leadership and its actions on the ground that is perpetuating the violence, permitting terrorism to flourish in its territory, and making it increasingly difficult to achieve lasting peace and security in the region.

The Palestinian leadership, by failing to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure that it has allowed to take root and by allowing the territory under its control to serve as a staging ground for terrorist attacks, is not acting in conformity with global efforts to combat terrorism. Israel calls on the international community to exert maximum pressure on all States and entities that support terrorism or are actively engaged in terrorist operations and act comprehensively and without distinction to ensure their compliance with international law.

I should be grateful if you would arrange to have the text of this letter circulated as a document of the General Assembly, under agenda item 166, and of the Security Council.