Mideast situation – Letter from Israel

LETTER DATED 3 AUGUST 1982 FROM THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF

ISRAEL TO THE UNITED NATIONS ADDRESSED TO THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

I have the honour to refer to the report contained in document S/15334/Add.l of 3 August 1982, and wish to state the following:

1. a) On 1 August 1982 21:00 hours Jerusalem time, the Chief of Staff of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), Lt. General Emmanual A. Erskine, met with senior officials of the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs in connection with Security Council resolution 516 (1982), which had been adopted on the same day.  As was stated in paragraph 4 of the Secretary-General's report contained in document S/15334 of 1 August 1982, Lt. General Erskine was informed that "this was a very important matter which had to be brought before the Israeli Cabinet.  General Erskine would be advised as soon as the Cabinet had discussed this question."

b) As was stated in paragraph 3 of the same report, "the deployment of United Nations Observers as called for by the Council will be possible only with the cooperation of all the parties." Accordingly, it was agreed between Lt. General Erskine and the senior officials of the Israel Foreign Ministry that no attempt would be made to deploy any United Nations Observers prior to the consent and cooperation of all the parties, and Lt. General Erskine undertook to instruct members of the staff of UNTSO to this effect.

c) Despite the understanding reached between Lt. General Erskine and the senior officials of the Israel Foreign Ministry, a group of members of UNTSO attempted to make their way to Beirut on 2 August 1982 without any prior consultation with, consent of and cooperation with the competent Israel authorities.  Consequently, the UN vehicles carrying the said members of UNTSO were stopped by the Israel Defence Forces as they were approaching Beirut and returned to their base thereafter.

d) On receipt of the news relating to this episode, immediate protest was lodged with the United Nations, both in Jerusalem and in New York.  The explanation offered by the United Nations was that the entire episode had not been authorized by UN Headquarters in New York and that it had been the result of "over-enthusiasm" by certain lower echelons, for which the UN wished to express its regret and apologies.

2. Having regard to the contents of the report contained in document S/15334/Add.l, I now have the honour to inform Your Excellency, upon instructions from my Government, that the Government of Israel must insist on full and unqualified compliance by the United Nations with the principles laid down in Your Excellency's report S/15334, namely that the deployment of UN Observers requires the cooperation of all the parties and that all the necessary arrangements must be made in consultation with the parties concerned (paragraph 3 of the Secretary-General's report contained in document S/15334).

3. As has been stated in paragraph 1 of the report contained in document S/15334/Add.l of 3 August 1982, Lt. General Erskine had a further meeting with senior officials of the Israel Foreign Ministry today, 3 August 1982, and was informed that the Israel Cabinet would discuss the questions arising in connection with Security Council resolution 516 (1982) on 5 August, following the return of the Foreign Minister of Israel from abroad.

In these circumstances, I must express my astonishment that attempts (described in paragraphs 2 and 7 of the said report) should have been made by the United Nations to depart from the principles laid down in paragraph 3 of Your Excellency's report S/15334 of 1 August 1982.  Your Excellency will no doubt appreciate the position of the Government of Israel that it cannot recognize the validity of any acts deriving from such attempts.

I have the honour to request that this letter be circulated as a document of the Security Council.

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