Situation in the OPT – letter – Jordan

LETTER DATED 12 NOVEMBER 1982 FROM THE PERMANENT

REPRESENTATIVE OF JORDAN TO THE UNITED NATIONS ADDRESSED

TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL

I have the honour to request, on a most urgent basis, that the attached map which portrays a magnitude of Israeli settlement in the occupied Palestinian and Arab lands of the West Bank (excluding the settlements in an expanded Jerusalem), the Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights, be reproduced for distribution to the distinguished members of the Security Council as a document, together with the descriptive statement made at the 2401st meeting of the Security Council.

The urgency is impelled by the fact that Morocco, on behalf of the Arab Group, and Niger, on behalf of the States members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, have called for a meeting of the Security Council this afternoon to discuss Israeli settlements under Security Council resolution 446 (1979), and pursuant to paragraph 9 of resolution 465 (1980).

Annex I

Statement made by Mr. Abdulla Hamadneh at the 2401st meeting of

the Security Council, held on 12 November 1982,* describing the

map submitted by the Permanent Representative of Jordan to the

United Nations, reproduced in annex II

Following is a brief description of the map:

This map was prepared and printed by the Settlement Department of the Jewish Agency in co-operation with the Israeli government.

The map shows the Israel settlements pattern in the West Bank and Gaza as of June 1982.  The number of settlements as shown on the map is 118, excluding the Israeli residential quarters and settlement in and around Jerusalem.

The real number of Israeli settlements in West Bank and Gaza as of September 1982 was 139, excluding Jerusalem.

An Israeli official announced last month that 20 new Israeli settlements are now under construction and will be completed by the end of this year.  Also, Israel officially announced last week that four military posts will be converted into civilian settlements.  This means that the total Israeli settlements will reach 163 by the end of this year.

The geographic function of the settlements is (a) to form a barrier between Jordan and the West Bank; (b) to separate and encircle big towns in the West Bank; and (c) to separate the West Bank from Israel's 1967 borders.

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*S/PV.2401