Attack in Israel – Letter from Israel

Letter dated 19 April 1979 from the Permanent Representative of

Israel to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

On instructions from my Government, I wish to draw your urgent attention to the infiltration into Israel from Lebanese territory on 16 April of terrorists belonging to the organization calling itself the PLO, as well as to the shelling of northern Israel, also from Lebanese territory, on 18 April.

At about 2300 hours on 16 April, a group of six terrorists was encountered by the Israel Defence Forces near the village of Zar'it on the northern border of Israel. Fire was exchanged and all the terrorists were killed. Responsibility for their dispatch was taken by the PLO in a broadcast on its radio in Lebanon on 17 April.

In the morning of 18 April, katyusha rockets were fired from Lebanese territory in the direction of western Galilee. As a result one person was injured and damage was caused to property. In the afternoon and evening of the same day, further barrages of katyusha rockets were fired, once again from Lebanese territory, at the northern tip of Galilee.

These outrages underline the fact that the task of the United nations Interim Force in Lebanon of restoring international peace and security, as set out in Security Council resolution 425 (1978) of 19 March 1978, is being directly challenged by the same subversive elements which have consistently endeavoured to use Lebanese territory for the purpose of launching attacks on Israel, thus undermining international peace and security throughout the region. This situation flows from the conditions prevailing not only in the south of Lebanon, but also in the country as a whole, which have been exacerbated by the massive presence and machinations of the PLO.

These criminal acts are also designed to give violent expression to the implacable opposition of the terrorist PLO and of other opponents of peace, both in the Arab world and beyond, to any step forward in the direction of peace and reconciliation. In their attempts to undermine the ongoing peace process in the Middle East, most recently manifested by the signing of the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty on 26 March 1979, the opponents of peace use as their instrument the terrorist PLO which has been granted irregular privileges at the United Nations, in clear violation of the Charter of the United Nations and of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly and other organs of the Organization.

In these circumstances, the Government of Israel is duty bound to take all measures necessary to protect the lives and safety of its citizens.

I have the honour to request that this letter be circulated as a document of the General Assembly, under item 25 of the preliminary list, and of the Security Council.

(Signed) Yehuda Z. BLUM

Ambassador

Permanent Representative of Israel

to the United Nations

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* A/34/50.

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