Mideast situation/Rishon Letzion attack – Letter from Israel

Letter dated 8 May 2002 from the Permanent Representative of Israel

to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

I wish to draw your attention to the latest incidents of Palestinian terrorism directed against the citizens of Israel.

Last night, at approximately 11 p.m. (Israel time), a Palestinian suicide bomber entered a crowded pool hall in the Israeli city of Rishon Letzion and detonated powerful explosives contained in a suitcase he was carrying. The force of the bomb, which was packed with nails and other sharp implements to inflict maximum pain and suffering, caused the collapse of the ceiling and scattered debris more than 100 yards. At last count, 15 Israelis had been killed in the blast and nearly 60 others injured, several of them critically. The terrorist organization Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack.

This afternoon, a Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself up near the Megiddo junction in northern Israel, just a few kilometres from the city of Jenin. No injuries were reported and it appears the bomb may have exploded prematurely. The Megiddo blast is just one of a number of failed or thwarted terrorist attacks in recent days.

These bombings are the latest incidents in the Palestinian campaign of terrorism that has been detailed in letters dated 1 May 2002 (A/56/936-S/2002/503), 12 April 2002 (A/56/909-S/2002/415), 10 April 2002 (A/56/912-S/2002/373),
1 April 2002 (A/56/895-S/2002/337), 27 March 2002 (A/56/891-S/2002/322), 26 March 2002 (A/56/889-S/2002/315), 18 March 2002 (A/56/880-S/2002/293), 14 March 2002 (A/56/876-S/2002/280), 11 March 2002 (A/56/867-S/2002/257), 8 March 2002 (A/56/864-S/2002/252), 5 March 2002 (A/56/857-S/2002/233), 4 March 2002 (A/56/854-S/2002/222), 27 February 2002 (A/56/843-S/2002/208), 20 February 2002 (A/56/828-S/2002/185), 19 February 2002 (A/56/824-S/2002/174), 11 February 2002 (A/56/819-S/2002/164), 8 February 2002 (A/56/814-S/2002/155), 28 January 2002 (A/56/798-S/2002/126), 22 January 2002 (A/56/788-S/2002/104), 18 January 2002 (A/56/781-S/2002/86), 16 January 2002 (A/56/774-S/2002/73), 11 January 2002 (A/56/771-S/2002/47), 4 January 2002 (A/56/766-S/2002/25), 13 December 2001 (A/56/706-S/2001/1198), dated 4 December 2001 (A/56/678-S/2001/1150), 30 November 2001 (A/56/670-S/2001/1141), 28 November 2001 (A/56/668-S/2001/1133), 27 November 2001 (A/56/663-S/2001/1121), 12 November 2001 (A/56/617-S/2001/1071), 5 November 2001 (A/56/604-S/2001/1048), 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).

Israel holds the Palestinian Authority, and its Chairman, Yasser Arafat, directly responsible for these attacks. As detailed in documents Israel has uncovered and made available to the international community, the Palestinian Authority has been actively involved in financing and organizing terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians. These activities come in addition to the virulent anti-Israeli incitement in the official Palestinian media, and the indoctrination of hatred and the glorification of suicide and martyrdom pervasive in the Palestinian educational system that has been publicized and well known for years. Continued Palestinian terrorist acts clearly demonstrate that the Palestinian leadership has yet to abandon its strategic choice to forsake the path of dialogue and reconciliation in favour of a bloody campaign of violence against Israeli civilians.

In the light of the continuing threat of violence, Israel has no choice but to take the steps it deems necessary, in accordance with its right to self-defence, to provide security for its citizens. In the absence of any genuine Palestinian actions to destroy the terrorist infrastructure that has taken root in its territory and to cut off funding for terrorist organizations, Israel has been compelled to undertake these actions itself.

Israel calls upon the international community to reaffirm that there is absolutely no justification whatsoever for attacks against innocent, unarmed and defenceless civilians. As recognized in Security Council resolutions 1368 (2001) and 1373 (2001), terrorism constitutes a threat to international peace and security which gives rise to the inherent right of self-defence. Israel further calls upon the international community to impress upon the Palestinian leadership that the realization of the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people will be impossible so long as it continues to incite and support acts of terror against Israel.

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

(Signed) Yehuda Lancry
Permanent Representative

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