Mideast situation/Attacks – Letter from Israel

Identical letters dated 8 November 2004 from the Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council

  I wish to draw your attention to the latest violations of the Blue Line from Lebanese territory. Yesterday morning, a Hizbulla unmanned air vehicle (UAV) breached Israeli airspace in the Western Galilee. This follows an incident on 28 October 2004, when a Katyusha rocket was fired from Alma a-Shaab into Israeli territory, the latest in a series of similar recent attacks, including a rocket attack launched against Israel from Yamini Al-Jabin on 9 October, as well as others in June and April of this past year.

  These incidents are yet the latest in a series of wilful attacks carried out against Israel by terrorist organizations like Hizbulla, which operate freely from Lebanese jurisdiction, and with Syrian and Iranian sponsorship.

  In May 2000, Israel withdrew completely from Lebanon, in full and confirmed compliance with Security Council resolution 425 (1978). Since that time, these acts of aggression against Israelis have continued, enabled by the complicity of the Government of Lebanon, and with the support of the Syrian and Iranian regimes that have long sponsored, trained and financed these terrorist groups. Such actions represent a direct negation of obligations under international law and the provisions of Security Council resolutions, including resolutions 425 (1978), 426 (1978), 1310 (2000), 1337 (2001) and 1373 (2001). The failure of the Government of Lebanon to restore peace and security, ensure the return of its effective authority and prevent cross-border attacks from its territory in grave violation of these obligations is the direct cause of instability in the area.

  Lebanon and other terrorist-sponsoring regimes in the region are not absolved of their legal obligations to fight terrorism, like any other State, as part of the global campaign against international terrorism. Israel once again calls upon the international community to expect nothing less than full compliance.

  I should be grateful if you could arrange to have the latest incidents of this dangerous series of attacks outlined in the monthly report to the Security Council by the Secretary-General’s representative, and to have the text of this letter circulated as an official document of the fifty-ninth session of the General Assembly, under agenda items 36 and 148, and of the Security Council. An identical letter is being submitted to the President of the Security Council.

(Signed) Dan Gillerman

Ambassador

Permanent Representative

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