Situation in the OPT/Expulsion of Palestinian mayors – Letter from SecGen to CEIRPP Chairman

Letter dated 29 October 1980 from the Secretary-General

to the Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the

Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People

I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 24 October 1980 (A/35/565-S/14235) regarding recent developments relating to the Mayors of Hebron and Halhoul.

Your observations have been carefully noted.  The developments mentioned in your letter coincide with our information.  I should add that, according to the information we have received, which has been confirmed by the Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations, the Supreme Court of Israel is scheduled to hear the appeal submitted by the lawyer of the two Mayors on 30 October.  I have also learned that the Israeli occupation authorities have decided to transfer the two Mayors from the customs terminal, where they were confined to Ramle Prison in Israel.

I need hardly stress my deep and continuing concern with the implementation of Security Council resolutions 468 (1980) and 469 (1980).  In May 1980, I addressed an appeal to the Prime Minister of Israel to take the necessary action to respond to the call of the Security Council.  Since then, I and my advisers have followed closely the developments relating to this matter with the Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations and other Israeli representatives.  You may be assured that I shall continue to exert all possible efforts to implement the Security Council resolutions.

Since your letter of 24 October 1980 has been circulated as a General Assembly and Security Council document, I am arranging for this reply to be distributed in the same manner.

(Signed) Kurt WALDHEIM

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