Situation in the OPT/Killing of Palestinian workers – Statement by European Community – Letter from Ireland

Letter dated 23 May 1990 from the Permanent Representative of Ireland

to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

I have the honour to transmit the text, in English and French, of the statement by the Twelve States members of the European Community on Palestinian deaths in Israel and the occupied territories since 20 May 1990 (see annex).

I should be grateful if you would have the text of the present letter and its annex circulated as a document of the General Assembly, under items 23, 35 and 77 of the preliminary list, and of the Security Council.

(Signed) Francis Mahon HAYES

Ambassador

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* A/45/50.

ANNEX

Statement by the Twelve States members of the European Community

on Palestinian deaths in Israel and the occupied territories

since 20 May 1990

The Twelve are shocked and saddened by the violence that has left at least 18 Palestinians dead and hundreds injured in Rishon Le Zion and the occupied territories since 20 May.  They extend their condolences to the families and friends of those killed and their sympathy to the injured.

The Twelve deplore the tragic massacre by an Israeli civilian of eight Palestinians in Rishon Le Zion. It is a matter of very grave concern to the Twelve that the response of the Israeli authorities to the spontaneous demonstrations that broke out in the occupied territories has left a further 10 Palestinians dead and hundreds injured. They have repeatedly raised with the Israeli authorities the questions of the use of excessive force to put down manifestations of the Palestinian uprising in the occupied territories.

The Twelve earnestly appeal for calm.  They call on the Israeli authorities to exercise the utmost restraint.  They are also concerned by the risk that violence might spread – a risk illustrated in particular by events yesterday in Amman.

The Twelve see the latest upsurge of violence as symptomatic of the fragility of the situation in the occupied territories in the absence of any significant prospect of progress in the direction of a settlement. It underlines, in their view, the imperative of resuming the peace process in a meaningful way at a very early date.

In their contacts with both sides, the Twelve will, on the basis of the principles that they havea enunciated in the Declarations of Venice (1980), Madrid and Strasbourg (1989), do all they can to promote significant steps in the direction of a comprehensive settlement.  They will also be trying to prevent any further hardening of attitudes which could compromise that objective.  Moreover, the Community and its States members will actively pursue their programmes of aid to the population of the occupied territories.

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