Jerusalem/Land expropriation – Letter from Palestine

GENERAL ASSEMBLY SECURITY COUNCIL

Fiftieth session Fiftieth year

Items 42, 44 and 85 of

  the preliminary list*

QUESTION OF PALESTINE

THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE

  EAST

REPORT OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE

  TO INVESTIGATE ISRAELI

  PRACTICES AFFECTING THE HUMAN

  RIGHTS OF THE PALESTINIAN

  PEOPLE AND OTHER ARABS OF THE

  OCCUPIED TERRITORIES

Identical letters dated 24 May 1995 from the Permanent

Observer of Palestine to the United Nations addressed

to the Secretary-General and to the

President of the Security Council

  As you know, draft resolution S/1995/394, which was sponsored by the members of the Security Council that are members of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries and which was put to a vote by the Council on 17 May 1995, received 14 votes but was not adopted owing to the casting of a negative vote by a permanent member of the Council, namely the United States of America.

However, all Member States that spoke before the Council during the consideration of the issue of the illegal Israeli confiscation orders of 53 hectares of land in occupied East Jerusalem, as well as all Council members, including the United States, at the least expressed disagreement with the Israeli action.

At a later stage, it was brought to our attention that the Israeli Cabinet, in an emergency meeting on 22 May 1995, decided to "suspend the expropriation of 53 hectares of land in Jerusalem".  This came in addition to the decision by the Israeli Government on 15 May 1995, which was brought to the attention of some members of the Council and which stated, inter alia, that "the Cabinet has no intention to carry out additional expropriation of land in Jerusalem for housing purposes".  While both of these actions could be considered as steps in the correct direction to meet the position of the international community on the issue, they are hardly enough to satisfy previous relevant Security Council resolutions and international law.  In this regard, we look forward to complete and scrupulous compliance by Israel, the occupying Power.

In any event, these and other relevant developments should be followed closely by the Council.  We strongly believe that the Council ought to remain seized of the matter and keep itself apprised of any further Israeli steps with regard to the land in question, with the aim of ensuring that the illegal confiscation orders will not be carried out and that no building will take place on that land or any other land in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem.

I would be grateful if you would arrange to have the text of the present letter distributed as a document of the General Assembly, under items 42, 44 and 85 of the preliminary list, and of the Security Council.

                                               (Signed) Nasser AL-KIDWA

Permanent Observer of Palestine

to the United Nations

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