Mideast situation – Letter from Israel

Letter dated 18 June 2001 from the Chargé d’affaires a.i. of the

Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

I wish to draw your attention to the latest act of Palestinian terrorism that claimed the life of one Israeli earlier today.

This afternoon, at approximately 1 p.m. (local time), occupants of a yellow Palestinian car opened fire on an Israeli vehicle travelling near the Shavei Shomron Junction. Danny Yehuda, age 35, was killed in the attack and another passenger, Alex Briskin, age 17, sustained light to moderate shrapnel wounds.

This attack is merely the latest attack in a nearly nine-month campaign of Palestinian terrorism that has been detailed in my letters dated 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).

Today’s killing also comes less than a week after both Israelis and Palestinians accepted the Tenet plan as a basis for implementing a ceasefire. Though the number of incidents has decreased in recent days, Palestinian attacks have continued as Israeli forces have attempted to implement the terms of the ceasefire and the Government of Israel has taken steps to ease the situation of the Palestinian population. Over 40 separate incidents have occurred since the agreement on the Tenet plan, including a foiled terrorist attack in which explosives hidden in a donkey cart were detonated near an Israeli military post.

The Palestinian Authority continues to avoid taking the necessary actions to combat terrorism. Incitement continues in the official Palestinian media and terrorists that were released in the early days of the confrontation have yet to be re-arrested.

Israel calls upon the Palestinian leadership to adhere to the terms of the ceasefire as outlined in the Tenet plan and to take immediate and concerted action to control all acts of violence emanating from the territory under its control.

I should be grateful if you would arrange to have the text of the present letter circulated as a document of the fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly, under item 179 of the preliminary list, and of the Security Council.

(Signed) Aaron Jacob

Chargé d’affaires a.i.