Jerusalem/Settlements – Letter from Palestine

Letter dated 13 November 1998 from the Permanent Observer of Palestine

to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

Israel, the occupying Power, decided yesterday to invite tenders for the construction of housing units in a new settlement to be established on Jabal Abu Ghneim in the West Bank to the south of Occupied East Jerusalem.  Israel has also decided to pave 13 new so-called bypass roads in the West Bank to service the illegal Jewish settlements, which would require additional confiscation of land.

Both of these decisions are totally unacceptable and represent dangerous developments.  They grossly violate the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949 and numerous Security Council resolutions, as well as the terms of the Israeli-Palestinian agreements, including the recently concluded Wye River Memorandum.

While Palestine calls on relevant United Nations bodies to prevent the implementation of those decisions, we also believe that they are enough cause for a call to resume the tenth emergency special session of the General Assembly, which was convened in the first place in reaction to the Israeli attempt to build a settlement at Jabal Abu Ghneim.

I should be grateful if you would arrange to have the text of the present letter distributed as a document of the General Assembly, under agenda items 39, 40 and 84, and of the Security Council.

(Signed)  Nasser AL-KIDWA

Ambassador

Permanent Observer of Palestine

to the United Nations

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