UN: Israel, Palestinians violating int'l law, undermining peace

[Violet_Crumble]

UNITED NATIONS - Both Israel and the Palestinians are violating their international legal obligations and undermining prospects for peace, a senior UN official told the UN Security Council.

Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs Kieran Prendergast, in what he called a "depressingly familiar" monthly briefing, said Wednesday that there was little reason to believe that either side would take the first steps to implement the "road map" peace plan or stop violating international law.

"Until and unless both the Palestinian Authority and the government of Israel take the necessary first steps to restore momentum towards peace, the stalemate will continue and there will be no lasting ceasefire," Prendergast warned.

Israel has an obligation "to protect Palestinian civilians and not to destroy their property unless this is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations," but the scale of destruction being carried out by the Israeli military "raises concerns about collective punishment," he said.

The Palestinian Authority also has obligations under agreements with Israel, international humanitarian law, and the road map "to protect Israeli civilians from attacks emanating from territories in its control."

http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/463768.html

[kiahzero]

1. In other words:

[Gimel]

2. Israeli elections

If not held this year, which may happen if Sharon can't form a government, then Nov 2006 is the next date. I hope that Arafat is removed by his own people, or made powerless by acts of the PLC. In any event, he won't last longer than Sharon's two year term that remains.

From the article, this final summation shows that at Sharon has made efforts to "disengage" from the conflict.

"The Palestinian Authority, despite promises made by its president, has made no progress on its core obligation to take immediate action on the ground to end violence and combat terror," Prendergast said.

Progress on Palestinian security reforms also "continues to be slow, and mostly cosmetic," which can only be explained "by a lack of political will to advance along that "to assess the situation on the ground and examine appropriate courses of action." Donors will also meet in New York in September to examine how they could assist in turning a possible Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and parts of the West Bank "into a true beginning of a genuine peace process," he said.