ONGOING VIOLENCE IN PALESTINE AND PROSPECTS OF FUTURE PEACE PROCESS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Issued by Department of Foreign Affairs

3 November 2000

DEPUTY MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS MR AZIZ PAHAD PARLIAMENTARY DISCUSSION

Madam Speaker,

As we come to the end of the debate on the recent dangerous developments in the Middle East we should reiterate our view that we are moved by one fundamental objective that is what contribution we can make to finding a just and long-lasting solution in the Middle East. All our actions and words must be influenced by this.

I am happy that speakers from the government and some of the opposition attempted to deal with this matter objectively. However, I am disappointed that the Leader of the Opposition and his "tape recorder" the Honourable Gibson made contributions, which were pathetic and reflected the worst manifestations of infant disorder and intellectual bankruptcy. How can we be accused of wasting parliamentary time when we are discussing one of the most burning issues of our time? The Middle East conflict will impact not only on the region but also on world peace and stability. Therefore we have no option but to be seized with this matter. How can the Leader of the Opposition accuse us of having no contact with the Israeli's? The reality is that at various levels both Government and Non-Government, we have dynamic contact with many sectors of Israeli and Palestinian society. Indeed in the last few weeks President Mbeki has met Prime Minister Barak twice and they have been in telephonic contact.

There is no question of siding with one side or the other, however, we can not ignore the reality that:

It is nearly 33 years since the adoption of the Security Council resolution 242, which called on Israel to withdraw from all Arab territories it occupied after the 1967 war, and recognised the right of Israel to exist within secure borders.
- It is 12 years since President Arafat, addressing the European Parliament, announced that the PLO was ready to negotiate with Israel on the basis of UNSC resolutions 242 and 338 and to seek "reciprocal recognition" whereby, in return for Israeli recognition of an Independent Palestinian State, the PLO would accept Israel's right to security.
It is the 10th anniversary of the massacre of Muslim worshippers in a mosque in Hebron, which led to widespread uprisings.
It is 7 years since President Arafat and Prime Minister Rabin signed the Oslo Accords. According to this accord by 1998 a final Status Agreement was to have been completed and implemented. The Wye River Agreement signed between President Arafat and Prime Minister Netanyahu and the second Sharm-Al-Sheikh Agreement signed between President Arafat and Prime Minister Barak deferred the final Status Agreement until September 2000.
It is the 5th anniversary of the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin.
It is 18 months since Mr Barak won the election on the wave of an unprecedented peace movement in Israel. Barak's peace manifesto was supported by millions of Israelis, Palestinians and indeed by people throughout the world.

The Honourable Leader of the Opposition must not only represent the views of the Israeli right wing, he must accept that there is another group of Israelis who are progressive and seek genuine peace and stability.

These millions expected that Prime Minister Barak would deal with the non-implementation of the Oslo Accords, that he would tackle the burning issues of the enlargement of existing settlements, the building of new settlements and the continuing confiscation of Palestinian Land.

Sadly merely a year and a half later, the Middle East is engulfed in a most serious escalation of violence. In the fast few weeks, no one who has seen the images of violence in the Palestinian territories can remain indifferent or silent. The death toll has reached 160, and is growing everyday, and thousands have been injured. Tragically a high percentage of those killed or injured are children.

We fully agree with the Security Council resolution adopted on the 7th October 2000 which:

Expressing its support for the Middle East peace process and the efforts to reach a final settlement between the Israeli and Palestinian sides, and urging the two sides to cooperate in these efforts,
Reaffirming the need for full respect by all of the Hole Places of the City of Jerusalem and condemning any behaviour to the contrary,

Deplores the provocation carried out at Al-Haram Al Sharif in Jerusalem on 28 September 2000, and the subsequent violence there and at other Holy Places, as well as in other areas throughout the territories occupied by Israel since 1967, resulting in over 80 Palestinian deaths and many other casualties; Can we really deny that Sharon calculatedly acted to ignite a very volatile situation?

Condemns acts of violence, especially the excessive use of force against Palestinians, resulting in injury and loss of human life; No stretch of imagination can equate the misuse of modern weapons of destruction with stones. The Leader of the Oppositions mental gymnastics won't help.

Calls upon Israel, the Occupying Power, to abide scrupulously by its legal obligations and its responsibilities under the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949;

Calls for the immediate cessation of violence, and for all necessary steps to be taken to ensure that violence ceases, that further provocative actions are avoided, and that the situation returns to normality in a way which promotes the prospects for the Middle East peace process;

Madam Speaker,

The Middle East peace process is in grave danger of collapse. The consequences would be too ghastly to contemplate.

The reality is that the resolution to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict has to be reached through negotiations. However much sympathy one might have with the concerns of one side or the other, the stark reality remains that the parties must return to the negotiating table. But is seems that a different formula for negotiations will have to be developed. In this connection, the Government welcomed the presence at the Sharm-Al-Sheikh Summit, of the secretary-general of the United Nations.

Camp David collapsed because the maximum concessions that the Israelis offered was less than the minimum the Palestinians could accept.

The Government believes that the way forward lies in recognising the central role of the UN, also in this effort in peace-making, assisted by a broadly based international "contact group" which could develop, in consultation with Palestine and Israel, a new approach to the situation.

This being said, I think it is important to underline that, whatever the context or formula for future negotiations, there are certain conditions that have to be met if a just and lasting settlement between Palestine and Israel is to become a reality.

A final agreement should clearly be based on the international consensus enshrined in UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338, which calls for Israeli withdrawal from the Arab territories occupied since the 1967 war. It recognises the principle of the self-determination of the Palestinian People, and, conversely, for Arab recognition of the right of Israel to exist within secure borders. "Land for peace is the only viable option".

There should be an international enquiry into the origins of the present conflict, as called for in UN Security Council Resolution 1233 (2000) should be launched as soon as possible.
Israeli security forces should withdraw to their positions as on 28 September 2000.
The sanctity of all holy sites should be scrupulously respected.
The Israeli practice of inflicting collective punishment on the Palestinian people should cease. Israeli collective punishment takes the form of, inter alia, blockades of Palestinian towns and cities, preventing people from engaging in gainful employment, preventing the evacuation of sick and wounded, hindering the flow of merchandise and much more.
The United Nations is entrusted with the safeguarding and promotion of world peace. The Secretary General should therefore play a role in the Middle East. European States, Middle Eastern States and others can also make a meaningful contribution.
The United Nations should take appropriate measures to protect the Palestinian people.

Madame Speaker,

The Government reacted by setting up a Middle East Task Team to monitor, analyse and report to higher authority on the situation in the Middle East on a daily basis. In the course of their work, the Task Team has held frequent consultations with representatives of countries which play a key role in that region and in the peace process, including the Palestinian and Israeli Ambassadors in Pretoria. It has made recommendations on the public positions that the Government has adopted over the past month and which have been reflected in a large number of media statements. Moreover, South Africa's representatives, both in their South African capacities and as representatives of the NAM Chair, have taken an active part in the specific deliberations of the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly in New York, the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, and UNESCO in Paris.

The conflict between Israelis and Palestinians has also found resonance within our own society. It is a source of pride and a sign of the increasing maturity of our own democracy that conflicting viewpoints about the situation in the Middle East could be expressed and tolerated, by and large without incidents. The Government has responded to these views by holding consultations with a broad range of community leaders and we have kept the public informed of the outcomes of those consultations, which were all positive. All community leaders have agreed that the violence between Israelis and Palestinians is deplorable, that nothing should compromise their freedom as South Africans to express their views fully, but in peace and tolerance towards others and that, above all, the conflict in the Middle East should not be imported into our own society to cause discord and confrontation in South Africa.

Madame Speaker,

President Mbeki last year said:

"I call on the international community to remain steadfast in its commitment and support for a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East and the realisation of the legitimate rights of all Palestinians. It is clear that peace will not only have an effect on the lives of the people of these ancient lands, but that it will also reverberate around the globe. It will promote the cause of international peace and security in a fundamental way".

Today this has special significance. We must all act swiftly, decisively and constructively to achieve a just and long-lasting solution in the Middle East. If we fail, right wing and religious zealots every-where in the world will exploit the crisis to achieve other agendas.

We cannot ignore the reality and danger of the sharp increase in Europe and the USA of xenophobia, racism and anti-Semitism. The ugly face of fascism and neo-fascism once again haunts us, the dead and the injured in the Middle East must not be the foundation on which they flourish.

The Democratic Party must act responsibly.

Thank you.