Annan: Israel Violating U.N. Resolution

[Paschall]

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: November 28, 2003

UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Friday that Israel is violating a General Assembly resolution to halt construction of barrier that juts into the West Bank and to dismantle the 90-mile section already built.
In a report to the assembly, Annan said the barrier -- a network of fences, walls, razor wire and trenches -- violates international law and ``could damage the longer-term prospects for peace,'' including those offered by the U.S.-backed ``road map'' plan.

``In the midst of the road map process, when each party should be making good-faith confidence-building gestures, the barrier's construction in the West Bank cannot, in this regard, be seen as anything but a deeply counterproductive act,'' Annan said. ...

The resolution passed overwhelmingly last month by the 191-nation General Assembly -- but opposed by Israel and the United States -- is not legally binding, but it is considered a reflection of international opinion. The resolution also does not rule out further U.N. action against Israel.

The assembly could ask the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, for an advisory opinion -- a possibility Israel has strongly protested.


http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-UN-Israel-Wall.html

[Spider Jerusalem]

1. From the history of the past several decades...

the REAL news story would be if Israel actually COMPLIED with a UN resolution. Did anyone actually expect them to halt construction of this "security barrier", or whatever they're calling it, because of a UN resolution? Israel's record of noncompliance is well known; only a fool would have expected anything different.

[hossdiddy]

4. The UN

showed their extreme anti-Israel bias when they didn't let the resolution calling for the protection of Israeli children go through.

Why should Israel listen to their one-sided proclamations? The thugs are running the asylum.

[bluesoul]

5. Not as though the US are

showing their extreme anti-Palestinian bias by vetoing every single resolution..

[tinnypriv]

2. B Michael of Yediot had a great article on the wall last month

I think it'll be posted on Gush Shalom soon. Absolutely devastating. If anybody from the NY Times wrote anything like it, they'd be a continuous stream of denunciation and slander for weeks.

I had to laugh at his review of the "Seam Zone" site :D

[Scott Lee]

3. And we wonder why there's terror against them

Whether the US wants to admit this or not, the continued protection of Israel from compliance with UN resolutions that get other countries attacked and invaded is a major contribution to the terror against Israel. This will only fuel the violence.

Not that the US cares, really. As long as nothing is happening "over here" the powers that be appear happy to play the Israel card in the M.E.