|
Mr. Kofi Annan UN Secretary-General c/o UNSCO, Jerusalem 14th March, 2005 Dear Secretary-General Annan, We welcome you to Israel-Palestine. Your interviews in the Israeli media suggest you are attempting to address negative attitudes towards the United Nations prevalent among many Israelis - an important goal, whose achievement may facilitate a more effective UN role as part of the international "Quartet" charged with promoting an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Your decision to attend the ceremony at Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem is evidently part of that effort, and a renewed affirmation of the UN's determination to oppose any manifestation of racial prejudice and persecution, of which the extermination of six million European Jews is a particularly horrific and terrible example. Nevertheless, your visit takes place at a particularly sensitive time, when every action has most serious long-term ramifications. Precisely because of the importance of your visit here, the choice to include certain sites on your itinerary and exclude others is crucial. As you told Israeli TV recently, the Gaza Disengagement Plan propounded by PM Sharon could be a positive step - provided it is a step in the implementation of the "Road Map," whose ultimate goal is viable peace, a complete end to the Occupation and the creation of a viable Palestine. Unfortunately, there is no sign that Ariel Sharon regards things that way; there are many signs to the contrary: not only explicit statements by Sharon and his aides expressing a clear intention to hold on to the bulk of the West Bank lands, but also unilateral acts on the ground intended to grab Palestinian territory and effectively annex it to Israel. In particular, we wish to stress continuing construction of the so-called "Separation Wall." All across the West Bank, entire communities are being cordoned off, many losing their land: such villages as Wallajeh, Nuaman, Jayyous, Ras Tira, Azzun, Marda, Nazlat Issa, Wadi Fukin, Beit Souriq and many others. Palestinian towns, especially around Jerusalem (e.g. Abu Dis, Bethlehem and A-Ram) are being cut down the middle or surrounded and made into isolated enclaves, with a massive dislocation of trade, education, health services, access to religious sites and every facet of normal daily life. A visitor to the Wall at Abu Dis can see schoolchildren climbing through gaps in the Wall (often harassed by Border Police), men climbing it to find work so they can feed their families, women with babies in their arms, even the sick and the elderly having to climb in order to get to the only hospital in the region. Elsewhere, in such villages as Beit Surik, Bila'in, Budrus and many others where the Wall is being erected, visitors can observe the Israeli armed forces daily using tear gas, "rubber" bullets and even live ammunition against non-violent villagers protesting the take-over of their land - and also against Israeli and international peace activists who share that protest. At Jayyous village, where the Wall was erected in 2003, one can see settlers busily creating a new settlement on land to which the Palestinian owners are denied access - in the so-called "Seam Zone." This political border (the real intention of the Wall) is creating conditions whereby settlements thrive and expand while Palestinians are fearful of being forced into transfer: a form of ethnic cleansing. Your visit to Jerusalem, passing within a short distance of where all this takes place, without stopping to acknowledge it, will be construed as tacit acquiescence by you and the institution you head - tacit acquiescence in a brutal practice for which the security of Israelis is the pretext rather than the true reason; security can only be reached by a political solution and the Wall actually hampers rather than helps reach such a solution. We need hardly remind you that the creation of this Wall was strongly condemned by the overwhelming majority of the UN General Assembly, that its disastrous humanitarian consequences have been elaborated in great detail by a UN Rapporteur and that its continuing creation is in flagrant defiance of the International Court at the Hague, the body empowered by the international community to interpret International Law. We are sure it is not your intention to approve - explicitly or tacitly - such phenomena. Nevertheless, that is what you would be doing in practice by failing to include the Wall on the itinerary of your visit. Therefore, we - Israeli and Palestinian and international peace activists - call upon you to observe first-hand the Wall and its disastrous humanitarian effects, which will have such a negative impact on peace making and the future viability of Palestine. We also eagerly await institution of a Register of Damages caused by the Wall, and the institution of a system of compensation for loss of income, education, freedom of movement, land and homes, as called for by the ICJ Advisory Opinion and UN General Assembly. When in the past the world has stayed silent, atrocities have been committed; your visit to Yad Vashem underlines that principle. When, on occasion, the United Nations and the world community have delayed in response to tragedy, further tragedy has been allowed to happen. Mr. Annan, as citizens of the world we call upon you to take the necessary measures so that the unnecessary, wanton tragedy in this part of the world will cease, the Wall and settlements be dismantled, justice will be seen to be done, UN Resolutions enforced and viable peace achieved here for the long-term benefit of all. Signed: Jody Williams, Fredericksburg VA, USA, Nobel Peace Laureate, The Landmines Campaign Angie Zelter, Cromer UK, Alternative Nobel Peace Laureate, Founder of International Womens Peace Service Uri Avnery, Tel Aviv, Alternative Nobel Peace Laureate, Founder of Gush Shalom Ambassador Carleton Coon, Washington, DC Gush Shalom - Peace Bloc, Israel Coalition of Woman for Peace, Israel Ada Ravon, Adv., Tel Aviv, Israel Adam Keller, Gush Shalom, Tel Aviv, Israel Adi Dagan, Tel Aviv, Israel (Coalition of Women for Peace) Adv. Ghiath Nassir, East Jerusalem Adv. Mohammed Dahleh, East Jerusalem Aharon Shabtai, Tel Aviv, Israel Alexandre Zimmermann, Leiden, Netherlands Alix K. Weizmann, Israel Amira Katz, Dept. of East Asian Studies, Hebrew University, J"m Amy Baron, Boston, MA, USA Andre Rosenthal, Jerusalem Andrew Harvey, Birmingham, UK Angela Godfrey-Goldstein, Israeli Cttee. Against House Demolitions, Jerusalem Angus Geddes, Havant, UK Anne Manning, Albuquerque, NM, USA Anne Martin, Commitment for Life, United Reformed Church, UK Arash Alaei, Director, NRITLD & Pars Curative Researcher, Institute for HIV/IDU/STI prevention and care Bassem Khader, Chappaqua, New York Beate Zilversmidt, Gush Shalom, Tel Aviv, Israel Bilha Golan, Beit She'arim, Israel Carmel (Charlie) Attard, Engadine, Australia Ceylon Mooney, Wheels of Justice/Voices in the Wilderness Memphis Charles Shamas, Jerusalem Chris Leadbeter, Ashford, Kent, UK Daniel Bugel-Shunra, Port Townsend, WA, USA David Airey, Arlington, MA, USA David Bloom, Jews Against the Occupation, New York, NY Dhakiyya Elli Anders-Gomm, Saffron Walden, UK Donald Bustany, Los Angeles, USA Doris Wagner, Corrales, New Mexico, USA Dorothee Rautenauer, St. Gallen, Switzerland Dr. Alla Shainskaya, Rehovot, Israel Dr. Anat Matar, Tel Aviv University Dr. Hala Espanioly, Upper Nazareth, Israel Dr. Janina Altman, Haifa, Israel Dr. Kees Wagtendonk, Amstelveen, The Netherlands Dr. Meir Margalit, Israeli Cttee. Against House Demolitions, Jerusalem Dr. Nina Mayorek, Jerusalem Dr. Snait Gissis, Tel Aviv University, Israel Dr. Uri Davis, Sakhnin, Israel Dr. Yehiam Soreq, Herzliya, Israel Edna Primoratz, Jerusalem Elisabeth Sherif, Santa Fe, NM, USA Elizabeth Freund, Jerusalem Enrique Ferro, Brussels, Belgium Eva Jablonka, Jerusalem Gail Kent, Colorado Springs, CO, USA Gail Murphy, Code Pink: Women for Peace, Washington, USA Gila Svirsky, Coalition of Women for Peace, Jerusalem Greta Berlin, Los Angeles Women in Black Hagar Garti, Tel Aviv, Israel Hess Moontasir, London, UK Huseyin Oktay, Istanbul, Turkey Ilan Cohen, Conegliano, Italy Jacob Katriel, , Professor Emeritus, Technion, Haifa, Israel Jake Terpstra, Grand Rapids, MI, USA Jan de Jong, Abu Tor, Jerusalem Jimmy Johnson, Jerusalem and Chicago, USA Joe Mowrey, Veterans for Peace Associate, Santa Fe, NM, USA Joyce Livingstone, Israel Kamiar Alaei, Director, NRITLD & Pars Curative Researcher Katherine Hughes-Fraitekh, Arab-Jewish Peace Alliance, Albuquerque, NM Kathleen Christison, Santa Fe, NM, USA Khaled Duzdar, Co-Director, IPCRI: Israel/Palestine Center for Research & Information Leila Mosenson, Occupied Tel Aviv, Jerusalem & Territories Lev Grinberg, Jerusalem Lyn Adamson, Toronto, Canada Marie Moser, Los Angeles (with Women in Black, Los Angeles) Mark Elf, Jews Sans Frontieres Marlene Newesri, New York, USA Mary Lou Leiser Smith , Coord., Coalition for Peace with Justice, NC USA Matityaho Shemoelof, Haifa, Israel Menucha Moravitz, Ramat Gan, Israel (MachsomWatch) Micah Leshem, Ph.D., Psychology Dept., Haifa University, Haifa, Israel Michael Kent, Colorado Springs, CO, USA Micky Fischer, Israel Mimi Adam, Albuquerque, New Mexico Miriam M. Reik, New York, USA Molly Malekar, Director, Bat Shalom, Jerusalem Nim Sothea, Bangkok, Thailand Nomi Shir, Omer, Israel Nurit Steinfeld, Jerusalem Otniel E. Dror, Hebrew University, Jerusalem Paula Abrams-Hourani, Vienna, Austria Paula Canarutto, Italy Penelope Slygh Lichtenecker, Vienna, Austria Pnina Feiler, Kibbutz Yad Hanna, Israel Pnina Firestone, Jerusalem Prof. Aharon Eviatar, Tel Aviv, Israel Prof. Baruch Kimmerling, Hebrew Univ., Dept. Sociology & Anthropology Prof. Bronislaw Wajnryb, Haifa Technion, Israel Prof. Colman Altman, Haifa, Israel Prof. Haleh Afshar, York University, UK Prof. Igor Primoratz, Jerusalem Prof. Jeff Halper, Israeli Cttee. Against House Demolitions, Jerusalem Prof. Meir Gal, CUNY and NYU, USA Prof. Tanya Reinhart, Tel Aviv, Israel Prof. Victoria Buch, Jerusalem Rama Ishaq, Jordan Rayna Moss, Jaffa, Israel Renee Bowyer, Newcastle, NSW, Australia Richard Ward, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Riva Bachrach, Israel Roman Vater, Tel Aviv, Israel Ronit Chacham, Jerusalem Sami Abuhamdeh, Los Angeles, CA, USA Shakhar Rahav, Albany, CA, USA Smadar Carmon, Toronto, Canada Sophie vom Scheidt, Berlin, Germany Tamar Yaron, Kibbutz Hazorea, Israel and Canada Taner Zorbay, Ankara, Turkey Tanya Leadbeter, Brighton, Sussex, UK Tarek Ibrahim, Adv., Co-ordinator, Arab Assoc. for Human Rts., Nazareth Terry Boullata, Abu Dis, Palestine Uri Ayalon, Tel Aviv-Jaffa Veronika Cohen, Jerusalem William Christison, Santa Fe, NM, USA Yaacov Rosenberg, Jerusalem Yehudith Harel, Herzlia, Israel Yonathan (Jon) Anson, Beer Sheva, Israel Yosefa Sartiel, MD, Tel Aviv, Israel Yvonne Deutsch, Jerusalem
©2000-2007 electronicIntifada.net
unless otherwise noted. Content may represent personal view of author. This page was printed from the Electronic Intifada website at electronicIntifada.net. You may freely e-mail, print out, copy, and redistribute this page for informational purposes on a non-commercial basis. To republish content credited to the Electronic Intifada in online or print publications, please get in touch via electronicIntifada.net/contact
|