16 octobre 2009
UNHRC endorses Goldstone's Gaza report by large majority
Despite Israeli lobbying efforts against the Goldstone report, the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva endorsed the document on Friday, a move that will send it on to more powerful UN bodies in New York for action. The resolution passed 25-6, with eleven countries abstaining. Five states, including France and the UK, declined to vote. The six states that voted against the resolution were the United States, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Slovakia and the Ukraine. Eleven states, including Belgium, Bosnia, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Gabon, Japan, Mexico, Norway, Korea, Slovenia and Uruguay abstained. The following 25 states voted in favor of the resolution: Argentina, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, China, Cuba, Djbouti, Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Mauritius, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa and Zambia. Britain, France, Madagascar, Kyrgyzstan and Angola declined to vote. An unnamed British diplomat told Israel Radio that in the hours prior to the vote, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy had tried to get clarifications from Israel that would enable the countries to vote against the resolution. France and Britain reportedly decided to refrain from voting after the contacts with Israel failed to produce the results they were seeking. The Palestinians, through Egypt, Nigeria, Pakistan and Tunisia, had submitted the resolution to the council, which called for an endorsement of the Goldstone report that accuses Israel of committing war crimes and possible crimes against humanity during Operation Cast Lead. (16,48)
China 'strongly opposes' Iranian nukes
China is firmly opposed to an Iranian nuclear arms program, Beijing's ambassador to Israel, Zhao Jun, has told The Jerusalem Post in an interview.
Zhao's comments represent some of the most unambiguous remarks made by a Chinese official on the matter in recent weeks. "China's position on the Iranian nuclear issue has been consistent and clear-cut. We support maintaining the international nonproliferation regime. In this sense, we are strongly against the idea that the Iranians should develop nuclear weapons," the ambassador said. "And at the same time, we believe that each country, according to the nonproliferation nuclear weapons treaty, has the right to utilize nuclear power in a peaceful way and for a peaceful purpose," Zhao added. On Thursday, China's Premier, Wen Jiabao, hosted Iranian First Vice President Muhammad Reza Rahimi in Beijing, and said Sino-Iranian relations had "witnessed rapid development." Wen added that "cooperation in trade and energy has widened and deepened," according to the Chinese state Xinhua News Agency. Back in Israel, Zhao told the Post his country would continue to back diplomacy as a means of solving the nuclear crisis, and denied that China's flourishing energy trade relationship with Iran was behind Beijing's refusal to back tougher sanctions. China is the second largest crude oil importer in the world, while Iran possesses the globe's second biggest crude oil reserves. Twelve percent of China's oil imports come from Iran. Iran also buys gasoline from China, due to the Islamic republic's inability to refine enough crude oil. But those energy ties were not influencing China's approach to the nuclear crisis, Zhao insisted in his interview. "I don't agree with these claims or these assessments on China's position. I think some people drew this conclusion because they got distorted reports on China's position. "China has been pursuing a foreign policy of peace and independence. We judge the issue according to its merits," he said. "We'll let people see by their own eyes, rather than read reports and jump to conclusions," he added. The ambassador, who spoke with the Post on Wednesday, said he was optimistic over the chances of a renewed diplomatic push led by the US to resolve the crisis. "We welcome the recent progress made in Geneva. I hope that all parties could invest more diplomatic efforts to push for talks and negotiations to search for a more comprehensive, long-term and appropriate solution to the Iranian nuclear issue," Zhao said. When asked if China's position would change if diplomacy failed, he said, "I think that so long the international community and all the parties make efforts together, there will be a breakthrough." The ambassador said he hoped efforts to kick-start Israeli-Palestinian peace talks would succeed, adding that China had appointed a special Mideast envoy who visits the region twice a year. "At the moment the international community is extremely concerned about the stagnation of the process. We do urge the parties concerned to resume dialogue and negotiations as early as possible, because it is in the interests of the stability of this region and its peoples. "China will continuously play its part in the Middle East peace process," Zhao said. (16,45)
Bulent Arinc,turkish vice PM: Israel ties will remain strong
The series broadcast by TRT "may partly reflect reality. It can also be a bit exaggerated, but it is a TV series, after all," he added. He clarified that as the person responsible for public television, he doesn't want to see "a TV series to lead to a diplomatic problem. "There is no political intent against Israel in a Turkish TV series that has angered the Jewish state, local news agency Anatolia reported Friday, quoting Turkey's vice prime minister. "There is no political goal. None of our TV series have any political motivation," Bulent Arinc, who is in charge of overseeing public television TRT, was quoted as saying Thursday evening."Relations between Turkey and Israel have always been strong. We are fully confident that they will always remain strong," he said. Arinc added, however, that "if we made a mistake ... if we find something (in the series) which might prejudice the interests of the nation, we may consider the matter, both TRT and the government." He was asked whether the program would be taken off the air or whether changes would be made to the script. "We are not thinking about it," he replied. "The Turkish government does not interfere in drama series. The body supervising television broadcasts is the Turkish Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTUK)." (11,01)
Lebanon elected to UN Security Council
Politically divided Lebanon was among the five countries elected to the United Nations Security Council on Thursday, and will take their seat on January 1. The five newly elected members will replace Burkina Faso, Costa Rica, Croatia, Libya and Vietnam as non-veto-holding members of the 15-nation body, the powerhouse of the United Nations with the authority to impose sanctions and send peacekeeping forces. Israel responded cautiously to the decision. The two neighboring countries have no ties and a history of conflict, most recently the 2006 Second Lebanon War. The month-long conflict was sparked by the abduction by Lebanese-based guerrilla powerhouse Hezbollah of two Israelis soldiers and resulted in an Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon. "UN security council members need to show special responsibility," Israel's Foreign Ministry said. "We hope that in light of the serious events that have been recently occurred in Southern Lebanon, Lebanon will heed to the obligations attached to the Security Council's decisions," the response continued. Diplomats said they expected Lebanon to be able to speak for Arab countries despite its sectarian divisions, but one said he anticipated it would abstain if the council was voting on further sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program. Three rounds of sanctions have already been passed. Iran is a sensitive subject in Beirut, where politicians are seeking to put together a new government, because of the political weight of the Iranian-backed Shi'ite Hezbollah group, whose militants fought against Israel in 2006. "If it comes to Iran, that would cause quite deep divisions within the Lebanese government, and it would be difficult for them to take a definitive position, i.e. they're likely to abstain," said one Western diplomat who had spoken to Lebanese officials. But the diplomat, speaking on condition he that he not be identified, also said he expected Lebanon to be a more moderate Arab voice on the council than outgoing Libya, which has clashed with the United States over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "I think if you have a more moderate country on the Security Council they may look for a more moderate way through and take a lead perhaps more specifically from the Palestinians," he said. "There have been occasions when the Libyans have refused to take the advice of the likes of Palestine and Egypt because it wasn't to their own national taste." In an uncontested election, the UN General Assembly voted for Lebanon, Bosnia, Brazil, Gabon, and Nigeria to serve on the council in 2010 and 2011. All five had been selected in advance by their regional groups. Unresolved political and security issues have meant that both Lebanon and Bosnia are subject to Security Council scrutiny. Lebanon has some 12,500 UN peacekeeping troops in its south, stemming from past conflicts with Israel, while Bosnia, torn by war in the 1990s, has a European Union force. "The experience of being on the council will help strengthen their national government systems to enable them to take decisions on international issues," British Ambassador John Sawers, whose country holds a permanent council seat, said of Lebanon and Bosnia. There are five veto-holding permanent members of the Security Council -the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China - and 10 temporary elected members without vetoes. But the elected members have some power because a council resolution needs nine votes in favor as well as no vetoes. The only way the five countries elected on Thursday could have been blocked would have been if they had failed to obtain a two-thirds majority of the votes. All five were elected with overwhelming majorities. (00,05)
Israel warns of possible terror attacks in India
The Counter-Terrorism Bureau on Thursday warned Israelis against travel to India, citing a concrete threat of a possible terror attack. The bureau issued a similar warning ahead of the Jewish New Year saying that Israelis throughout India could be targeted by terrorists. The threat includes groups of Western tourists in general, but also cited Chabad centers and synagogues in the country where Jews and Israelis congregate. The current warning issued states that the terror organization that was responsible for the Mumbai terror attack in November 2008 is plotting to implement several attacks in India, targeting tourist sites, Westerners, and possibly Chabad centers. The Counter-Terrorism Bureau recommends that Israelis who are currently in India avoid staying in crowded areas and refrain from visiting tourist attractions that aren't guarded by armed and visible security forces. (00,02)
15 octobre 2009
'Responsible countries will reject Goldstone Gaza report'
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday called on members of the UN's Human Rights Council to reject a resolution endorsing a report accusing Israel and Hamas of war crimes during the fighting in Gaza last winter. The 575-page report concluded that Israel used disproportionate force, deliberately targeted civilians, used Palestinians as human shields, and destroyed civilian infrastructure during its Dec. 27-Jan. 18 incursion into the Gaza Strip to root out Palestinian rocket squads. "Israel's only real crime is that it does not have an automatic majority in the UN," Netanyahu said at a joint press conference with visiting Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. "We hope that all responsible countries will tomorrow vote against that decision, which aids and encourages terror and strikes at peace," Netanyahu said. The Geneva-based council is expected to vote Friday on a resolution that would ask the Security Council in New York to determine within six months whether both sides are carrying out credible investigations into alleged abuses or to refer the issue to the International Criminal Court in the Hague, Netherlands. Netanyahu argues that the resolution, if adopted, would hamper Israel's ability to defend itself and therefore discourage it from making possibly risky concessions for peace with the Palestinians. The UN's top human rights official backed the report Thursday accusing Israeli forces and Palestinian militants of war crimes during their conflict in Gaza last winter. Navi Pillay's endorsement of the report by an expert group led by Judge Richard Goldstone came as Israel warned the UN Human Rights Council that approving the document risked undermining Middle East peace. Pillay told the 47-member council that she supported the report's recommendations, including its call for urgent action to counter impunity - meaning that Israel and Hamas must investigate and prosecute those who committed war crimes. (23,59)
Turkish security detains 32 suspected al-Qaeda members allegedly planning attacks
Turkish security forces detained 32 suspected members of the militant group al-Qaeda believed to have been planning attacks on NATO, US and Israeli targets, state-run news agency Anatolian reported on Thursday.The suspects were detained in simultaneous raids across eight provinces, it said, quoting security officials as saying some were believed to have been trained in al-Qaeda camps in Afghanistan.Security officials found documents linking the suspects to the outlawed group during the raids. "Teams from the Istanbul Anti-Terror Squad have launched an operation against al Qaeda members found to be planning operations against US and Israeli representative offices and NATO installations," Anatolian reported. Separately, Anatolian said six people were facing charges over their involvement in al Qaeda suicide bombings that killed some 60 people at two synagogues, an HSBC bank branch and the British consulate in Istanbul in 2003. Seven militants, including a Syrian al Qaeda member, were previously sentenced to life in prison for their role in the 2003 bombings.(19,18)
Peres - Zapatero
President Peres referred to the Goldstone report and said that, "Israel has investigated every war and action which it was compelled to undertake. We do not need outside judges. We will not allow a majority that is hostile to Israel to judge us. If the Human Rights Council wants to be fair, I suggest that it consider Iran's call for Israel's destruction. A judicial tribunal must be beyond reproach and there is no doubt that the Arab League and opponents of Israel have a majority on the Council. If the UN wants to investigate let them first investigate Iran for its call for Israel's destruction. Iran is a UN member. Ahmadinejad was recently received on red carpets in the halls of the organization. There is a limit to hypocrisy," the President said and added, "Why isn't Iran being investigated? Why does everyone remain silent?" President Peres called upon the UN once again to write a clear code for the conduct of the war on terrorism. He said that there is a code for the conduct of classical war, of army versus army, but there is no code for the conduct of a war on terrorism. "Hamas fired missiles at homes, operated in the heart of the population and used children as human shields. No investigative committee, including Goldstone's, has provided an answer as to how to prevent Hamas's despicable terrorist acts against Israeli citizens." President Peres told Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero about ways to break the diplomatic deadlock and said that Israel is ready to immediately sit at the negotiating table, in fairness and in a positive atmosphere. "We will continue to work for Palestinian economic development and the building of a Palestinian force able to contend with domestic threats," the President said, and added that, "In Israel, there is great appreciation for President Obama and we believe that his goals and his intentions are good, correct and just and that he acts out of a sincere desire and effort to bring peace to our region." Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero noted that he has set two goals for the trip. The first is to strengthen strategic relations with Israel and open new channels of cooperation in research & development and other economic fields. He emphasized that in this context, Spain has set a national memorial day for the Holocaust of the Jewish People so that, "future generations will know about the darkest days in modern history." The second goal of his visit is strengthening and establishing Spain's involvement in the Middle East peace process, similar to that of 1991 when Spain hosted the Madrid Peace Conference. The Spanish Prime Minister noted that, "This January, Spain will assume the EU Presidency. We will not allow this period to pass without being committed, and without working vigorously, to advancing the peace process. This is an important mission. We will cooperate fully with President Obama's administration." Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero commented on his visit to Yad Vashem, from which he had arrived at the President's Residence: "I am still moved by my visit to Yad Vashem. The Spanish people will always defend the memory of the actions and suffering which the Jewish People underwent. I favor achieving a just peace between two states that will respect each other, in which the security of the State of Israel will be maintained." The Spanish Prime Minister reiterated Spain's commitment to play a fair and urgent role between Israel and the Palestinians upon assuming the EU Presidency in January. (18,55)
Allies press Israel to probe Goldstone Gaza report findings
Western allies on Wednesday pressured Israel to launch credible investigations into UN allegations of possible war crimes by the Israel Defense Forces during the winter conflict in the Gaza Strip. The United States, Britain and France all said Israel should look into findings published last month by a UN mission led by South African jurist Richard Goldstone. The Goldstone report accused Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas of war crimes during the December-January war in Gaza. Both Israel and Hamas rejected the charges in his report, which is more critical of Israel than Hamas. At a UN Security Council debate on the Middle East that was not expected to take action, Israel's UN ambassador, Gabriela Shalev, dismissed the report as a waste of the council's time, saying the 575-page document "favors and legitimizes terrorism." Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Alejandro Wolff said Washington had serious concerns about the report, including what he said was its "unbalanced focus on Israel." But he repeated the U.S. view that Israel should look into it. "We take the allegations in the report seriously," he told the council. "Israel has the institutions and the ability to carry out serious investigations of these allegations and we encourage it to do so." Wolff said Hamas was a "terrorist organization" that was neither willing nor able to investigate its own behavior. Hamas - the de facto ruler of Gaza - does not recognize Israel's right to exist. Goldstone's report called for the Security Council to refer the matter to the International Criminal Court in The Hague if the Israelis or the Palestinians fail to take up the issue. Discussion of the report during the council's monthly Middle East debate was a compromise the United States reluctantly accepted. Washington had opposed discussing it in New York, saying it was a matter for the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council, or HRC, which commissioned the report. The rights council will discuss the report again on Thursday. Washington joined the HRC earlier this year, vowing to change from within a UN body that Washington and Israel have criticized as anti-Israel. British Ambassador John Sawers called on Israel to launch proper investigations into the charges outlined in the report. "We note that the Israeli Defense Force has already conducted and is continuing to conduct a number of investigations," Sawers said. "However, concerns remain." "We urge the Israeli government to carry out full, credible and impartial investigations into the allegations," he added. French Ambassador Gerard Araud urged both sides to initiate "independent inquiries in line with international standards." UN Undersecretary-General Lynn Pascoe told the council that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also wanted "credible domestic investigations" based on the Goldstone report. (01,49)
Lieberman: Diplomacy over Iran nuclear threat must be limited
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Wednesday said that the international community's diplomatic efforts to curb the Iranian nuclear threat should be limited in time. Lieberman made his comments during a meeting with his Austrian counterpart Michael Spindelegger. The foreign minister added that Tehran is using diplomacy to drag out negotiations over its nuclear program, and accused Iran of having no intention of reaching an agreement. Meanwhile, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Wednesday warned major powers against intimidating Iran and said that talk of sanctions against the Islamic Republic was "premature." "There is no need to frighten the Iranians," Putin told reporters in Beijing. "We need to look for a compromise. If a compromise is not found, and the discussions end in a fiasco, then we will see," he said, adding that talks of sanctions was "premature" at present. Lieberman and Spindelegger also discussed the Goldstone Report on the Gaza war, with Lieberman saying that the adoption of the report would offer diplomatic immunity to terrorism. Spindelegger said that that the report needs to be discussed by the UN Human Rights Council and not in any other forum. (01,47)