Palestinian rights; crucial to a Middle East settlement.

The General Assembly over the years has cited the question of Palestine as "the core of the conflict i the Middle East", and stated that one important element of a comprehensive peace settlement for the region involved securing the rights of the Palestinian people. Between April and June 1988, the Security Council and other United Nations bodies dealt with a number of matters concerning the Middle East, many of them touching on the crucial issue of Palestinian rights.

15 April Security Council text on Palestinian rights vetoed.

25 April Security Council condemns 'aggression' against Tunisia after assassination of PLO 

official.

10 May Text condemning 'Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon vetoed.

Israel says it only wants to prevent 'terrorism'.

13 May United States called on by General Assembly to arbitrate dispute over PLO mission.

31 May Mandate of UN Golan Heights force renewed.

1 June Three-man UN Committee completes mission to area to investigate rights situations

of Palestinians in occupied territories,

A draft resolution condemning Israeli policies and practices violating the human

rights of Palestinians in the occupied territories, in partictular the "killing and wounding of defenceless Palestinian civilians, was vetoed in the Security Council on 15 April. The vote was 14 in favour to 1 against (United States).

The text (S/19780)- proposed by Algeria, Argentina, Nepal, Senegal, Yugoslavia and Zambia-would have urged Israel to abide scrupulously by the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection ofCivilian Persons in Time of War and to desist forthwith from policies and practices violating that Convention.

Israel would also have been urged to rescind its order to deport Palestinian civilians and to ensure the safe and immediate return to the occupied territories of those already deported. The draft also contained a call for a "comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Arab/Israeli conflict, an integral part of which is the Palestinian problem".

The United States, in explaining its vote, expressed opposition in principle to deportations. It wanted Council support for its major diplomatic effort to foster direct negotiations between Israel and its Arab neighbours, The United States felt the Council should "desist from rhetorical exercises , , and unproductive draft resolutions which cut across the objective of seeking peace in the Middle East.

Secretary-General Javier Pdrez de Cuellar on 12 April also expressed concern over deportations and other forms of collective punishment, such as the recent demolition of village homes, which could aggravate tensions in the area.

Lebanon on 20 April Informed the Secretary-General that Israel had deported eight more Palestinians to Lebanon, "thereby exploiting its unlawful occupation of a portion of Lebanese territory which it terms the 'security zone"'. Lebanon protested Israel's violation of international agreements.

Debate

The Council met three times between 30 March and 15 April to debate the matter.

Algeria, speaking for the League of Arab States Ministerial Committee of Seven on the Occupied Territories, said that by their uprising, Palestinians were rejecting foreign domination. Israel's "ferocious repression" of these people followed "basically hegemonistic and annexationist policy". Their struggle would end only through the emergence of an independent and sovereign Palestinian State.

The representative of the Palestine Liberation Organization said Israeli leaders had chosen the path of territorial expansion and military superiority, having material and political support from the United States. The Palestinian uprising had proved the hypocrisy of the democracy that Israel claimed and its alleged respect for human rights.

Israel said it controlled Judea, Samaria and Gaza only because of the aggression of its neighbours. Palestinians had not seized the opportunity for peace presented by the Camp David Accords. The PLO solution was to (:all for the dissolution of Israel, but that would not happen. Israeli soldiers had exercised utmost restraint despite intense provocations and ongoing danger to their lives. Restoring order was the foremost responsibility of any administration under thc Fourth Geneva Convention. Direct negotiations between Israel and its neighbours, on the basis of Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973), were the only path to achieving a lasting political settlement.

France condemned the deportation of "native-born inhabitants" of the occupied territories, an action likely to perpetuate the current state of tension in the territories. Negotiations must begin in order to bring about an overall political settlement to ensure'the safety of all States in the region.

China said the trend towards ending Israel's illegal military occupation was irreversible. Palestinians were bound to achieve their goal of regaining their national rights.

The USSR said a solution to the Middle East problem should rely "not on armed force, not on repression, but on negotiations and an equal and pragmatic dialogue". The "balance of interests" of all parties concerned-Arabs, including Palestinians, and Israel-must be taken into account.

The United Kingdom said world opinion was rightly "shocked and disgusted" by the widespread suffering of" civilians in the occupied territories, restilting from a policy of violent repression and from Israel's continuing failure to ensure due restraint on the part of the security forces.

Israeli Practices Committee conducts hearings in region

The Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human

Rights of the Population of the Occupied Territories undertook a 12-day fact-finding mission to the Middle East, hearing 21 witnesses regarding conditions in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and the Syrian Golan Heights.

The three-man body was in Amnian from 21 to 24 May, Damascus from 25 to 27 May and Cairo from 29 May to 1 June. Israel has not permitted the Committee to visit the territories.

Palestinians recently arrived &om the territories described difficulties in day-to-day living conditions due to curfews, schools closures, lack of adequate medical facilities and other problems.

Many witnesses said disproportionate and unjustified force had been used by thc Israeli authorities in dealing with the unrest, both on the streets and in prisons. Individuals described "sham trials" and torture, some citing what they called a "breakingof-bones" policy.

Among the witnesses were: educators, public health specialists, a businessman, a farmer, a recent deportee and several Palestinians in hospital with bullet wounds. Most Palestinians who testified requested anonymity, saying they did not want to face reprisals.

The Special Committee also met with senior Egyptian, Jordanian and Syrian officials and leaders of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

The Special Committee members are: Daya Perera, Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative to the United Nations; Dragan Jovanic, a professor of law from Yugoslavia; and Alioune Sene, Permanent Representative of Senegal to the United Nations Office at Geneva, who is also the Chairman of the Commission on Human Rights.

The Special Committee was established by the General Assembly in December 1968 to obtain data on the human rights situation in the occupied territories. Israel has not permitted the Committee to visit the territories.

In addition to hearing witnesses, the body also reviews communications from Governments and intergovernmental and nongovernmental sources, newspaper reports, including the Israeli press, and statements by Israeli Government officials on Israeli policy regarding thc territories. Text condemning Israeli 'invasion'

of southern Lebanon vetoed

A draft resolution condemning the "recent invasion" by Israeli forces of southern Lebanon was vetoed in the Security Council on 10 May. The vote was 14 in favour to 1 against (United States).

Under the text (SI]9868)-put forward by Algeria, Argentina, Nepal, Senegal, Yugoslavia and Zambia-the Council, calling for immediate withdrawal of all Israeli forces from Lebanese territory, would have asked for the "cessation of all acts that violate the sovereignty of Lebanon and the security of its civilian population".

The Council would have also reaffirmed its repeated calls for strict respect for Lebanon's sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized boundaries.

The Council met three times-on 6, 9 and 10 May. Lebanon requested the meetings, stating "Israeli aggression" against it had "assumed the proportions of an invasion".

On 3 May, Lebanon reported (A/431350-S/19860) that an Israeli force of 2,000 invaded southern Lebanon on 2 May, shelling villages, raiding and destroying houses, and arresting many people. Lebanon rejected Israel's argument that it was a preventive security operation, the same used to justify the 1978 and 1982 invasions.

The United States, in explaining its vote, said the draft failed to recognize that attacks and reprisals originated on both sides of the Israeli-Lebanese border It supported withdrawal of all foreign troops from Lebanon and extension of the central Government's authority throughout the country.

Mr.Javier Perez de Cuellar on 3 May deplored the "further violation of Lebanese sovereignty". Peace and security along the Lebanese-Israeli border-including an end to crossborder attacks in both directionscould only be attained through full implementation of Council resolution 425 calling for withdrawal of Israeli forces from all Lebanese territory In debate, Lebanon said its people could not remain at the mercy and whim of Israeli politicians and military leaders or thei"aggressive expansionist intentions".

Israel said it had no territorial claims to any Lebanese territory. The operation was intended to clear southern Lebanon of terrorist groups and prevent resurgence of a major terrorist infrastructure in the area. All its forces involved had returned to Israel.

France was against Israeli intervention, which was a new violation of Lebanon's sovereignty and an act of defiance of the United Nations.

China said that to prevent a recurrence of the invasion, the Council should demand that Israel dismantle its so-called security zone in southern Lebanon and withdraw all its forces.

The USSR, condemning the "criminal action", said Israeli leaders had openly claimed the right to interfere in Lebanon's internal affairs.

The United Kingdom said the action was a disproportionate response to armed attacks mounted from Lebanese territory against Israel. Israel's attempt by force to acquire greater security in the short term was prejudicial to the need which it shared with its neighbours-greater security in the long term and stability for the region as a whole.