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UN Security Council members Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany, left, Bernard Kouchner of France, center, and David Miliband of Great Britain, right, in Berlin on Tuesday. The council has discussed various proposals this week concerning Gaza and Iran. (AP)
Last update - 20:00 26/01/2008
Libya withholds support for UN draft condemning Qassam fire
By Shlomo Shamir, Haaretz Correspondent, and Reuters
Tags: UN Security Council, Gaza

NEW YORK - Under pressure from Syria, Libya is withholding support for a Security Council draft declaration which includes an unprecedented condemnation of Palestinian rocket fire from Gaza into Israel.

The draft presidential declaration devised by the United States gained approval of 14 out of 15 member states that comprise the Security Council.

Sources at the UN told Haaretz that all 15 states were minutes from signing the non-punitive declaration which for the first time ever condemns ongoing Qassam fire at southern Israel from Gaza, when Syria pressured Libya's ambassador to the UN, Giadalla Ettalhi, who this month assumed the rotating presidency of the Security Council, to reconsider the bill at the last minute.
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A decision on the draft statement is expected to be reached when the Security Council reconvenes on Monday. UN sources said Libya has requested time to discuss the declaration with other Arab states. The statement would also condemn other terrorist activities against Israel.

Sources at the UN headquarters in New York said the U.S. proposed the draft after a third day of discussions Thursday failed to produce agreement on a presidential statement about the situation in Gaza.

The draft statement also does not condemn Israel for imposing a blockade on the Strip, but rather calls on Jerusalem to take measures to ease the suffering of Gaza civilians.

A Western diplomat told Haaretz that, if approved, the statement would be the Security Council's first direct and explicit condemnation of the rocket fire.

The Arab League has submitted a non-binding draft statement to the council which expresses concern about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, criticizes the attacks on Israel and calls on the Israeli government to reopen the border crossings.

Only one of the 15 council members - the United States - opposes the Arab draft. A senior U.S. envoy said Washington was unhappy with it because it fails to condemn what it calls the terrorism against Israel and ignores the causes of the problem.

U.S. Deputy Ambassador Alejandro Wolff said the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which seized control of Gaza after routing Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah forces in June 2007, was ultimately responsible for what was happening in Gaza. He said any council statement needed to reflect that.

"The Security Council has never addressed the issue of the illegal coup usurping power from the legitimate Palestinian authority by the terrorist group Hamas," he said, adding that this was at the "core of the problem."

Israel's Ambassador to the UN Dan Gillerman expressed a similar view. "It is Hamas which is punishing and hurting its own people," he said.

Arab envoys rejected the U.S. and Israeli views, saying they wanted the council to highlight the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. They said if Washington rejects the statement, they might resubmit it as a binding resolution and challenge the U.S. delegation to veto it.

Syrian Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari accused the Americans of "trying to turn the victims into victimizers and the victimizers into victims" with their proposed amendments.

Ryad Mansour, the permanent Palestinian observer to the United Nations, told reporters "Israel should take note that 14 members of the Security Council ... are saying that the humanitarian situation in Gaza cannot be tolerated."

Israel: UN humanitarian official ignoring rocket fire on Negev
Gillerman criticized the UN humanitarian affairs chief on Thursday for failing to acknowledge the suffering caused by Palestinian rocket attacks against Israel from Gaza.

The ambassador was referring to comments last week by UN undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs John Holmes, who said Israel's decision to shut all border crossings with Gaza had led to a humanitarian crisis and was "collective punishment" for its 1.5 million people.

"I did not hear Mr. Holmes describe the 4,100 rockets which have been launched at Israeli cities aimed at the killing of Israeli babies and children, innocents, as a humanitarian crisis," Gillerman told reporters.

"I want to remind Mr. Holmes and everybody else who is so worried about the situation in Gaza that Israel left Gaza over two years ago completely," he said
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  1.   Arab murderers should not be put on the same footing as Israeli v 11:26  |  Harold Lane 25/01/08
  2.   I am yet to see the UN doing a single postive thing towards 11:35  |  Nahum 25/01/08
  3.   More civilians killed by IDF in 1 minute than by all 4100 Qassams 11:37  |  Natallie Durson 25/01/08
  4.   Israel needs to shut up whining about rocket attacks 11:44  |  Stephen Murray 25/01/08
  5.   What rocket fire? 11:45  |  Stephen Simmerson 25/01/08
  6.   #2 Nahun 11:47  |  Paul Wood 25/01/08
  7.   UN Official Ignoring Rocket Fire on Israel 11:50  |  JordanisPalestine 25/01/08
  8.   THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT HAS ALSO IGNORED THE ROCKET FIRE 11:53  |  Lou Knee 25/01/08
  9.   If UN ignores rocket fire Israel should ignore the UN. 11:54  |  Isaac Haskiya 25/01/08
  10.   United Nations Against Jews 12:25  |  Sam 25/01/08
  11.   The UN 12:27  |  Naim S. Mahlab 25/01/08
  12.   On the other hand... 12:31  |  Colin Wright 25/01/08
  13.   Oil is the key 12:34  |  jackie 25/01/08
  14.   this is news? 12:45  |  Jewish State 25/01/08
  15.   Humanitarian crisis 12:51  |  Murray 25/01/08
  16.   # 2 Nahum: Why do you think that is so?!!!. 13:06  |  Kevin 25/01/08
  17.   2 Nahum,glad that you mentioned the creation of the state of 13:07  |  lakshmi 25/01/08
  18.   For seven and a half years the Hamas has been launching Qassam 13:11  |  Yehiel 25/01/08
  19.   Israelis and the UN 13:13  |  Amer 25/01/08
  20.   no symmetry between these so-called rockets and the crimes 13:16  |  former UN official 25/01/08
  21.   Jewis murderers should not be put on the same footing with 13:18  |  German 25/01/08
  22.   DuH?? 13:29  |  William 25/01/08
  23.   It is ALWAYS more important... 14:02  |  Brant 25/01/08
  24.   And people complain about the Israel Lobby? 14:07  |  Awake 25/01/08
  25.   4000 qassams 14:24  |  Dav 25/01/08
  26.   Murray the tooth fairy 14:33  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 25/01/08
  27.   Amer feel free to move yourself 14:35  |  Iz Ray Leigh 25/01/08
  28.   former UN official 14:36  |  Iz Ray Leigh 25/01/08
  29.   German 14:43  |  Sadist 25/01/08
  30.   Israel is such a cry baby when it doesn`t get its way... 14:44  |  POP 25/01/08
  31.   to #11 mr UN 14:51  |  Sam 25/01/08
  32.   The IDF killed more in 1 minute than all 4100 rockets combined 14:55  |  Natallie Durson 25/01/08
  33.   the humanitarian situation in Gaza cannot be tolerated??? 15:13  |  B`Galil 25/01/08
  34.   the un is the antichrist. 666 its supporters his disciples 15:52  |  True Palestinian 25/01/08
  35.   The World`s Smallest Violin 15:53  |  Paulo 25/01/08
  36.   POP is german too, he likes strawberries from the golan heights 15:53  |  goes the weasel 25/01/08
  37.   #22 Natallie 15:56  |  Chris Linthwaite 25/01/08
  38.   #16 Margie, how far-sighted can you be! 15:59  |  Kevin 25/01/08
  39.   John Holmes the pornography star 16:12  |  dav zee 25/01/08
  40.   # 22 Durson....So what? 16:31  |  Lynn 25/01/08
  41.   Muslim humanitarian assistance 16:33  |  Sam 25/01/08
  42.   #4-are you serious? 16:46  |  Art 25/01/08
  43.   8 my post to Nahum,add the word `non` to compliance in my post! 16:46  |  lakshmi 25/01/08
  44.   UNITED NATIONS is an OXYMOROn 16:48  |  TAZ 25/01/08
  45.   Where is Egypt?? 16:52  |  Shoshana 25/01/08
  46.   Arab League & UN vs Israel 16:53  |  Nechama 25/01/08
  47.   Rocket fire on Negev still peanuts 16:54  |  John 25/01/08
  48.   #22 clearly does not understand 16:58  |  Shoshana 25/01/08
  49.   Why dont you Israel-haters move to Sderot? 17:21  |  Free Gilad Shalit 25/01/08
  50.   # 26 Lynn . I will use smaller words for you 17:25  |  Natallie Durson 25/01/08
  51.   If Jews are killed,the world will not lift a finger 17:35  |  TOMY 25/01/08
  52.   To Sam in Tennessee 17:39  |  David James Vickery 25/01/08
  53.   DAV #15 17:40  |  Yariv 25/01/08
  54.   Kevin now that`s funny 17:59  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 25/01/08
  55.   remember eye for eye, teeth for teeth, hand for hand? 17:59  |  Kris 25/01/08
  56.   few observers, including many jews, hate isr 18:06  |  bozhidar balkas 25/01/08
  57.   Former UN official 18:06  |  Aby 25/01/08
  58.   ignoring rocket fire 18:06  |  Shmuelshachor 25/01/08
  59.   John Holmes 18:07  |  Garry 25/01/08
  60.   # 48 Kris "eye for eye, teeth for teeth, hand for hand? 18:13  |  17 25/01/08
  61.   Arab League Disgrace 18:20  |  Rightster 25/01/08
  62.   Bias 18:24  |  Philo-Semite 25/01/08
  63.   devoid of credibility 18:40  |  frenz 25/01/08
  64.   Natalie (fool) 18:40  |  Marc 25/01/08
  65.   #40 and peanuts 18:47  |  DR 25/01/08
  66.   #15 DUH, you`re right! 18:57  |  DR 25/01/08
  67.   David Vickery#45 19:09  |  Yariv 25/01/08
  68.   Crazy Pills...wow 19:09  |  John 25/01/08
  69.   Hey, UN. Call Sen. Barbara Boxer to Defend You Against Israel 19:14  |  Tod Zuckerman 25/01/08
  70.   To all the know it alls 19:14  |  Yariv