Israel defends 'targeted assassination' policy at UN

At an open UN Security Council meeting yesterday, Israel defended its decision to kill two founding members of the Palestinian resistance group Hamas, saying such "defensive actions" would not have occurred had the Palestinian leadership been a "genuine partner in peace".

The Israeli ambassador, Dan Gillerman, told the 15-member Security Council that peace initiatives compelled the Palestinian Authority to "arrest murders like Dr Rantissi", not give them protection and safe haven.

The meeting was held following the 'targeted assassinations' of Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and his replacement, Abdelaziz Rantissi, in the Gaza Strip over the past month.

Mr Gillerman defended the 'extrajudicial killing' policy as "in line with the Council resolutions", stipulating that those who harboured terrorists "must be held accountable".

If there was something "extrajudicial", the ambassador said, it was the total refusal of the Palestinian leadership for years to act against terrorism.

The targeting of Dr Rantissi was not merely a defensive act to prevent attacks against civilians; it was part of the global struggle against terrorism, he added.

Mr Gillerman also expressed his regret that the Council had met on 'Holocaust Remembrance Day' not to condemn the murder of innocent civilians by organizations such as Hamas, but to "denounce the demise of a key architect of those massacres".

However, there was fierce condemnation of Israel's actions. The Permanent Observer of Palestine, Nasser Al-Kidwa, told the meeting that Israel "continued its reign of terror against Palestinian people", and it had not ended its "campaign of death and destruction in the occupied Palestinian territory". He further accused Israel of maiming "defenceless Palestinian civilians" in grave breach of international law.

The killing of Dr Rantissi, as well as two Palestinian bodyguards who had been with him, was the latest in a long series of war crimes committed by the occupying power, Mr Al-Kidwa said.

Mr Al-Kidwa said that the failure of the Council to take urgent measures to address the deterioration of the situation had "further emboldened" the Israeli government to "continue carrying out such illegal actions with impunity".

Yahya Mahmassani, Permanent Observer of the League of Arab States, said Israel was "continuing its policy of killing Palestinians with impunity". Israel’s actions, including the building of a separation wall, threatened peace and security and were undermining the peace process, he said.

He stressed the importance of the Arab peace initiative, which was an attempt to end the occupation involving the withdrawal of Israel from all occupied Palestinian territories.

The Committee also invited the Quartet to apply all its influence on the parties to implement the Road Map, the "only viable option to ensure the security of both parties".

(gmcg)