In December, Qatar will assume the presidency of the Security Council. Last week, their UN Mission released the following document entitled "Sustainable Peace in the Middle East" which is worth examining:
The State of Qatar will hold the presidency of the Security Council in December 2006 and intends to focus on a thematic issue during its presidency which is closely related to the mandate of the Security Council, that is the maintenance of international peace and security, and which carries significant importance in that regard in addition to being an issue of interest to Member States.
The Middle East conflict has been on the agenda of the United Nations since its inception and has had over the years acquired regional and international dimensions making it a clear threat to international peace and security. The conflict has resulted in the loss of too many innocent people and has left many more in a dire humanitarian situation. After decades of conflict, the peoples of the region aspire to lasting and sustainable peace.
There is no military solution to the conflict in the Middle East - a fact that is now more apparent than anytime before; and a peaceful negotiated settlement in conformity with the principles of justice and international law is long overdue.
Partial solutions have also proved ineffective for a lasting settlement. What is needed is a coordinated, coherent and integrated approach to conflict resolution and peace-building and reconciliation that is inclusive, with a diversity of actors represented to reflect the interests and needs of the societies involved and that takes into account protection of human rights and application of humanitarian principles, and that aims to mitigation of violence and healing of trauma without neglecting the socio-psychological aspects of the conflict, in order to achieve sustainable peace and stability.
The Security Council should bear its responsibility in helping to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East. As a member of the Council and as a part of that region of the world, the State of Qatar seeks to expend all diplomatic efforts to contribute to the endeavor to end the current stalemate facing the Middle East peace process with its adverse consequences on stability and security in the region. Hence the State of Qatar has been actively engaged in diplomatic and relief efforts to help settle that thorny issue, and is currently engaged in diplomatic mediation to achieve national reconciliation among the Palestinians, which is crucial for the peace process.
The Security Council has convened in September at the Ministerial Level on the situation in the Middle East in response to the request by the League of Arab States. It is appropriate that such positive first step towards reviving the peace process be followed up to build upon the momentum it generates. Thus, a thematic debate on sustainable peace in the Middle East in December is appropriate in order to consider further measures for a quick resumption of negotiations between the parties, based on the agreed terms of references. A Security Council resolution is envisaged o be adopted in such meeting with a view to revive the momentum towards a final sustainable settlement to the dispute in the Middle East.
Clearly, this should make for an interesting month at the end of the year. The assertion that "peoples of the region aspire to lasting and sustainable peace" is a perversion of the truth by suggesting that the Palestinians aspire to lasting and sustainable peace with Israel. If this were the case, the Hamas government, which refuses to even recognize Israel's right to exist, would not be in power today.
Additionally, Israel recognizes that there is no military solution to the Israeli - Palestinian conflict. However, there is a military solution to fighting Palestinian terrorism. Since the election of Hamas, Gaza has become more lawless, more dangerous, and a more fertile ground for launching attacks on Israel. The southern front is constantly under threat of rocket attacks, suicide bombers have attempted to destroy border crossings, and Israeli soldiers have been attacked and kidnapped as they patrol their sovereign territory. The military operations to repatriate Cpl. Gilad Shalit and neutralize the threat of Qassam rocket attacks is entirely justifiable.
As far as the envisaged Security Council resolution, we're not exactly worried that the international community will abandon the Road Map simply because the Palestinians have failed to implement even the first step. However, we're interested to see what Qatar will present. Our bet is that it's something very similar to the Saudi Peace Initiative, which was developed and adopted unilaterally with zero input or consultation with Israel.
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