Malaysia To Co-Chair UN Security Council Arria Formula Meeting On Illegal Israeli Settlements

By Manik Mehta NEW YORK, Oct 12 (Bernama) -- Malaysia will be one of the co-chairs of an Arria Formula Meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on 'Illegal Israeli Settlements: Obstacles to Peace and Two-State Solution', on Oct 14 at the United Nations. The other co-chairs are Egypt, Senegal, Angola and Venezuela. The meeting will include presentations by Lior Amihai of Peace Now, Hagai El-Ad of B'Tselem and Francois Dubuisson of Universite Libre de Bruxelles. The Arria Formula is an informal arrangement that allows the UNSC greater flexibility to be briefed on international peace and security issues. Used frequently, this arrangement has assumed growing importance since it was first implemented in March, 1992. The meeting is convened for the purpose of a briefing given by one or more persons, considered as experts in a matter of concern to the Council. The formula is named after Venezuelan ambassador Diego Arria who pioneered it. In 1992, during the crisis in former Yugoslavia, a Bosnian priest came to New York and asked to meet UNSC members individually. Only ambassador Arria agreed to meet him. Arria was so impressed with the priest's story that he felt all the UNSC members should hear it too. Arria invited them to gather over coffee in the Delegates' Lounge; the Arria Formula was thus born. According to a 'concept note' prepared by the five petitioning countries, the viability of the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the prospects for realising it are being seriously jeopardised by the presence and continuing growth of illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land occupied by Israel since June 1967. That land, comprising the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has, along with the Gaza Strip, long been recognised by the United Nations as occupied territory, to which the Fourth Geneva Convention is fully applicable and on which the Palestinian people are to exercise their inalienable rights, including to self-determination, in accordance with international law and the relevant United Nations resolutions. "The Israeli settlement campaign is also the source of numerous other illegal Israeli policies and human rights violations, including, inter alia, the confiscation of Palestinian land; the forced eviction and displacement of Palestinian families; the demolition of Palestinian homes and other civilian structures; the exploitation of natural resources, including discriminatory allocation of water and provision of access to land; restrictions on movement; restrictions on building and community growth; and a discriminatory legal system privileging Israeli settlers over the Palestinian civilian population under Israel's occupation," the note says. The number of Israeli settlers in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, continues to rise and has, meanwhile, surpassed half a million people. "The phenomenon of violence and extremism by Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians has also escalated in recent years, with acts of harassment, intimidation and terror routinely perpetrated against Palestinian civilians, including in particular children, farmers and shepherds, along with acts of vandalism and destruction perpetrated against Palestinian homes, properties and agricultural orchards. "Israeli occupying forces, deployed to protect the settlements and the settlers, routinely overlook acts of settler violence against Palestinian civilians, denying protection to the occupied population who are entitled to it under international humanitarian law. "Israeli settlers are rarely held accountable for crimes committed against Palestinians; such impunity continues to fuel violations," it further states. As laid down in the 1907 Hague Convention and the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention, the establishment of such settlements by an occupying power in occupied territory violates international humanitarian law. The note says the international community needs to move beyond verbal condemnation of the settlements and expressions of concern about the diminishing viability of the two-state solution, if they wish to salvage it and resolve the long-standing conflict in a just, lasting and comprehensive manner. The meeting will focus on a wide range of issues emanating from or caused by the Israeli settlement activities, and also offer recommendations to halt the settlements and salvage the desired two-state solution. --BERNAMA