American Jewish International Relations Institute …

              American Jewish International Relations Institute

Report #5                                                                     May 2006

            UN-SPONSORED ANTI-ISRAEL CONFERENCE DEMANDS
                 FUNDING FOR THE HAMAS GOVERNMENT

In its latest anti-Israel propaganda barrage the UN's Committee on the Exercise of the
Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP) mobilized its April 26-27
conference in Cairo to demand international financial aid for the Hamas-led Palestinian
Authority (PA). It was, as described in AJIRI's earlier reports, one in a series of
international meetings held under the UN umbrella about every three months for the
single purpose of denouncing Israel.

This UN-funded conference, titled "International Efforts at Alleviating the Palestinian
Economic and Humanitarian Crisis," pursued twin themes: (1) demanding resumption of
international financing of the Palestinian Authority, now led by Hamas, and (2)
denouncing Israeli security measures as the principal cause of the economic problems of
the Palestinians..

Speaker after speaker repeated the mantra that because the elections were "free and fair,"
the Palestinians should not be "punished" by the withholding of assistance, and that
Israeli measures safeguarding Israelis against terrorist attacks deprive Palestinians of their
livelihood. No one mentioned Hamas's refusal to consider itself bound by prior
agreements to which the Palestinian Authority had subscribed, its refusal to recognize
Israel, to subscribe to the two-state solution provided for in the Road Map, or to end its
commitment to terror and violence. There was no reference to the harm done to the
Palestinian economy by Palestinians who destroyed greenhouses and irrigation facilities
following the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the insecurity caused by the fierce battles
fought in the streets between rival Palestinian factions.

Conference participants included representatives of 55 governments, 4 international
organizations, 16 United Nations agencies, 8 non-governmental organizations, the UN
"Observer of Palestine", and 31 media representatives. In addition, 13 "experts"
participated in the event.

The following summary of the Cairo Conference proceedings is based on the official
United Nations reports, Secretary General SG/SM/10434, GA/PAL 1005 and General
Assembly GA/PAL/1006, 1007, 1008.

Statement of Secretary-General Annan

As is the usual practice at CEIRPP meetings, the session opened with a statement
delivered in the name of Secretary-General Annan. That statement followed a well-
established pattern in which the Secretary-General's remarks on the Israeli/Palestinian
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conflict, as read to the meeting, suggest a moral equivalence between terrorist attacks and
actions of defense against terrorism:

    "I remain extremely worried about the intensification of violence, including
    Palestinian rocket attacks and suicide bombings, as well as Israeli air strikes,
    shelling, and ground operations.... I reiterate my call on both sides to abide by
    their obligations under international law, and refrain from further actions that
    might escalate the situation and put civilians at risk."

Regarding the Palestinian election which brought a terrorist organization to power, the
remarks delivered on behalf of the Secretary-General used polite phraseology:

    "Last January, the world witnessed the Palestinian Legislative Council elections,
    which marked an important milestone in the Palestinian people's continued
    pursuit of democracy and self-determination. ... I call upon the Palestinian
    Authority to reaffirm Palestinian commitment to the principles of non-violence,
    recognition of Israel's right to exist and acceptance of previous agreements and
    obligations, including the Road Map. These principles and United Nations
    resolutions underlie the efforts to achieve a two-State solution."

In fact, since the outbreak of the Second Intifada in October 2000 (that is. for five and a
half years prior to the Hamas election victory) there has been no evidence of a
Palestinian commitment to non-violence or acceptance of the agreements and obligations
assumed under the Road Map for dismantling the infrastructure for terrorism.

One might ask: is the Secretary-General not obliged to make a candid and forthright
statement regarding the Palestinian breach of the Oslo accords and rejection of a two-
state solution? Does not sweeping these matters under the rug encourage a cynical
reaction by the Hamas leadership and thus further terrorist violence?

This gingerly approach to Hamas contrasts sharply with the Secretary-General's harsh
remarks regarding the newly-elected government of Israel, a government committed to
attaining a two-state solution in keeping with UN Security Council Resolution 242:

    "Israelis have also elected a new leadership. I urge the new Israeli Government
    to live up to its commitments, including those contained in the Road Map. I call
    upon Israel to cease settlement activity and other actions that could prejudice
    final status issues, and encourage it to recognize that a peaceful solution to the
    conflict cannot be imposed unilaterally or outside the framework of a
    comprehensive regional peace."

Taking up the theme of the Cairo meeting, the Secretary-General's statement criticizes
the positions taken by the United States and the European Union:

    "A combination of factors is coming together, which carry the danger of leading
    up to a serious humanitarian crisis. Key donors have discontinued direct support
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    to the Palestinian Authority; Israel continues to withhold tax clearance revenues
    it collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, despite its obligations under
    the Paris protocol; and the contraction of economic activity is expected to reduce
    Palestinian domestic tax revenues. The irregular operation of the Karni crossing
    and the system of internal closures in the West Bank hinder the movement of
    people and goods, exacerbating poverty and unemployment. They also impose
    considerable daily hardship and humiliation on the Palestinian population, as
    does the continued construction of a barrier on Occupied Palestinian Territory,
    despite the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice."

This one-sided statement set the tone for the conference.

Other Introductory Statements

In her opening statement the Egyptian representative, speaking for the host government,
said that her "Government was against punishing the Palestinian people for their choice
in free, fair and democratic elections." She decried the "continued imposition of Israeli
measures which resulted in the deteriorating economic and humanitarian situation."

The Chairman of the CEIRPP, Paul Badji of Senegal, followed the same theme. He
said that "a humanitarian catastrophe is imminent." Economic and humanitarian
development would not be possible "unless the occupation was brought to an end." He
called on the international community "to assist the Palestinian People and put pressure
on Israel to end the occupation."

Next came an introductory statement by Nabil Sha'ath, as "Representative of
Palestine." He said that Palestinians were being punished for holding "free, fair, and
transparent elections." Withholding assistance, he declared, was "immoral, unethical,
and unjustified." Sha'ath returned to this theme in a subsequent intervention in which he
added that all donors must be persuaded to resume the implementation of their pledges.
The money must be routed as the recipients, not the donors, see fit.

Statements by States and International Organizations

Cuba's representative led off, as usual, with a complaint about the role played by the
United States: "Washington has kept the Security Council hostage on this subject (Israel
and the Palestinians) by making use of the veto 29 times." The "Palestinian people have
democratically and fairly elected a government [and] the United States Government's
answer has been financial blackmail...."

Cuba was followed by the Arab League representative, who said that the decision of
international donors "to stop aid to the Palestinian Authority...amounted to collective
punishment of the Palestinian people for voting in democratic, free and fair elections."
He appealed to the Quartet to respect the wishes of the Palestinian people.
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The same note was sounded by the representative of the Organization of the Islamic
Conference, who said that Israeli practices left the Palestinian economy on the brink of
collapse. The elections, he said, had been free and fair. The "economic embargo" on the
Palestinians contradicts humanitarian and international law.

Indonesia's representative was particularly vehement in his attack on Israel, calling for
Security Council intervention against Israeli measures, even though these measures are
clearly acts of self-defense. Repeating the conference's basic theme, he said that the
"outcome of the Palestinian democratic process ought not to be used as a pretext by
countries to cease economic and financial assistance to the Palestinian people."

Next came the representative of Malta (an EU member), who observed that an
"important aspect of the Committee (CEIRPP) seminars was to maintain a constant
awareness within the international community of the intolerable humanitarian, economic
and social situation which Palestinian people have been suffering for decades." The rest
of his statement was moderate in tone, far more so than that of the UN Secretary-General.

China delivered a statement designed to ingratiate itself with the attendees of this
conference. Its representative said that his Government respected "the choice of a
country and the choice of its people." He repeated statements of other speakers that
because "the Palestinian elections reflected the will of the Palestinian people...the
international community should respect and recognize (it)." He boasted that China had
provided "financial and material assistance to the Palestinians for development...
refugees...scholarships and training programs for Palestinian Authority officials,"
without attaching "political conditions."

The African Union's representative noted that his organization included 53 countries,
and while "they might not have the money...they had a sufficient political voice in the
United Nations." He urged Israeli authorities to end activities that undermined social
stability, and contended that the Israeli policy was one of suffocation.

The representative of Yemen condemned "attacks against the institutions and
infrastructures of the Palestinian Authority." He noted that Yemen "rejects collective
punishment" and called on the donor community to continue its assistance program.

Senegal's representative said the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory "was
beginning to look like a catastrophe" and urged the donors to continue their assistance.

Statements by "Experts"

A representative of the Palestinian-European Chamber of Commerce declared: "The
United States imposition of sanctions was no surprise. What was strange was the
position of the Europeans and others who complied with the sanctions that would
bankrupt what remained of the private sector." The PLO, he said, "had concluded
agreements with Israel and had gotten nothing in return." Hamas was suggesting a new
approach under which Israel had to make some concessions. Hamas, he alleged, "was
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ready to accept the State of Israel when it ended the occupation and returned to 1967
borders." The latter statement will undoubtedly be news to the Hamas leadership.

In an evident effort to demonstrate balance, the sponsors had also invited two Israelis,
whose views are very clearly unrepresentative of Israeli public opinion. One of them,
Gershon Baskin, Director of the Israel-Palestine Center for Research and
Information in East Jerusalem, came up with novel ideas, namely: Israel would
withdraw from territories to the East of the barrier, with the area from which Israel
withdraws being placed under the jurisdiction of a United Nations Interim Mission. The
Mission's military arm would replace the Israeli army contingents along the Jordan
River, secure Israel's borders in the West Bank, man all crossing points from Israel to the
West Bank, and work directly with Palestinian security forces under a single command.

Roby Nathanson, the Chairman of the Israeli Institute for Economic and Social
Research in Tel Aviv, suggested that "unilateral withdrawal was an option that might
happen in the near future and was essential to the reconstruction of the Palestinian
economy." He "did not recommend the model of Gaza in which the existing
infrastructure was destroyed rather than used for the benefit of the future Palestinian
state." He urged that the West Bank Israeli infrastructure be turned over to the PA. He
also devoted some of his time to a discussion of Israeli settlement activity.

A professor at Bir Zeit University complained of the "stoppage of work on many
projects and the halting of projects which had been supported by donor countries," as
well as the "rising unemployment fueled by the closure of the Green line to Palestinian
workers." He contended that the "economic difficulties influenced the increase in
violence" and that "violence had repercussions on the economy," thus creating a vicious
circle. He was followed by an economist from Gaza, who said that Western donors'
bypassing of the Hamas-led government will "undermine the Palestinian public
institutions that the donors had helped to create since 1994."

The conference then heard from seven members of the United Nations staff, most of
whom echoed the one-sided presentations made by the other speakers.

(1) The Director of Operations in the West Bank for the United Nations Relief and
Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) placed most of the
blame for the economic crisis on Israel. The "coming disaster," he said, was "man-made,
a result of deliberate [Israeli] political decisions that strangled the economy."

(2) The Head of the Research and Analysis Unit of the UN Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) noted that the humanitarian crisis had
resulted from the difficulty of access to basic services, which she ascribed in part to the
"separation wall and bypass roads." She discussed closure measures but conceded that
"restrictions were imposed for the security of Israel and to protect Israeli civilians."

(3) Her OCHA colleague, the Communications Officer of the Advocacy Unit, did not
recognize Israel's security needs. She said that the "budget crisis was caused by Israel's
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withholding of $60 million...along with the lack of aid....", and said that the "key
solution was to improve access in the West Bank and [for Palestinians] to regain access
to the Israeli market." She went on to insist that aid must be sent to the P.A., and that it
"was imperative to work with the Palestinian Authority or ordinary people will suffer."

(4) The First Economic Affairs Officer of the Assistance to the Palestinian People
Unit of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
spoke of the need to dismantle "the politics of asymmetric containment," a term that he
used frequently. It would appear that he used the phrase to refer to Israel's self-defense
measures. He did not mention that "asymmetric containment" could come to an end if
violence directed against Israel from Palestinian territory came to an end.

(5) The Head of the World Health Organization's West Bank and Gaza office
reported on a survey that concluded that the life of the Palestinians was "miserable from
the physical, psychological and financial view points." The absence of donor aid, he
said, would lead to a serious decline in health services.

(6) The Senior Coordination Officer of the United Nations Office of the Special
Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process noted that there was "a rapid and acute
deterioration in the economic situation especially since the Hamas victory in the recent
elections." In an acknowledgement of reality which undoubtedly took courage, she said
that "the reduction in revenues was due to the moratorium on donor contributions because
the new government did not subscribe to the principles of the Road Map."

(7) Following this refreshing observation, the World Food Programme's Senior
Regional Information Officer returned to the prevailing themes of the conference. The
current problems were due "to the restriction of movement of people and goods," he said,
and conditions had "become worse after the cut in donor funding."

Conclusion

There is no doubt that the decline in the Palestinian economy has resulted in human
suffering. Under the UN Charter, one of the goals of the UN is "to achieve international
co-operation in solving problems of an economic, social, cultural or humanitarian
character." The Cairo conference here described made no contribution to that UN goal.
It served only a propaganda purpose that exacerbates political tensions.

There could have been an exchange of thoughts that might lead to constructive solutions.
Instead, two days were spent in which speaker after speaker used slightly different
wording to repeat the same demands, that the US and the EU should fund the Hamas
government and that Israel should end the measures by which it defends itself against
terrorist attacks. That is most assuredly a misuse of the name and the resources of
the United Nations. It demonstrates once again that closing the anti-Israel
propaganda apparatus is critically important if the UN is to return to the principles
spelled out in its Charter.
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AJIRI Board of Directors:

Richard Schifter (Chair), Norman Gelman (Vice Chair), Marjorie Sonnenfeldt (Vice Chair), Michael
Alter (Secretary), Benjamin Schlesinger (Treasurer), Yonah Alexander, Maurice Atkin, Irwin
Baskind, Dottie Bennett, Paul Berger, Gerald Charnoff, George Driesen, Stuart Eizenstat, Edith U.
Fierst, Allan Gerson, Benjamin Gilman, Oscar Gray, Eric Greenberg, Joel Hoppenstein, Max M.
Kampelman, Luis Landau, Wendy Matheson, Joseph Mendels, Walter Nathan, Nicholas Rostow,
Richard P. Schifter, Henry Sherman, Stuart Sloame, Saul I. Stern, Leon Weintraub, Russell Wilson,
Beverly Zweiben

AJIRI, P.O. Box 341197, West Bethesda, MD 20827