(Mission of Israel to the UN) Ambassador Dan Gillerman - Israel's Permanent Representative to the UN told the Security Council on Wednesday: The numbers distributed by the Palestinians are exaggerated and totally false. Seven Palestinians were killed, of which four to five were armed terrorists. I can only express my disappointment that some members of the international community have been misled by the Palestinian propaganda machine. Terrorists operate among civilians and tragedy can strike. Even during times of war, the death of innocent civilians is regrettable, but we cannot be deluded by false pretense and any ambiguity between the terrorists and those who fight this deplorable scourge. The Security Council has never dealt with the dangers to peace and security of smuggling arms through the tunnels of Rafah from Egypt. Rafah serves as the "Arms Smuggling Gateway" of the PA. These tunnels of terror provide the conduit for hundreds of kilograms of explosives, hundreds of rifles (mainly AK-47 Kalashnikovs), tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition, and dozens of RPG rockets and launchers. In recent months, Palestinian terrorist organizations operating in Gaza have commenced in executing a systematic plan to turn Gaza into a platform for launching rockets and missiles capable of reaching the entire aerial territory of Israel. The whole of Gaza is on the verge of becoming a missile base aimed at Israel's cities and civilian population. What would the international community have Israel do? If Israel does not act today to fight against the weapons smuggled and manufactured in Gaza, next month Katyusha rockets will be aimed at the homes of its citizens. Both customary law and conventional law make it clear that the use of civilian objects and dwellings to support a military attack constitutes a war crime. The IDF does not demolish structures indiscriminately. Only those involved in terror and violence against Israeli civilians hold no immunity. Israel refrains whenever possible from attacking terrorist targets from the air or with artillery, in order to minimize collateral damage. In so doing, Israel risks greater danger to the lives of its soldiers in order to lessen the risk to local residents. The death of 13 soldiers in ground operations in the Gaza Strip earlier this month is an example of the heavy price Israel pays for its commitment to minimize Palestinian civilian casualties. The suffering of the Palestinian population is a direct result of Palestinian terrorism aimed at innocent Israelis, and the need for Israel to protect its citizens from these abhorrent attacks. Rather than criticizing Israel for damaging private property, those truly concerned for Palestinian welfare including humanitarian organizations should instead demand that the terrorists stop using homes to shield their illegal operations. Israel has no war with the Palestinian people. We have a war with terror, and with those who are determined not to create the Palestinian state, but to destroy the Jewish one.
2004-05-20 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive