Adams - The international community must take a stand to stop the massacre in Lebanon
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams MP said “The peace process in the Middle East stands in ruins and the period ahead could see an escalating crisis right across that region.” He said “The major powers have ignored the UN and pushed a limited agenda based on big security issues and what they describe as the war against terrorism. They have actively undermined the efforts of the UN. All international focus should be on getting a cessation of all military activities and moving on into a comprehensive and inclusive settlement.”
Mr. Adams said:
”The
last twelve months have seen a major deterioration of the situation in the Middle
East. The hostile reaction of the Israelis, the European Union
and the United States to the election of Hamas, the withdrawal of
financial support to the Palestinian government, and the violence,
including the deaths of scores of Palestinians in Israeli attacks in Gaza
and elsewhere and the subsequent kidnapping of an Israeli soldier, has
seen the region lurch from crisis to crisis and to open warfare with
Israel invading Gaza and destroying much of its limited infrastructure.
Since the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers by Hizbullah the situation
has escalated dreadfully with over 300 civilians killed in Israeli bomb
attacks in Lebanon and over 20 Israeli civilians also killed. This
situation seems destined to worsen for as long as the international
community refuses to take a principled stand.
The
UN clearly has the potential to be more effective than it currently is.
The major powers have ignored the UN and pushed a limited agenda based on
big security issues and what they describe as the war against terrorism.
They have sidelined the general assembly of the UN and pushed issues into
the Security Council where they have a veto. They have actively undermined
the efforts of the UN.
President Bush
has consistently given support to Israel and in recent days Washington has
used its veto to obstruct action by the UN Security Council. So not only
has there not been a halt to hostilities between Israeli forces and
Palestinians, including the mass arrests of elected Palestinian
politicians, there have also been escalating attacks in Lebanon in
contravention of international law. The peace process in the Middle East
stands in ruins and the period ahead could see an escalating crisis right
across that region.
”All
international focus should be on getting a cessation of all military
activities and moving on into a comprehensive and inclusive settlement.
Both the USA and British governments, as well as the European Union need
to support that position. That is what will eventually have to happen
anyway if sense is to made of the mess that is now deepening. So why not
now?
The Irish government can play a
constructive role in this by working with other states towards that
objective. It has to be based on the rights of the people of Palestine and
the people of Israel to live in mutual respect and peaceful co-existence.
The cutting off of aid or the refusal to recognise democratically elected
governments, or the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers, should be any part of
this.
For some time there has been a
humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Anyone who visits there comes back distressed
by the poverty and the third world conditions. Recent attacks on essential
services like electricity, water and sewage and the lack of food, have
made a dreadful situation even worse. Now this policy is being shifted to
the Lebanon. It may be that elements in the more powerful western states
believe that it is in their interests to allow the Israelis to militarily
defeat Hizbullah. I don’t know if that is possible. The Irish experience
tells us that political problems require political solutions. And so with
the Middle East. A settlement there is long overdue. It cannot happen
without the active involvement of the international community.”
Mr. Adams also outlined his
intention to proceed with plans to visit Israel and Palestine in the
coming months. He was invited by President Mahmoud Abbas to
visit Palestine some time ago but the visit was delayed due to crisis both
in Ireland and the Middle East.