October 22, 2003	Wednesday	Sha’aban 25, 1424

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UNITED NATIONS, Oct 21: Pakistan urged the international community on Tuesday to fulfil its obligation to prevent the unlawful annexation of Palestinian land by Israel.

Pakistan delegate Senator Nisar A. Memon declared in the plenary meeting of the United Nations General Assembly that if Israel were allowed to construct the separation wall, it would negate the possibility of a contiguous and viable Palestinian state.

He said the government of Israel “must be persuaded to cease and reverse the construction of the wall which we deplore”. “We believe the wall is illegal; it has grave humanitarian consequences; and it seriously undermines the peace process,” said Mr Memon.

“The separation wall is being built in clear violation of international law and Israel’s commitments under bilateral and international agreements. The wall does not follow the so-called ‘Green Line’ and in effect cuts deep into Palestinian land,” he observed.

He reminded the world body that in his recent report, the special rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights, John Dugard, has described the wall as “a permanent structure”, which will incorporate half of the settler population in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

The United Nations official determined that the wall is designed to further entrench the position of the settlers, said Mr Memon.

He reminded the United Nations General Assembly that the 1995 Interim Agreement states that neither Arabs nor Israel will “change the status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip pending the outcome of the permanent status negotiations”.

The same agreement, he said, also binds both parties to the conflict to preserve “the integrity and status” of the West Bank and Gaza Strip territory during the interim period.

“The wall being built is in clear breach of these provisions as well,” said Mr Memon.

The construction of the wall, he said, was also inconsistent with Israel’s obligations under the Quartet’s road map for peace in the Middle East. The road map stipulates that Israel, “consistent with the Mitchell Report, freezes all settlement activity (including natural growth of settlements)”.

“It is clear that, rather than freeze, the wall will facilitate the further growth of illegal settlements in the occupied territories,” he said.

Mr Memon said that the wall would not enhance Israel’s security. “Security will only come by ending the illegal occupation of Palestinian lands — which remains the root cause of tension and conflict in the Middle East.”