Ban Ki-moon Puts His Foot Down: Rocket Attacks On Civilians Are "Unacceptable"

Here is the letter Ambassador Prosor sent to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. It is polite, but emphasizes the enormity of the problem facing Israel and the silence of the organization designed to respond to it:

13 March 2012

H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-moon
Secretary-General
United Nations
New York

Excellency,

More than 75 rockets have been fired into Israeli communities from Gaza in the past day. More than 250 rockets have been fired since last Friday. That's one rocket every twenty minutes. Israeli civilians have less than 15 seconds to find shelter from these attacks.

The lives of 1,000,000 Israeli civilians are paralyzed. 200,000 Israeli children are out of school.

During your trip to Israel last month, you met these children and saw these areas with your own eyes. Yesterday, you told the Security Council, "Rocket attacks out of Gaza against Israeli civilian areas are unacceptable and must stop immediately." Yet, the Security Council has uttered zero words of condemnation of these attacks.

There is something wrong with this equation. It is time for the Security Council to speak with one voice against the terrorism that continues to flow from Gaza.

The situation is grave. If one rocket lands in the wrong place at the wrong time, Israel will be forced to respond in a completely different manner.

I wish to inform you that an identical letter has been sent to H.E. Sir Mark Lyall Grant, President of the Security Council.

Allow me, Excellency, to renew to you the assurances of my highest consideration.

Yours truly,
[Signed]
Ron Prosor
Ambassador
Permanent Representative

No word yet as to any response from the UN Human Rights Council to Ambassador Prosor's letter.
Nor to this one:

11 March 2012

Excellency,

I write this letter as one million people in southern Israel continue to be terrorized yet another weekend fearing for their lives, enduring barrage after barrage of rocket attacks. During the past 48 hours, over 150 rockets were fired at Israeli communities, including over 40 grad missiles. These rockets are targeted at civilians- one of them falling directly on a school. I ask you, Excellency, to picture how different the current situation would be if the children would have been in school aj the time the rocket fell.

In previous letters, the latest of which was sent just a few days ago, we warned of the dangers of inaction by the international community. We alerted the Council that these attacks had the potential to ignite a serious escalation of the conflict, which could affect the entire region. The events of the last two days have proven the danger of silence on behalf of the international community at large, and the Security Council, in particular.

For the sake of security and stability in our region, the Security Council and all responsible members of the international community must immediately and unequivocally condemn and do everything in their power to stop the rocket fire that continues to rain down on Israeli civilians, in violation of every precept of international law.

The number of rockets launched in only 48 hours proves that the smuggling of advanced weaponry by the Iranian regime into the Gaza Strip continues unabated. Every weapon smuggled into the area not only threatens Israeli civilians, but also diminishes Gaza's prospects for a prosperous future by transforming residential communities into rocket launching pads. Member States' obligations to prevent this illegal activity is an integral part of numerous UN Security Council resolutions including UNSC resolution 1860, but the latter receives hardly any attention from the international community.

Israel holds the Hamas terrorist organization fully responsible for all attacks emanating from the Gaza Strip, where it remains in de facto control. Israel has exercised and will continue to exercise its right to selfdefense, as appropriate, and will take all necessary measures to protect its citizens.

I should be grateful if you would have this letter distributed as an official document of the Security Council. I wish to inform you that an identical letter has been sent to H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Allow me, Excellency, to renew to you the assurances of my highest consideration.

Yours truly,
Ambassador Haim Waxman
Deputy Permanent Representative
Permanent Mission of Israel to the
United Nations

CC:
H.E. Sir Mark Lyall Grant
President of the Security Council
United Nations
New York

No word from the UN Human Rights Council, but here is the response from Ban Ki-moon--a response worded vaguely enough and "balanced" enough to be absolutely worthless:

UN AND PARTNERS CALL ON ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS TO STAY ENGAGED IN SEARCH FOR PEACE 

New York, Mar 12 2012  

The United Nations and its diplomatic partners in the search for peace in the Middle East today called on Israeli and Palestinian authorities to remain engaged in negotiations and refrain from provocative actions.

During informal consultations in New York, the so-called Quartet – the diplomatic grouping bringing together the UN with the European Union, Russia and the United States – along with Quartet Representative Tony Blair, discussed the grave situation in Gaza and southern Israel, expressed its serious concern for the recent escalation and called for calm.

“The situation in Gaza is yet again proving its unsustainability,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the Security Council this morning following the meeting with the Quartet.

“I am gravely concerned at the latest escalation between Gaza and Israel, and once again civilians are paying a terrible price. Rocket attacks out of Gaza against Israeli civilian areas are unacceptable and must stop immediately. I reiterate my call on Israel to exercise maximum restraint,” he said.

During its meeting, the Quartet assessed developments since its statement of 23 September, in which it appealed to the Israelis and Palestinians to resume direct bilateral negotiations without delays or preconditions.

In that statement, the Quartet also proposed a series of steps and a timetable with the aim of reaching a lasting Middle East peace agreement by the end of 2012. At today’s meeting, the group reiterated its support for the statement and welcomed efforts in the past two months led by Jordan to this end.

“We must create the conditions for meaningful negotiations that will resolve the core permanent status issues – territory, security, refugees, Jerusalem – and end the occupation that started in 1967,” Mr. Ban said. “This is the only way to achieve a just and lasting peace that will realize the vision of two States living side by side in peace and security,” he added.

The Quartet will meet again next month in Washington D.C.
Mar 12 2012 1:10PM

Gazan rockets are not violations of international law, but merely "unacceptable"
While Israel is not condemned for reacting to the terrorist threat, it is told to "exercise maximum restraint".
The absurdity of such a request is apparently lost upon the people who issue such mealymouthed formulas.

Which is why of course these attacks will continue until the terrorists behind them are stopped once and for all.

Technorati Tag: Israel and Gaza and Hamas and UN.