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UN Security Council Deadlocked at Protection force for Palestinians
The United Nations Security Council is deadlocked at the establishment of a protection force for Palestinians under Israeli occupation, a UN diplomat said late Wednesday, December 6.
The 15 members of the Security Council held hours of closed consultation on the subject but failed to reach an agreement, the diplomat said.
Although all council members support the idea of some sort of third-party observers in the Middle East conflict, there might not be support for a council vote on a resolution, the diplomat said.
According to the diplomat, council members such as the United States, Britain, Canada, Argentina and the Netherlands will not support the resolution as long as Israel rejects the proposed protection force.
Palestinians have been lobbying the United Nations for a protection force for almost six weeks. The initial call for such a UN force was made by Palestinians in late December.
In a letter to the Security Council, Palestinian Permanent Observer to the U.N. Nasser Al-Kidwa urged the council to establish a UN protection force to be dispatched to the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, for the purpose of providing much needed protection for the Palestinian civilian population.
The draft resolution which the Security Council is considering decides to set up a United Nations Monitoring Force (UNMOF) of approximately 2,000 unarmed military observers to be dispatched throughout the territories occupied by Israel since 1967 to protect the safety and security for Palestinians and ensure the freedom of movement of Palestinian persons and goods as well as the freedom of worship, according to the diplomat.
The draft resolution authorizes the establishment of UNMOF for a period of six months, unless the council subsequently decides otherwise on the basis of a review of the situation, the diplomat said.
The draft resolution requests the UN secretary-general to take the necessary measures to ensure the earliest possible deployment of UNMOF, the diplomat added.
The recent clashes between Israelis and Palestinians were prompted by a visit on September 28 of Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon to a Jerusalem holy shrine. About 300 people, mostly Palestinians, have been killed in the clashes.
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