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| Monday, 12 July 2004 |
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Israel asks US for support at UN over barrier JERUSALEM, Sunday (Reuters) Israel has asked Washington to block any U.N. Security Council resolution that would act on Friday's World Court ruling that Israel's West Bank barrier is illegal, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said. "The issue will go to the Security Council because the (Palestinians) can muster an automatic majority in the U.N. General Assembly," Shalom told Israel Radio. He said he had just spent a week in the United States trying to stop the "all out party" he expected the Palestinians to seek to arrange at the Security Council. "I am therefore assuming ... that there is a good chance there will be a veto," he added. The World Court, the U.N.'s highest tribunal, issued a non-binding opinion that the partially built barrier, which cuts into the West Bank, should be dismantled. Only the 15-nation Security Council can take action on the ruling, but as a permanent member, Israel's ally the United States can veto it. Palestinian President Yasser Arafat hailed the court's decision, saying it "was a sign that the world supports the Palestinians in rejecting this wall". "This wall cannot be imposed on us and this wall will ... be removed," he said at his West Bank headquarters. Israel has said the ruling is invalid because it fails to address its stated reason it built the barrier -- to keep Palestinian suicide bombers out of its cities where they have killed hundreds of people. Palestinians call the barrier an "apartheid wall" that will deny them a viable state and has separated thousands from fields, schools and hospitals. Officials said they would demand the Security Council take action. But U.S. officials made clear they opposed U.N. involvement. "We do not believe that that's the appropriate forum to resolve what is a political issue," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan, adding it should be tackled through an internationally-backed "road map" to peace. As the row over the ruling continued, a 16-year-old Palestinian girl was killed by army gunfire near the Gaza-Egypt border, medics said. Military sources said they knew of no such shooting by Israeli troops. Haneen Abu Samhadana was in her flat when gunfire penetrated the window, hitting her in the chest, her sister said. Later, four Palestinians were killed when a car exploded in central Gaza in an incident Palestinian security officials blamed on Israel. Israeli military officials denied involvement. |
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