[Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA: "any process to resolve the situation in Gaza in
a permanent and meaningful manner must ultimately lead to the establishment
of the Gaza Strip as an area free of any armed or military equipment or
weapons ..."

Close but NO CIGAR.

"Ultimately" has no deadline.

The resolution doesn't call for "ultimately" opening crossing points.

The resolution doesn't call for "ultimately" rebuilding Gaza.

Disarming the terrorists cannot be postponed to "ultimately" - this
especially when Hamas outright objects to disarming. It should be right
there at the top of the "do list" when there is the maximum leverage - not
"ultimately".

Sure, all the stages of demilitarization may take time.

But Hamas is PROUD of the thousands of missiles it now holds.

They don't deny they have them.

There is absolutely no technical problem with having scores of missiles
publicly destroyed within days, hundreds in weeks and thousands also in
short order.

By the way - Fatah in Gaza is also proud of the missiles it still holds and
boasts about them with a photo on their website.
http://www.fatehorg.ps/functions.php?action=files&table=attachs&ID=15705

There is also a FUNDAMENTAL ERROR IN THE CONCEPT that provides what appears
to be no limits on the weapons held under the "full and legitimate control
of the Palestinian Authority".

The Resolution should have wording that makes it crystal clear that there
are ALSO limits to the weapons in the Gaza Strip. Period.

Time and again we have international authorities refer to the PLO honoring
its agreements. And the most important agreements the PLO has signed are
those with Israel. And these agreements - including agreements witnessed by
the US, Russia, EU, Egypt, and even Norway, prohibit the deployment of
missiles in Gaza.

=================

An Nahar: American project for Security Council resolution to make Gaza free
of weapons and militants and tunnels
Source: New York - Ali Barada
An Nahar August 29, 2014
http://bit.ly/1tgLO6g
[Google translation]

Diplomats at the United Nations report that efforts are being made to make a
decision in the Security Council for a basis for a "long-term solution" to
prevent recurrence of the recent war between Israel and the Palestinian
factions, notably the Islamic Resistance Movement "Hamas" and the
organization "Islamic Jihad", in Gaza.

The United States submitted a draft resolution that provides for making the
sector "a zone free of weapons and insurgents," with the exception of the
Palestinian Authority, and to destroy all the tunnels across the border with
both Israel and Egypt.

The American proposal, which An Nahar got a copy of it, intersects with the
points of the "non-paper" European and Jordanian draft resolution, however,
goes far beyond that on the issue of making Gaza a demilitarized zone and
free of tunnels.

According to the proposed 12-paragraph working draft the Security Council
would "denounce all acts of violence and hostilities directed against
civilians and all acts of terrorism," and call on all parties to "comply
with the obligations under international humanitarian law." It also calls
for the provision of vital aid to the population of the Gaza Strip, and
especially through the agency of the United Nations Relief for Palestine
Refugees and employment "UNRWA" and other humanitarian organizations, and
also calls for "an immediate cease-fire respected by all parties in and
around Gaza."

In addition it calls for a "sustainable solution to the situation in Gaza,
according to the following:

- Control restoration of control of the Gaza Strip by the Palestinian
Authority, according to a binding commitment to the principles of the
Quartet, starting from the crossing points on the border of the Gaza Strip.

- Open safe, sound and sustainable crossing points on the borders of Gaza,
with the return of control of the Palestinian Authority, in accordance with
the Security Council resolution No. 1860, depending on the appropriate
security coordination.

- Begin urgently reconstruction efforts and economic recovery in the Gaza
Strip, through a program of reconstruction in coordination with the
Palestinian Authority with the support of the international community, in
accordance with procedures agreed security, including in the end, monitoring
and verification to prevent the use of building materials and other dual-use
materials for non-peaceful purposes .

- The implementation of the understandings of the 2012 cease-fire, including
in relation to fish and marine buffer zones. "

The American proposal also invites Member States to "take action urgently to
prevent the supply, sales and transportation of direct or indirect
prohibited weapons and related materials into Gaza, through their
territories or by their nationals, or using ships and aircraft that fly its
flag, whether flying or not flying from its territory. "

It stresses that "any process to resolve the situation in Gaza in a
permanent and meaningful manner must ultimately lead to the establishment of
the Gaza Strip as an area free of any armed or military equipment or weapons
other than those subject to the full and legitimate control of the
Palestinian Authority, with the dismantling and destruction of any tunnels
across the borders of the Gaza Strip ".

The resolution requests the Secretary-General of the United Nations "to
establish a mechanism to help implement this resolution, including the
facilitation of safe transportation and the time for construction materials
for projects carried out in coordination with the Palestinian Authority and
in accordance with the procedures agreed security, including the mechanism
for monitoring and verification of the end-use of materials, dual-use
congruence with the declared purpose to it."

The resolution calls for a "renewed efforts pressing Israel and the
Palestinians and the international community to achieve a comprehensive
peace based on the vision of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine,
living side by side in peace within secure and recognized borders, according
to the perception of UN Security Council Resolution 1850."

A senior diplomat at the Security Council advised that the diplomatic
efforts are aimed to issue a resolution "before the end of the second round
of negotiations," sponsored by Egypt between the Israeli and Palestinian
sides.
...




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