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UN / GOLAN HEIGHTS
STORY: UN / GOLAN HEIGHTS
SOURCE: UNTV
TRT: 2.04
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/ NATS
DATELINE: 29 JUNE 2011, NEW YORK CITY/ FILE
FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior UN building
29 JUNE 2011, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. Med shot, Ambassador Parham of the United Kingdom
4. Pan left, vote
5. Med shot, Ambassador Ja'afari of Syria
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Philip Parham, Deputy Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations:
“We deplore the loss of life which occurred in UNDOF’s area of operations on the 15th of May and the 5th of June. We hope that the circumstances which led to these tragic events, including the role of the Syrian Government, will be investigated thoroughly. We urge both parties to show restraint and to refrain from provocations so as to prevent an escalation of tensions along the ceasefire line.”
7. Med shot, delegates
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Rosemary A. DiCarlo, Deputy Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations:
“The United States is deeply concerned by the grave events of May 15th and June 5th in the Golan Heights. We are further troubled by credible reports that the Syrian Government played a role in these demonstrations, which resulted in fatalities and injuries. These actions are a transparent ploy by the Syrian Government to incite violence along the disengagement line in order to divert public attention from its own indiscriminate killings and abuses of the human rights of the Syrian people.”
9. Med shot, Ambassador Prosor of Israel
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Bashar Ja'afari, Permanent Representative of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations:
“I hope that this esteemed Council would focus on the real issues that are within its mandate instead of encroaching upon the sovereignty of a Member State of the United Nations and meddling with its internal affairs.”
11. Med shot, delegates
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Ron Prosor, Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations:
“The Syrian-Israeli disengagement line has been quiet for decades. The Syrian regime cannot be allowed to disturb this quiet just because it doesn’t want the cry of its own citizens to be heard.”
13. Med shot, delegates
14. Zoom out, Security Council
The Security Council today (29 June) agreed to extend the mandate of the United Nations (UN) force monitoring the ceasefire in the Golan Heights between Israel and Syria for another six months, voicing grave concern that recent events have put the long-held ceasefire in jeopardy.
In a resolution adopted unanimously, Council members agreed to renew the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), which was first established in 1974, through 31 December this year.
The resolution calls on both sides to exercise maximum restraint and prevent any breaches of the ceasefire or the area of separation.
In his most recent report on the work of UNDOF, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted that the events of 15 May and 5 June, when demonstrations in the mission’s area of operations resulted in civilians being killed, were extremely worrying.
British Ambassador Philip Parham in his speech to the Council deplored the loss of life and said he hoped “the circumstances which led to these tragic events, including the role of the Syrian Government, will be investigated thoroughly.”
American Ambassador Rosemary A. DiCarlo also expressed deep concern at these “grave events” and said that “these actions are a transparent ploy by the Syrian Government to incite violence along the disengagement line in order to divert public attention from its own indiscriminate killings and abuses of the human rights of the Syrian people.”
Syrian Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari enumerated a long list of alleged Israeli violations of international law and said that he hoped that the Council “would focus on the real issues that are within its mandate instead of encroaching upon the sovereignty of a Member State of the United Nations and meddling with its internal affairs.”
Israeli Ambassador Ron Prosor noted that the Syrian-Israeli disengagement line “has been quiet for decades” and said that “the Syrian regime cannot be allowed to disturb this quiet just because it doesn’t want the cry of its own citizens to be heard.”
The 15 May protests commemorated Al-Nakba or “the catastrophe,” the term used by many Palestinians to refer to the displacement of Palestinians when Israel became independent in 1948. The 5 June protests marked An-Naksa or “day of the setback,” which refers to Palestinian displacement that accompanied the Six-Day War in 1967.
Council members echoed the concerns of the Secretary-General and urged all parties to cooperate fully with the operations of UNDOF.
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