Alvaro de Soto was the chief UN Middle East peace envoy from 2005-2007.
Writing an op-ed piece in The Independent critical of the role the UN has played - or not played more significantly - in the current crisis in Gaza - he says:
"And now the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, flies to the region. In an emotional statement from New York announcing his trip he called for normal life to resume as the only path to peace. Resumption of normalcy is, of course, what Israel has been demanding since the intensification of Hamas rocket fire in December. But don't the Palestinians also have such a right? And can that right be exercised as long as occupation continues? One can take issue with the methods that some Palestinian militants use, and indiscriminate rocket attacks at civilians, however inaccurate and ineffective, are condemnable. But as long as the plight of the 70 per cent of Palestinians in Gaza, who are refugees from what is now Israel, is not addressed convincingly, it is just not realistic to expect them to sit quietly while their neighbours in southern Israel lead normal lives.
The Secretary-General might usefully consider whether his current activity won't remind Palestinians of his association, as part of the Quartet, with the policies that have led to the current pass.
The dramatic plight of the refugees is the overriding concern of the admirable and courageous humanitarian workers of UNRWA and other agencies and programmes in Gaza. There is an old refrain in the humanitarian trade: "first, do no harm." As the violence rages on, perhaps the political players active in the region could draw inspiration from that refrain."
Writing an op-ed piece in The Independent critical of the role the UN has played - or not played more significantly - in the current crisis in Gaza - he says:
"And now the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, flies to the region. In an emotional statement from New York announcing his trip he called for normal life to resume as the only path to peace. Resumption of normalcy is, of course, what Israel has been demanding since the intensification of Hamas rocket fire in December. But don't the Palestinians also have such a right? And can that right be exercised as long as occupation continues? One can take issue with the methods that some Palestinian militants use, and indiscriminate rocket attacks at civilians, however inaccurate and ineffective, are condemnable. But as long as the plight of the 70 per cent of Palestinians in Gaza, who are refugees from what is now Israel, is not addressed convincingly, it is just not realistic to expect them to sit quietly while their neighbours in southern Israel lead normal lives.
The Secretary-General might usefully consider whether his current activity won't remind Palestinians of his association, as part of the Quartet, with the policies that have led to the current pass.
The dramatic plight of the refugees is the overriding concern of the admirable and courageous humanitarian workers of UNRWA and other agencies and programmes in Gaza. There is an old refrain in the humanitarian trade: "first, do no harm." As the violence rages on, perhaps the political players active in the region could draw inspiration from that refrain."
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