VILE US State Department: Israel has right to defend itself - with caveat
IMRA ^ | 9-27-05
State Department Daily Press Briefing
Sean McCormack, Spokesman
Washington, DC
September 26, 2005
www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2005/54012.htm
QUESTION: What do you make of the statement by Hamas over the weekend that it's halting all attacks against Israelis? Do you welcome this statement? Are you taking it with a bit of skepticism? Do you think this is enough to calm the recent violence that happened over the weekend?
MR. MCCORMACK: Well, again, our views about Hamas as a terrorist organization are well known and unchanged. And I would note that before making this statement they launched a rocket attack, in which several missiles landed in Israel and injured a number of people.
What we have done is we have, over the weekend, been in touch with both sides, with Israeli officials, with Palestinian officials. We've urged all to help maintain an atmosphere of calm, free from violence. We have also made it very clear that these sorts of violent attacks, these sorts of terror attacks can't happen. And the Palestinian Authority has the responsibility. They have taken actions to try to prevent such future attacks; that is very important. It is important that they take up their obligations to stop terror attacks, to dismantle terrorist organizations.
We also understand Israel's right to defend itself, but in taking actions to defend itself, we ask Israel to consider the effect that its actions may have on reaching the overall goal that all share of achieving two states living side by side in peace and security.
And let me make one other point. The -- late last week, many innocent Palestinians died. They died as a result of an explosion caused by Hamas, a terrorist organization. And this is, if anybody needed anymore example of why you can't have armed groups operating outside the rule of law, this is it. And you've seen the Palestinian Authority speak out against this and to this very point.
Barry.
QUESTION: Can you give us some examples of how the Palestinian Authority has taken action against Hamas? I thought they invited them into elections?
MR. MCCORMACK: Well, I said that they have taken some actions to maintain an atmosphere, a greater atmosphere of calm. They understand what their obligations are. We encourage them to take steps to again stop terror attacks, to prevent them from happening and we urge them also to act to dismantle terrorist organizations. We and the other members of the international community have been working very closely with the Palestinian Authority to build up their capabilities, their security apparatus.
General Ward has been working very closely with them. We all know what a great job he has done in working with the Palestinian Authority, working with the Israeli Government to ensure that the Palestinian security forces have a greater capability. This is a work in progress, though. They have made progress in terms of their organization, in command and control and in terms of what equipment they have to act as a cohesive security force. But like I said, there is more to be done.
QUESTION: And do your remarks cover the Israeli attack when you say Israel has a right to defend itself, you want everybody to be careful. Or do you have something further to say about Israel going after them even though Hamas has promised to cut out -- stop attacking?
MR. MCCORMACK: I don't have anything further, Barry.
QUESTION: Did you take their promise seriously?
MR. MCCORMACK: Again, Barry, our views concerning Hamas are well known and they're unchanged.
QUESTION: When you say that -- and I know you've said this before, previous administrations -- that you understand Israel has a right to defend itself but that it should think about the consequences of its actions, are you specifically in this case talking about the attacks back into Gaza by Israel?
MR. MCCORMACK: Again, this is a difficult -- you know, we understand the situation in which Israel finds itself and we fully understand Israel's right to defend itself. But again, as we have said before, we also hope that Israel, in deciding to take whatever actions it does take, that it takes into account the effect of what they do on the overarching goal that all share here. And that is what we -- the question that I was asked concerned the most recent actions in Gaza, so it does cover that, yes.
Peter.
QUESTION: Just on a general note, you had been talking for months, just about, that the Gaza withdrawal would be a new impulsion towards progress on the roadmap. Are you a bit disappointed to be at the position you are now, where you have just a rising tensions between the two sides, as opposed to this movement towards more work on the roadmap?
MR. MCCORMACK: Well, again, I think the Israeli Government, working with us as well as the Palestinian Authority, are -- we are all acting together towards the goal of having -- trying to reenergize progress towards implementation of the Sharm el-Sheikh understandings with respect to the roadmap. That's everybody's goal and that's what we're working with all sides to do.
Let me point out, though, that it is these terrorist organizations that are acting in a way that for whatever reasons they may have to derail this process. There are terrorist organizations like the Palestinian Islamic Jihad that are operating outside the current consensus. They very clearly want to derail this process.
What I think we need to do is keep our focus on working with the Palestinians, working with the Israeli Government and other concerned parties to try to build on what was, overall, I think most would agree a successful withdrawal process. There were some problems towards the end of that withdrawal process, specifically -- most specifically with respect to the southern -- with respect to the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt. The Egyptian Government, working with the Palestinians, has taken steps to address those issues that existed early on.
So what the Secretary's focus is on, what our focus is on is trying to address these issues as they come up. And in resolving them, build on what most view it as a successful withdrawal. |
