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| | The Director-General calls upon Mr Ariel Sharon to let reason prevail
28-03-2002 - - The Director-General addressed today a letter to Mr Ariel Sharon, Prime Minister of Israel, urging him “to do his utmost to bring about an effective cease-fire and to resume negotiations with the elected representatives of the Palestinian people”. |
In his letter, Koïchiro Matsuura condemned the recent suicide attack in Netanya and today’s events in Jerusalem “which have caused horror and consternation in the international community at large”. The Director-General stressed that “there can be no justification for such repugnant acts of indiscriminate violence against Israeli civilians”.
Referring to the Israeli Government’s declaration that Mr. Yasser Arafat was “an enemy” of Israel, the Director-General recalled that Mr Arafat represents the Palestinian people and further added that “any attempt on his life could provoke chaos in the subregion, and have untold consequences”.
“In the name of the ‘international intellectual and moral solidarity’ proclaimed in UNESCO’s Constitution, I hereby solemnly call upon you to do all that is in your power to avert the commission of an irreparable act”, wrote Mr Matsuura highlighting: “At this highly critical juncture, it is essential for reason to prevail over righteous anger … a durable peace cannot be imposed by the force of arms. It is only through a political settlement that the right of both Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace may be guaranteed.”
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Office of the Director-General
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