UN Envoy Slams U.S., European Silence on Mideast

UN Envoy Slams U.S., European Silence on Mideast

Reuters
Date: 12-23-04

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Top U.N. envoy Lakhdar Brahimi accused Europe and the United States on Thursday of turning a blind eye to alleged Israeli abuses of Palestinians' human rights.

Brahimi accused Washington last week of disregarding Palestinians' rights while urging respect of individuals' freedoms elsewhere. The United Nations (news - web sites) issued a statement then distancing itself from his comments.

In a speech to the Belgian upper house of parliament, the former Algerian foreign minister criticized the United States, European and Arab states for not doing enough.

"European states and public opinion in general do not speak out loudly enough to condemn the serious abuses of even the most basic human rights in Palestine," he told the Belgian senate.

"The silence is nowhere near as total as on the other side of the Atlantic, fortunately, but the hardship, despair and isolation of the Palestinians calls for much firmer support."

He said the Arab world had "for the most part abandoned Palestinians to their fate in recent years."

As an example of alleged human rights abuses, he cited the many Palestinian olive and citrus trees ripped out by Israelis to make way for West Bank barrier and the disruption that has caused to the olive harvest.

He said in some cases aged olive trees were being sold for up to $20,000 a piece for replanting in Israel. The Israeli army says it has policy of replanting such trees on plots accessible to farmers and offering compensation for irreparable damage.

Brahimi, special envoy to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan (news - web sites), was praised by the United States for his work for the United Nations in Afghanistan (news - web sites) and in Iraq (news - web sites).

But he angered Washington by questioning recently whether Iraqi elections due next month could be held amid violence. Last April he provoked a storm when he said Arab nations viewed Israeli policies as a "big poison" in the region.

American conservatives are leading a series of aggressive attacks on the United Nations and its secretary-general, Kofi Annan, who they insist should resign over allegations of corruption in the Iraqi oil-for-food program.

The United Nations is conducting its own probe, set up by Annan, into allegations that U.N. employees received bribes from Iraq and that contract prices under the scheme were inflated.

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