GAZA CITY, 16 October 2007 — A top UN expert said he will urge the world body to leave the Quartet unless the four Middle East peace sponsors address Palestinian human rights. “In my most recent report to the General Assembly, which I will present later this month, I will suggest that the secretary-general withdraw the UN from the Quartet, if the Quartet fails to have regard to the human rights situation in the Palestinian territories,” John Dugard told the BBC in an interview released yesterday.
Dugard is the UN human rights envoy for the Palestinian territories and a retired South African professor of international law. The Quartet groups together the European Union, Russia, United Nations and United States.
Dugard said the UN “does itself little good by remaining a member of the Quartet” and that the organization was “heavily influenced” by the US.
“Every time I visit the situation seems to have worsened,” he told the BBC. “This time I was very struck by the sense of hopelessness among the Palestinian people.” Dugard attributed this to “the crushing effect of human rights violations” and, as quoted by BBC, in particular Israeli restrictions on Palestinians’ freedom of movement.
He called Israel’s response to security threats “very disproportionate.” In a report made public last February, Dugard drew parallels between the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories and apartheid.
In another development, a Palestinian man attempted to set himself on fire in Gaza City yesterday in protest against Israel delaying to issue identification cards.
Mohammed Junaid, 20, who has not seen for 10 years his family which now lives in Jordan, poured gasoline on his body before the Palestinian Legislative Council and announced his intention to immolate himself but tens of other demonstrators stopped him. The demonstrators say that more than 54,000 Palestinians do not have identity cards and are therefore unable to leave the Palestinian territories, even when they need medical treatment available in other countries.
— With input from agencies
