-----Original Message-----
From: Dr. Aaron Lerner
Sent: Tuesday, August 26, 2014 11:30 PM
To: dujarric@un.org
Cc: lynch4@un.org
Subject: Question regarding UN Secretary-General statement "Gaza must be
brought back under one legitimate Palestinian Government adhering to the PLO
commitments"

Dear Stephane Dujarric - Spokesman for the Secretary-General,

Today's Statement attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General on
Gaza includes the phrase: "Gaza must be brought back under one legitimate
Palestinian Government adhering to the PLO commitments"

Question: Do the "PLO commitments" include the agreements that the PLO
signed with Israel?

If this is the case, and taking into account that the agreements that the
PLO signed with Israel prohibit the presence of rockets in the Gaza Strip,
when the Secretary-General says that "Gaza must be brought back under one
legitimate Palestinian Government adhering to the PLO commitments" does this
mean, by extension, that the Secretary-General believes that Palestinian
Government in Gaza must remove or destroy the rockets now in Gaza?

Best regards,
Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA
www.imra.org.il
Tel +972-9-7604719
============
New York, 26 August 2014 - Statement attributable to the Spokesman for the
Secretary-General on Gaza
http://www.un.org/sg/statements/?nid=7942

The Secretary-General welcomes today's announcement of an open-ended
ceasefire for Gaza, brokered under Egyptian auspices. A brighter future for
Gaza and for Israel depends on a sustainable ceasefire. It is up to the
parties to live up to this responsibility. After this latest round of
killing and the further widespread destruction of Palestinian homes,
civilians on both sides need a reprieve in order to resume their daily
lives, and to allow for humanitarian and early recovery efforts to address
the desperate needs of the people in Gaza. The children of Gaza and Israel
must be able to start the school year without the sound of rocket alarms and
airstrikes. After 50 days of profound human suffering and devastating
physical destruction, any violations of the cease-fire would be utterly
irresponsible.

Any peace effort that does not tackle the root causes of the crisis will do
little more than set the stage for the next cycle of violence. Gaza must be
brought back under one legitimate Palestinian Government adhering to the PLO
commitments; the blockade of Gaza must end; Israel's legitimate security
concerns must be addressed. The United Nations stands ready to support
efforts to address the structural factors of conflict between Israel and
Gaza.

The Secretary-General remains hopeful that the extended ceasefire will act
as a prelude to a political process as the only way of achieving durable
peace. The two-state solution is the only viable option. The
Secretary-General urgently calls on both parties to return to meaningful
negotiations towards a final status agreement that addresses all core issues
and ends the 47-year occupation.
________________________________________
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis

Since 1992 providing news and analysis on the Middle East with a focus on Arab-Israeli relations

Website: www.imra.org.il