The UN Security Council accepted a unanimous compromise resolution to dispatch a fact-finding committee to Jenin to \"evaluate the damage\" caused by the IDF offensive there. Syria and Tunisia had originally demanded that the resolution make reference to \"Israeli genocide\" against Palestinians, and to demand an international investigation. The U.S. threatened to veto such a resolution, and the above compromise was reached. Israel says it has nothing to hide and will accept a UN delegation - as long as it does not include UN officials Terje Larsen or Mary Robinson, both known to have a strong anti-Israel bias. UN sources say the committee is likely to consist only of one person. Prime Minister Sharon told the Cabinet today that he agreed to the UN resolution \"because alternative proposals were much worse.\"
To put in perspective what some media are calling the \"destruction of Jenin\" - even former U.S. President Jimmy Carter used that language in an op-ed in The New York Times today - the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Website provides aerial photographs of Jenin showing the minuscule area of the city actually affected by the fighting. The photos can be seen at \"http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/go.asp?MFAH0ll60\".
National Union party leader MK Benny Elon, after hearing Terje Larsen so strongly condemn Israel for what happened in Jenin, said,
\"There was no attempt to be objective, no interest in viewing the situation in its proper context. Israel [is suffering from] the international community\'s moral blindness regarding Palestinian terror. One example of this is last week\'s UN decision supporting \'armed struggle,\' providing a boost to terrorists everywhere.\"
Elon, until recently Minister of Tourism, feels that Israel should not cooperate with the UN mission: \"The world prefers to condemn us regardless of the facts. We try playing by their rules and it rarely helps us. Maybe the time has come to stop being so cooperative.\" Elon feels that although the international media are also biased, Israel should take its case to them, as \"they have greater incentive to publicize the evidence that proves Jenin had become a terrorist fortress and that the IDF operation was conducted in a manner designed to reduce civilian casualties.\"
To put in perspective what some media are calling the \"destruction of Jenin\" - even former U.S. President Jimmy Carter used that language in an op-ed in The New York Times today - the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Website provides aerial photographs of Jenin showing the minuscule area of the city actually affected by the fighting. The photos can be seen at \"http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/go.asp?MFAH0ll60\".
National Union party leader MK Benny Elon, after hearing Terje Larsen so strongly condemn Israel for what happened in Jenin, said,
\"There was no attempt to be objective, no interest in viewing the situation in its proper context. Israel [is suffering from] the international community\'s moral blindness regarding Palestinian terror. One example of this is last week\'s UN decision supporting \'armed struggle,\' providing a boost to terrorists everywhere.\"
Elon, until recently Minister of Tourism, feels that Israel should not cooperate with the UN mission: \"The world prefers to condemn us regardless of the facts. We try playing by their rules and it rarely helps us. Maybe the time has come to stop being so cooperative.\" Elon feels that although the international media are also biased, Israel should take its case to them, as \"they have greater incentive to publicize the evidence that proves Jenin had become a terrorist fortress and that the IDF operation was conducted in a manner designed to reduce civilian casualties.\"