Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced last night that Israel would not cooperate with the United Nations fact-finding team expected to arrive in Israel later this week. The team will not investigate the terrorist attacks of the past 19 months, but rather Israel\'s response to them, and specifically the battles in Jenin.
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan announced that despite the Israeli decision, the team will arrive here on Saturday. Sharon explained that Israel changed its mind regarding the mission after Annan altered the mission’s mandate without consulting Israel. The UN team contains not military experts but rather political officials, and Israel suspects that the UN plans to inspect other PLO areas and eventually dispatch international observers to Yesha (Judea, Samaria, and Gaza). Intelligence information also shows that the UN scheme is to ultimately send Israel to the International Court of Justice in Hague over the Jenin affair. Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Yehuda Lancry, explained that Israel is seeking a more balanced team that would include military and anti-terror experts.
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan announced that despite the Israeli decision, the team will arrive here on Saturday. Sharon explained that Israel changed its mind regarding the mission after Annan altered the mission’s mandate without consulting Israel. The UN team contains not military experts but rather political officials, and Israel suspects that the UN plans to inspect other PLO areas and eventually dispatch international observers to Yesha (Judea, Samaria, and Gaza). Intelligence information also shows that the UN scheme is to ultimately send Israel to the International Court of Justice in Hague over the Jenin affair. Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Yehuda Lancry, explained that Israel is seeking a more balanced team that would include military and anti-terror experts.