Yesterday, the UN added insult to injury by its handling of the UNIFIL videotapes affair. After their first viewing of the UN videotapes which document the aftermath of October’s kidnapping of three Israeli soldiers on the Lebanese border, the Israeli team had planned to summon medical and forensics experts to glean further information in a second viewing, but the UN informed them that they would not be allowed to view the tapes again. Infuriated by the latest effrontery, the Israelis stormed out of the UN offices. Foreign Minister Shimon Peres reacted by saying that he stands fully behind the Israeli demand to watch the tapes as many times as necessary. Minister of National Infrastructures Avigdor Lieberman attacked the UN for becoming “a natural ally of terrorists like the Hizbullah” and called for the immediate removal of UNIFIL forces from southern Lebanon.
Today, however, a compromise was reached between the Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Yehudah Lankri, and UN representatives, whereby the Israeli experts will view the tapes again today, examine the articles from the scene of the kidnapping and be allowed to send other experts to one more viewing, to be arranged for the families of the soldiers. The screening for the families is to take place in Austria next week, but it is questionable if the families will show up. Family members told Arutz 7 that “the personal items belong to us, not to them.” If the UN refuses to release the items, the families say that they simply will not attend the video screening. Family members said that the behavior of the UN gives reason to suspect that the international organization is collaborating in a terrible crime.
Israel also maintains that there is a third video tape of the kidnapping itself, which the UN is denying.
It will be recalled that the UN initially denied the tapes\' existence. The UN then admitted to holding one tape, then to a second and the bloodied belongings of the captives. The UN then agreed to a viewing, but only an edited version which obscures the features of the Hizbullah terrorists caught on film. After refusing to allow an Israeli team of specialists to view the tapes in Israel, the UN invited the Israelis to watch them at UN Headquarters in New York. The Israelis complied, under protest, and the team of experts arrived in America earlier this week.
Today, however, a compromise was reached between the Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Yehudah Lankri, and UN representatives, whereby the Israeli experts will view the tapes again today, examine the articles from the scene of the kidnapping and be allowed to send other experts to one more viewing, to be arranged for the families of the soldiers. The screening for the families is to take place in Austria next week, but it is questionable if the families will show up. Family members told Arutz 7 that “the personal items belong to us, not to them.” If the UN refuses to release the items, the families say that they simply will not attend the video screening. Family members said that the behavior of the UN gives reason to suspect that the international organization is collaborating in a terrible crime.
Israel also maintains that there is a third video tape of the kidnapping itself, which the UN is denying.
It will be recalled that the UN initially denied the tapes\' existence. The UN then admitted to holding one tape, then to a second and the bloodied belongings of the captives. The UN then agreed to a viewing, but only an edited version which obscures the features of the Hizbullah terrorists caught on film. After refusing to allow an Israeli team of specialists to view the tapes in Israel, the UN invited the Israelis to watch them at UN Headquarters in New York. The Israelis complied, under protest, and the team of experts arrived in America earlier this week.