UN Mideast envoy Terje Roed-Larsen's comments from Jenin on Thursday, April 18th, stating that Operation Defensive Shield was unwarranted by any military objective and created a human catastrophe "horrifying beyond belief", created a torrent of angry responses from Israel cabinet members at the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, April 21st.

• PM Ariel Sharon stated that he instructed his office not to have any contact with Larsen. Sharon is also considering declaring Larsen a persona non grata.

• Attorney-General Elyakim Rubinstein said he read the transcripts of Larsen's statements and found them to be "lies" and "baseless."
  "...within the framework of his position," Rubinstein said, "he should have turned to the Israeli government to check these points, rather than come out with these kinds of accusations."
  Rubinstein said he would look into whether Larsen could be declared a persona non grata.

• Industry and Trade Minister Dalia Itzik said that Larsen disqualified himself by his one-sided comments and that his words were "not worthy of an objective diplomat."

• According to Israel Foreign Ministry legal adviser, Alan Baker, Foreign Minister Shimon Peres has the legal authority to declare diplomatic officials persona non grata. Baker said, however, that prior to taking this step, there are other means available to the government to demonstrate its displeasure. He also said that denying Larsen entry to Israel would create complications with the UN, where Larsen enjoys the title of Under-Secretary General, as well as with Norway.
  He maintained that Larsen had violated his UN references, which call upon their diplomats to act in an objective manner and that, by going straight to the international press and the diplomatic corps, Larsen had gone beyond the bounds of accepted behavior for an international diplomat.
  "If he wants to pass on a message to Israel, that is his role," Baker said. "But there are channels for that. By going to the press and the diplomatic corps, he is taking sides against Israel."

• Israel Radio reported Sunday that Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, who was in Washington, declared his opposition to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's decision to cut ties with Larsen, saying that he has known Larsen for more than a decade and that he has demonstrated friendship to Israel while "trying all the time to bridge the wide gaps between Israel and its neighbors."
  Peres said he believes Larsen knows he made a mistake when describing the scene at the Jenin refugee camp and that it was one that he would not repeat.

• Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, though opposed to declaring Larsen a persona non grata, said that he will reconsider the defense establishment's relationship with Larsen.
  Deploring the statements made by Larsen last week, Ben-Eliezer said that the envoy had "adopted the Palestinians' stance - hook, line and sinker. This is not the first time that Larsen's statements have caused consternation in Israel."

On the UN Fact Finding Committee Proposal

The UN has resolved to sendfact-finding committee to investigate the battle that took place in Jenin.

• Prime Minister Sharon said he agreed to the suggestion, because it was clear the US would not veto such a resolution in the Security Council, and that this option was better than the original British proposal to dispatch an international Commission of Inquiry.

• Defense Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer said that Israel had nothing to hide, and would co-operate fully with the United Nations fact-finding mission to Jenin, but added that he had told UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan that the mission must be professional, not political, in composition.
  "Israel has paid a public relations price for the just concluded military operation, and an impression was created that Israel used disproportional force", Ben-Eliezer said. "This stems from erroneous reporting and lies spread by the Palestinians. I know the IDF operated in the most moral and professional matter possible. At the same time, the information campaign is no less important, and all the means necessary must be dedicated to this as well."

The sources said that they hoped the delegation would remain objective and impartial, as opposed to previous delegations sent to the region.

Israel Radio reported that tapes recording the IDF's operation in Jenin would be presented to the delegation, and added that Israel would allow the committee members to interview soldiers and commanders who took part in the incursion.

Larsen Stands his Ground

• In stark contradiction to Peres's words, Mr. Larsen appeared on Israel's evening television news programs and stated that he indeed had not made any error in his statement regarding Jenin and then went on to repeat his comments.

Further, in response to Israeli officials criticism against him, Larson said:
"I said the same things as [the American and Russian envoys] who toured the camp. For that, Israel can make the entire diplomatic corps personae non gratae."

He also rejected DM Ben-Eliezer's accusations against him to the effect that he (Larsen) had never condemned terrorist attacks against Israelis.
"A variety of characters are saying I never criticized suicide attacks... but that is simply not true. Either I or the Secretary General have always condemned these attack in the strongest terms," he said.

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan backed Roed-Larsen on Sunday, expressing "full confidence" in the envoy and saying that he had conducted himself with professionalism and compassion.
"I am disturbed by the recent public criticism of my special coordinator, Terje Roed-Larsen, by representatives of the Government of Israel," said Annan in a statement. "Mr. Roed-Larsen, in his many years of working to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has always conducted himself with objectivity, professionalism and compassion."

Tangential Note - Larsen and the MIAs

Terje Larsen and Shimon Peres worked closely together 10 years ago in formulating the Oslo Accords.

Three years ago, the Peres Center for Peace awarded both Larsen and the Norwegian ambassador to Israel (who happens to be Larsen's wife) a $50,000 award each in appreciation for their efforts towards the Oslo Peace Process. This fact came to life when Mr. Amram Bogat, Israel's registrar of non-profit organizations, sent a strongly worded letter recently to the Peres Center for Peace, questioning the appropriateness of providing a gratuity for a foreign diplomat.

The IDF and the defense establishment's relationship with Larsen has been strained since last year following the UN denial of possessing a video of the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers from the Har Dov area, in which the video surfaced months later.

Following Israel's unilaterally pull out from southern Lebanon on May 24, 2000, - a withdrawal which was certified by the U.N. as a complete withdrawal - on Oct. 7th, 2000, observers from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon videotaped Hizbollah guerrillas crossing the border and kidnapping three Israeli soldiers (including one Israeli Arab), all of whom they subsequently killed. The videotape showed the scene of the kidnapping, included the getaway cars, and some guerrillas.

The UN observers concealed the incriminating videotape. Questioned by Israeli officials, Terje Roed-Larsen, the U.N. Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, reproached Israel for "questioning the good faith of senior United Nations officials." When, after eight months the U.N. finally admitted to possessing the tape, officials refused to show it to the Israeli government since that might "undermine U.N. neutrality."

Points to Ponder:

1. The Har Dov kidnap demonstrated that U.N. observers protected and defended Hizbullah terrorists who crossed a U.N.-certified border to kidnap Israeli soldiers on home ground, using cars with U.N. license plates, and under the cover of U.N. flags (October 7th 2000).

• Can Israel trust a UN fact-finding mission - why are there any reservations?
• How can it help ensure they will be objective, professional, and actively seek the facts?
• What would be the implications, were Israel not to accept the Mission?

2. Which idea most closely represents your view - and why?
- Ideally, a Fact-Finding Mission should be sent, if only to silence questions about a coverup (see Ottawa Citizen report below).

• If there are no Fact-Finding Missions about Arafat's terror activities, Israel should reject, or refuse to cooperate with one on the IDF's activities.
• It doesn't matter whether the Mission comes or not, or what findings it presents!

3. What do you know about the Jenin events factually, from different sources?

• Was any of this corroborated, or substantiated material?
  See: Aerial photographs of Jenin: http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/go.asp?MFAH0ll60
  Read: The War Crimes Lie, John Podhoretz, The New York Post, April 22, 2002
  http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/opedcolumnists/46174.htm

4. Now read these two statements:

• Which more closely represents your opinion - and why?
• Are there any other points to add to the record?

5. MK Benny Elon, Chairman of Moledet and leader of the National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu, proposed that Israel take its case to the international media, rather than a UN Mission, following Larsen's comments on Jenin.

"The documents, ammunitions and testimony amassed during Operation Defensive Shield - the truth about what happened and why - is Israel's best defense against UN and Arab disinformation."

• "Truth" : Is there an objective truth here - and how does one establish the closest to it?
• In your opinion, who should present the testimony and the facts - and to whom?
• Can professionals in search of the facts remain unaffected by media reporting?
• What is the main interest of the media?
• What are the main obstacles in presenting this information, as suggested above?
• What would you recommend be done to put Israel's case effectively?