At
UN,
Israel's Flotilla Defense Puts It In League With Laos, Bloggers
In Unless UN Balks
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
June 17, updated -- There is a cliche that the UN and most reporters
at it are anti-Israel. (This is more than made up for by Israel's
near 100% support rate in the US Congress). But Israel's Mission to
the UN on June 17 raised the stake, either as a shift in policy or
because its spokeswoman is said to be leaving her post in the near
future.
Mirit
Cohen, a
Mission staffer long in charge of choosing which journalists would be
given the microphone at stakeouts by Netanyahu, Olmert and even
Silvan Shalom, hauled off and wrote an angry letter to the UN
reporters' club. They screened a film on June 10, shot on the
flotilla. Mirit and the Mission asked to screen a counter film, which
was immediately approved. But this was not enough, resulting in the
protest letter below.
The
context here
includes a recent briefing by Norman "This Time We Went Too Far"
Finkelstein, skewered in a New Republic piece by a budding journalist
ostensibly interning for a pro Group of 77 news service. The pro
Israel reporters, in truth, are down to only three, one of whom lost
his daily venue, and the third of which often falls asleep in the
midst of briefings.
One
can
sympathize with Mirit's frustration, but as one correspondent put
it, lying is not the answer.
Anti
member state
or one sided presentatiosn have a precedent in the UN. Peruvian
candidate Toledo was allowed to hold forth in the North Lawn
building, all the while filming himself denouncing Hugo Chavez for
his own election. On the other hand, a film about the abuse of
indigenous people in Laos was blocked by that country's mission. But
does Israel want to be Laos?
One wag
mused that Israel might want to raise its game to that of North Korea,
which after South Korea screened a video about the sinking of the
Cheonan produced its Permanent Representative for an hour long press
conference with an almost Catskills flavor. Previous Israeli Perm Rep
Danny Gillerman might have burst into the flotilla screening. The
current administration sends letters of complaint, to the UN itself,
along with a broken link to its own video.
UN's Ban and Netanyahu, Ms. Cohen's complaint and
bloggers not shown
Footnote:
on
for us a more positive note, the UN Correspondents Association's
executive board on June 17 agreed to add the word "blogger"
to the list of accredited media. [Insert obligatory full disclosure
here.] It should not have had to be such a
fight, but for now it seems the Blog-i-con appears to have been
crossed. Ten years over due, the UN
will step into the 21st Century.
Israel's
letter
-- and the response:
I
write
this letter of complaint to officially protest your mishandling
of the events surrounding the screening of footage by Ms. Iara Lee on
9 June 2010 at United Nations Headquarters in New York.
Offering
UN
media facilities to screen video produced by a one-sided activist
while actively preventing a Member State of the United Nations an
opportunity to respond in real time is severely unethical. In the
current circumstances, your decision to ban the Permanent Mission of
Israel from offering any feedback or comment during the
aforementioned screening ensured that the reporters invited to the
event would be offered only part of the story rather than a more
complete set of facts so that they themselves could have made an
informed analysis of the events in question. Furthermore, the fact
that you canceled the participation of the Permanent Mission of
Israel only two hours prior to the commencement of the screening
raises grave doubts as to the reasons behind this decision.
I
have
shared these concerns with you directly, though I believe that
the members of the UN Correspondents Association deserve a more
comprehensive set of facts regarding the events that took place
onboard the Mavi Marmara on 31 May 2010. As such, I have decided to
share with the members of UNCA the footage prepared by Israel.
In
conclusion,
I certainly expect that you will look into the decision
that led to Israel’s nonparticipation in the event on 9 June.
Furthermore, I expect an official apology from you and your
association regarding this mistake. I – along with fair-minded
journalists – expect that you as the President of the United
Nations Correspondents Association would exercise responsible
journalistic practices and demonstrate a commitment to balanced and
objective news. I write this letter of complaint to officially
protest your mishandling of the events surrounding the screening of
footage by Ms. Iara Lee on 9 June 2010 at United Nations Headquarters
in New York.
Offering
UN
media facilities to screen video produced by a one-sided activist
while actively preventing a Member State of the United Nations an
opportunity to respond in real time is severely unethical. In the
current circumstances, your decision to ban the Permanent Mission of
Israel from offering any feedback or comment during the
aforementioned screening ensured that the reporters invited to the
event would be offered only part of the story rather than a more
complete set of facts so that they themselves could have made an
informed analysis of the events in question. Furthermore, the fact
that you canceled the participation of the Permanent Mission of
Israel only two hours prior to the commencement of the screening
raises grave doubts as to the reasons behind this decision.
I
have
shared these concerns with you directly, though I believe that
the members of the UN Correspondents Association deserve a more
comprehensive set of facts regarding the events that took place
onboard the Mavi Marmara on 31 May 2010. As such, I have decided to
share with the members of UNCA the footage prepared by Israel.
In
conclusion, I certainly expect that you will look into the decision
that led to Israel’s nonparticipation in the event on 9 June.
Furthermore, I expect an official apology from you and your
association regarding this mistake. I – along with fair-minded
journalists – expect that you as the President of the United
Nations Correspondents Association would exercise responsible
journalistic practices and demonstrate a commitment to balanced and
objective news.
Response:
Your
letter
of protest came as a surprise to members of the United Nations
Correspondents Association. It is factually incorrect and distorts the
exchanges that took place on June 10 (not June 9) between UNCA
and your mission.
Contrary
to
your claim, at no time were we "actively preventing a Member
State of the United Nations an opportunity to respond in real time"
to the screening of footage by Ms. Iara Lee at United Nations
Headquarters in New York. You know very well that that's not what
happened. Even more preposterous is your insinuation that we have
some kind of ulterior motive: “(T)he fact that you cancelled the
participation of the Permanent Mission of Israel only two hours prior
to the commencement of the screening raises grave doubts as to the
reasons behind this decision.”
Instead
it
was you who turned down our offer to screen your Israeli film and
make your statement directly before or after Ms. Lee's presentation,
you who refused to take the stage alongside Ms. Lee to present your
side of the story, you who declined to take questions from UNCA
journalists -- a requirement for all UNCA presentations.
What
was
your reason for turning down our offers? You were tired out by
our discussions during which you raised your voice with me and
rejected all of our proposals for how you could participate. As you
put it in your email: "I have to admit that I am exhausted from
all this process and we won't take part at this one sided event."
(see our email exchange below)
UNCA
sees
no reason to apologize. UNCA Executive Committee members
behaved fairly and professionally, offering both sides the chance to
present their version of what happened on May 31. We wanted a
balanced event but you were not willing to take part in one. Your
approach to our organization was both undignified and unprofessional.
If anyone is owned an apology it is the United Nations
Correspondents Association.
We
hope
to have better cooperation in the future based on mutual
respect.
High
-
or low - light of email exchange from June 10, referenced above:
In a
message dated 6/10/2010 7:15:44 P.M. W. Europe Daylight Time, Mirit
Cohen writes
That
won't going to happen, I'm sorry. It's only five minutes that I insist
to screen right after her film as a comment. If you won't allow it the
Israeli mission will consider to send a formal letter of complaint to
the SG and you should know that the Israeli press going to write
about this saga.
And
see, Ha'aretz
* * *
As
UN
Council
Meets on Gaza Ship Raid, Obama, Ban and Justice Put in
Question
By
Matthew
Russell
Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
May
31-June 1, updated -- In the wake of Israel's commando raid on the
flotilla bound for Gaza,
the UN Security Council in New York went
into emergency session early Monday afternoon. Palestine's Permanent
Observer Riyad Mansour called it a massacre. Inner City Press asked
him what the Palestinian Authority expects from the Obama
administration, in light of their read out from Barack Obama's call
to Benyamin Netanyahu.
"It
was a
cautious statement," Mansour responded. Noting that Netanyahu
has canceled his trip to Washington, Mansour said this was out of
shame.
Non
Council
members also showed up. Sudan's Permanent Representative called Inner
City Press to the side. I have something to say, he insisted. "Israel
has written the communique of the International Criminal Court
meeting in Kampala," he said. Inner City Press pointed out that
Israel is not an ICC state party.
Spain's
Ambassador
went
into the Council without speaking, as did U.S. Deputy Permanent
Representative Alejandro Wolff. A reporter shouted out, "will
you support a PRST?"
The
spokesperson
for a Permanent Five member of the Council predicted a Presidential
Statement by the Council, later on Sunday. One can imagine the
language being negotiated back and forth.
Ship, with Turkish flag, UNSC outcome not yet shown
It was said that the UN's
Department of Political Affairs might given a briefing. Based on
what? UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is in Kampala, after having
sent his two most senior envoys to Sudan to the inauguration of Omar
al Bashier, indicted by the ICC. Watch this space -- we will live
blog from the Council stakeout.
Update
of
1:41
p.m. -- a P-5 spokesperson emerges from the Council and says
the format has been decided on, 15 plus two, Israel and Palestine.
Update
of
1:44
p.m. -- Turkey's Ambassador emerges. On way on stairs he's
asked, is there a Turkish draft PRST? "The Minister should
speak first," he said, "in half an hour's time." A P-5
spokesperson says the text has been "seen."
Update
of
1:50
p.m. -- Turkey's Ahmet Davutoglu arrives with entourage. He
will do a stakeout for the Press after he speaks to the Council, a
staffer says.
Update
of
1:57
p.m. -- the UNSC meeting on Gaza is beginning, chaired by
Lebanon on the last day of its Presidency. Israel and Palestine are
seated, DSG Migiro is on the house. UN DPA's Taranco begins briefing.
Update
of
2:37
p.m. - as Davutoglu, UK & others speechify, search is on
for the PRST drafted this morning at the Egyptian mission, outside of
which the Ambassadors of Lebanon and Palestine emerged 1/2 hour
before the UNSC meeting.
Update
of
2:47
pm -- France's Araud calls for investigation, and access
"under the Vienna convention" to those from the flotilla
imprisoned now in Israel. Also calls for meeting of the Quartet, to
lift the blockade of Gaza. UN part time envoy Tony Blair, where are you?
Update
of
2:55
p.m. -- it has been noticed, by other journalists, that while
the UK and France are represented by their #1 Perm Reps, the U.S. #1
Susan Rice is not here. In DC, one reporter guesses, also noting her
May 27 speech at "Fleet Week" -- how about Flotilla Week?
Update
of 3:21 p.m. -- Turkey FM Ahmet Davutoglu
describes PRST. Inner City Press asks if US on board, any interplay
with Iran sanctions? "2 separate cases," FM Davutoglu says. We'll see.
Update
of
3:42
p.m.- Egypt's Ambassador calls for investigation, and action
"unlike on Goldstone report." But when asked about Egypt's
own blockage of Gaza, he says the Rafa crossing is not for
humanitarian aid, that is only up to Israel. Hmm...
Update
of
4:05
p.m. - Council breaking until 4:30. Inner City Press asked
Syria Amb if any link to Iran sanctions. He says, Israel wants to
divert from the NPT...
Update
of
4:30
p.m. -- beyond disputes about compensation, while the Turkish
draft, OIC and NAM call for international investigation, the US has
called for Israel to do the investigating -- not unlike
Ambassador Susan Rice and Hillar Clinton on Sri Lanka's self
investigation...
Then again, the NAM opposed any UN panel on Sri Lanka. Double
standards everywhere.
Update
of
4:38
p.m.-- in the consultations, it was said that a PRST would be
good, but that the way to proceed was "informal informals"-
that is, not even in the consultations room. So here we wait.
Update
of
5:17
p.m. -- As Turkey and the United States negotiate a UN
Security Council Presidential Statement about the Israeli assault on
the Gaza-bound flotilla, the language is getting watered down. From
the "strongly condemn" proposed by the Turks, the First
Revised draft now speaks of "deeply regret." And it is the
"use of force" that is regretted -- which can be read as,
both sides' use of force...
Update
of
5:36
p.m. - Also in US Rev 1 flotilla PRST, while investigation's
to be done in 30 days, it doesn't say #UN or non-Israeli
investigation. Can Turkey live with this?
Update
of
5:54
p.m. - here as a public service, h/t LouCharb, is a photo of
Rev 1 of the flotilla PRST - www.innercitypress.com/gazarev1.jpg
Update
of
6:46
p.m. -- inside the Council consultations, comparison is made
to last Western Sahara negotiations, which took 8 hours. This could
top it. Diplomats head out for food, reporters subsist on potato
chips from nearly empty vending machine.
Update
of
7:53
p.m. -- Now French Ambassador Araud announces, a break until
9:15! A break from the break... Palestine's Riyad Mansour speaks of
something "between Rev 2 and Rev 3." Separate Sudan story to follow.
Now here.
Update
of
9:15
p.m. -- this is the time that they said. So far, Perm Reps of
Mexico and Brazil have walked by and in, and Israel's Danny Carmone
has walked out. Inner City Press asks a well placed Council member
spokesman, "So it's Wolff and the Turks?" He nods. An
outgoing Chinese diplomat tells Inner City Press, "Strange, the
whole world is outraged, but one country isn't. Watch that country in
the next few days."
Update
of
9:45
p.m. -- Chinese dip to Inner City Press on #flotilla: "whole
world outraged, but one country isn't. Watch that country in next
days." And, they're waiting for call from DC, which is waiting
on another capital. Tel Aviv? He nods.
Update
of
9:58
p.m. - not looking good. Rev 2, on which there was
preliminary agreement is no longer the basis for discussions. Int'l
inquiry? Mexican midnight?
Update
of
10:35
p.m. -- Big lull on #flotilla PRST, & some dissing.
Visible in consultations room, UK Lyall Grant walking around like a
non-P5.
Update
of
11:17
a.m. -- Palestine's Mansour says, down to a few words, US on
phone to DC, maybe by midnight, maybe after w/ Mexicans. Maybe,
maybe. It's what passes for news at this point.
Update
of
11:21
-- a lot of interest in the effect of midnight on the UN.
They can "stop the clock" at 11:59, and just pretend that
it remains May. But that is unlikely, no reason to play with them
when a PRST is from the Council as a whole. Some UN TV staffers
reminisce that Perez de Cuellar was allowed to stay on some extra
hours to conduct a peace deal while Dick Clark was in Times Square.
There there's no news, there... history.
Update
of
11:31
-- UK Lyall Grant leaves. "It doesn't seem to be very
close yet," he says. Going to bed? "I'll be back if
something happens." Put a fork in it?
Update
of
11:56
p.m. -- Mexico UNSC Presidency minus four minutes and
counting. Will the ball or #flotilla PRST drop? Where is Dick Clark?
Update
of
11:59
p.m. -- Palestine Mansour says we might see white smoke on
#flotilla PRST. 2 dips go for cigarettes. Lost in translation?
Update
of
12:05
a.m. -- No action on #flotilla PRST, but Mexico's nameplate
and flag has been moved into position. UN efficiency.
Update
of
12:30
a.m. -- Bosnia's Ambassador stares into space as if in an
airport, waiting for a flight delayed by an Icelandic volcano. The
political coordinator of another P-5 country has left for the night.
It's down to the P-1 Plus 1. 30 minutes into the Mexican president
and still no solution.
Update
of
1:19
a.m. -- A Turkish journalist gets a text message from the
Mission inside: "there is still some hope." An American
indicates the same. Could it be?
Update
of
1:23
a.m. - News flash (!) the doors to Council are closed. "They
are going into formal consultations and then they will come out."
Condemning or regreting? Israeli investigation? Watch this space.
Update
of
1:28
a.m. -- UN DPI staff go in, who transcribe formal meetings.
Looks like the deal is done. But what is it? Watch this space.
Update
of
1:35
p.m. -- a Lebanese journalist rushes out with the text,
shares only with Al Jazeera. "Condemns," he tells Press.
"Those acts." We'll see.
Update
of
1:40
a.m. -- They are setting up in the Chamber, Amb Heller is
ready, bleary eyed journalists ready for questions after PRST is read
out, we'll see.
Update
of
1:44 onward -- things moving too fast for blogging (!) turn to http://twitter.com/innercitypress
- for text and Q&A, 10-4
Update
of
2:38 a.m. -- final PRST and analysis above
, 
