Embassy Briefing
April 25, 2002

The Jenin Fact-Finding Team

• Jenin and its refugee camp has become the Center of Suicide Bombers. Although the battle against the Palestinian terrorists was forced upon it, Israel is proud of the way it fought. In Jenin, Israel defeated the terrorists, protected the innocent and defended the lives of its citizens. Click here to read more about the suicide bombers from Jenin and the terrorist infrastructure there.

• Israel has nothing to hide, and will fully cooperate with the fact finding team. We are now working with the UN to ensure that the team will indeed be what it was meant to be. Israel takes a positive view regarding the establishment of the fact-finding team. Therefore, the framework agreed upon by the parties must be preserved, and not expanded. Israel insists on immunity for information sources. Material that is submitted to the fact-finding team must not be used against witnesses.

• While the Security Council welcomed a certain kind of team, it seems to be getting something else entirely. The team must operate in accordance with the UN rules governing fact-finding teams: findings should be presented, and not conclusions.

• A fact finding team should be instructed to find all the facts. There are two sides to every story. Israel demands that the fact-finding work be conducted on both sides: the team should also investigate the terrorist infrastructure in Jenin, and the terrorist attacks originating from there. Click here for more legal arguments about the Jenin fact finding team

Moshe Fox
Minister for Public Affairs
Embassy of Israel, Washington, DC