Ambassador Abba S. Eban, Israel representative at the United Nations, formally presented a slab of Israel stone to U.N. Secretary General Trygve Lie, in a small ceremony here today. The slab, three feet by four feet in size, represents some 800 pieces of stone totalling 30 tons which have just arrived here as Israel’s gift to the U. N. permanent headquarters.
The stone, which closely resembles Italian marble, was quarried from the hills of Judea and will be used somewhere in the landscape area of the headquarters. In presenting the stone, Mr. Eban said that the gift was a symbol of Israel’s consideration for the United Nations and its work. It was symbolical, he stated, that the stone should be integrated into the United Nations for it echoed the prophetic messages of freedom.
The U. N. Secretary General, in acknowledging the gift, pointed out that Israel was one of the first governments to send a representative to the headquarters planning office to discuss possibilities of a gift for the headquarters, and it was in 1949 that the idea of a donation of stone from Israel was first put forth. “The architects tell me that they hesitate to use this stone as originally planned for paving the garden walks, for its rich color and beautiful markings suggest many interesting and varied possibilities. So I cannot say for certain today exactly how it will be used, but I am sure that it will greatly enhance the beauty of the terraces and gardens north of the General Assembly building,” Mr. Lie stated.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
