The United States as well as the Soviet Union joined today at the United Nations General Assembly to support a resolution on the Middle East presented jointly by delegates of ten Arab countries, Including Jordan, Lebanon, the United Arab Republic and Iraq. The resolution, based on the Arab League pact, practically revives the Arab League. It was adopted 80 to 0. Israel voted for it.
The seven-nation resolution, which was supported earlier by the United States, Britain and other Western countries–and which would have received also the support of Israel–was dropped in favor of the Arab resolution which deals primarily with the interests of the Arab states in the Middle East. Its preamble Is based entirely on the charter of the Arab League.
Some delegates saw in Mr. Dulles’ support of the Arab resolution signs of continued Eisenhower Administration Interest in Assembly guarantees for the security of Israel as well as of Arab states. One Important member representing a western European state declared: “As we read the Arab resolution. It takes account of the peace and security of not only the Arab countries but of all the countries in the Middle East.”
The principal criticism against the new resolution was being phrased In the form of a question about basic Issues. The question asked by diplomats was: “Is the principal task here for the formulation of a solution on the broad basis of the United Nations Charter, racial bias and whose whole history of aggression against a neighboring state are well known to the entire world?”
It was contended that under the Arab resolution, the United Nations Assembly may become a mere echo, if not a stooge, for the Arab League. In this context it was pointed out that only last June, when the Middle East was being discussed in the Security Council, Iraq’s spokesman, the now imprisoned Fadhil el Jamali, called the Arab League “nothing more than a department of the Egyptian Foreign Office.”
EBAN, VOTING FOR THE RESOLUTION, EXPRESSES ISRAEL’S RESERVATIONS
Mr. Eban told the Assembly that Israel had misgivings about the resolution because of its reference to an international body which, in the past, had shown a prejudicial nature indicating that the future of this group’s Intentions was open in doubt. In making this statement, Mr. Eban was referring to the Arab League.
However, he added, having heard the explanations of the representatives of all of the Great Powers, as well as of some of the other delegations, Israel would bow to the universality of opinion in the Assembly and vote for the resolution.
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.
