Israel Willing to Compensate Arab Refugees; Presents Terms to U. N.

Israel today told the United Nations it is willing to pay compensation to the Arab refugees if the Arab states agree to integrate those refugees in Arab lands, and if the Big Powers help Israel to assume the financial burden.

This formula was laid officially before the United Nations today by Israel’s delegation chairman, Abba Eban. He made his statement in the General Assembly’s Special Political Committee which has been debating the Arab refugee issue for the last ten days.

Mr. Eban’s formulation was as follows: “The basic solution of the refugee question lies in the integration of the refugees in the countries where they have been for the past decade, and where they live among their own kinsmen.

“If such a solution by integration were actually carried out and, if the international assistance offered in 1955 were available, Israel would be prepared to pay compensation even before the achievement of a final peace settlement, or the solution of other outstanding problems.”

Mr. Eban’s mention of the 1955 offer of assistance referred to a major policy address made in August of that year by Secretary of State John Foster Dulles. Mr. Dulles at that time declared that the United States would help Israel financially if it were to compensate the Arab refugees. Britain announced immediately after Mr. Dulles’ speech that it would also help Israel in this regard.

WOULD DISCUSS REFUGEE PROBLEM WITHOUT WAITING FOR PEACE SETTLEMENT

We believe that even if a peace settlement is beyond our reach there would be independent advantage both moral and political in a separate solution of the refugee problem, ” Mr. Eban continued. Until now it has been the general understanding here that Israel would not discuss an overall settlement of the refugee problem except in the context of overall Israel-Arab peace negotiations. Today, however, Mr. Eban told the committee:

“We are now disposed to envisage a settlement of our compensation undertaking in advance of a settlement of other outstanding questions, provided only that a substantive solution of the refugee problem were actually implemented.” He added that when Arab refugee compensation claims are actually fixed, “it would be necessary to take into account the claims of Israel citizens who have a right to compensation for property left behind in Arab lands.”

As for admitting some of the refugees into Israel, Mr. Eban said: “In the context of such a solution by integration in Arab lands, and the fulfillment of Israel’s compensation undertaking, we do not exclude an extension of the uniting of families scheme under which many former Arab residents have already come back to Israel territory.”

EBAN CITES EXPERTS’ VIEWS ON INTEGRATION OF REFUGEES BY ARAB LANDS

Israel’s formulation of the Arab refugee problems solution today was called by Mr. Eban a “redefinition” of his government’s attitude. To many observers here it seemed like a new statement of policy.

The formula came at the end of a long speech in which Mr. Eban sharply attacked the manner and the substance in which the Arab spokesmen have been discussing the refugee problem this year. Mr. Eban pointed out that so far the Arab representatives have failed to mention that the same United Nations resolutions which speak of “repatriation” of refugees also speak of resettlement and integration.

Mr. Eban cited many instances in which a large array of experts has shown that integration of the Arabs in Arab lands is feasible economically and just morally. Throughout his speech, Mr. Eban made it clear that “there can be no solution of the refugee problem unless the Arab governments abandon their opposition to the integration of the refugees into the economic life of the Near East.”