The General Assembly’s Special Political Committee adopted today a resolution on the Arab refugee problem originally sponsored by the United States, then rejected by the American delegation because its draft had been amended by pro-Arab states.
The U.S. resolution, in its original form, called upon the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees to rectify its relief rolls, and extended UNRWA’s mandate for three years beyond its expiration date of June 30, 1966. But, prior to the vote on the U.S. resolution itself, the Arab bloc, aided by other Moslem states and by the Soviet group of members, managed to put through an amendment which, among other instructions, would enlarge the UNRWA relief rolls by extending aid to many refugees not now eligible for U.N. aid.
The amendment, sponsored by Pakistan and Somalia, won by a vote of 43-39, with 24 abstentions. The United States, Britain, France and Israel were among the members who had cast negative votes. Then the U.S. draft as a whole, including the amendment, was put to a vote. This time, the United States voted against its own amended resolution, Joined again by Israel, Britain, Canada and others. Despite the extraordinary step by the United States in rejecting its own resolution, the measure was carried by a vote of 47-31, with 17 abstentions.
However, the resolution must now go to a plenary session of the General Assembly, where it would need a two-thirds majority of the entire U.N. membership to obtain final approval. The committee’s vote today fell far short of the two-thirds vote needed.
There was uncertainty as to the next steps that might be taken by the committee or by a General Assembly plenary session, now that the amended U.S. measure has been rejected by the Washington delegation. There was general consensus on the need for extension of UNRWA’s mandate beyond next June, or face the danger that the agency might have to end all its operations after next June, because the Assembly could not muster a two-thirds majority against the opposition of the U.S.A.
RESOLUTION ON CUSTODIAN FOR ARAB PROPERTY IN ISRAEL DEFEATED
The day-long session of the committee was filled with many other procedural moves in which Israel’s Ambassador, Michael S. Comay, tangled repeatedly with the Arab and other Moslem representatives. During these maneuvers, Israel withdrew an amendment to the U.S. draft which would have called upon the Arab states and Israel to negotiate directly for a settlement of the refugee problem. The Arab bloc withdrew one of its amendments to the U.S. draft which would have criticized Israel sharply for “failing” to repatriate or compensate the refugees.
Then Malaysia withdrew a resolution it had co-sponsored with Afghanistan for appointment of a U.N. custodian over property allegedly abandoned by the refugees inside Israel. However, under pressure by Afghanistan, Malaysia withdrew its previous withdrawal. The resolution was put to a vote — and was defeated by a vote of 38 against, 34 in favor and 23 abstentions.
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