A draft resolution on the “Palestine Question,” sponsored by 67 nations which invites the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to participate in the General Assembly discussions of the issue, was officially circulated today and is expected to be debated next Monday in the Assembly.
The resolution reads: “The General Assembly, considering that the Palestinian people is the principal party to the question of Palestine, invites the Palestine Liberation Organization, the representative of the Palestinian people, to participate in the deliberations of the General Assembly on the question of Palestine in plenary meetings.” The sponsors of resolution did not include Jordan or any Western countries. Observers here said that the resolution does not grant observer status to the PLO.
TEKOAH TERMS PROPOSAL A TRAVESTY
Israeli Ambassador Yosef Tekoah denounced “the proposal to invite PLO terrorists to participate in the proceedings of the General Assembly” as a “travesty of the United Nations Charter and the Assembly’s rules of procedure. It makes mockery of the UN in the eyes of all who still respect international law and morality. The proposal is obviously directed against peace-making efforts in the Middle East. It is regrettable that the parliamentary situation in the UN is such that proposals of this nature can be made and adopted.”
Meanwhile, the American and British spokesmen here declined to say whether they will support the resolution. Both spokesmen said that they are not aware of any discussions between their countries and PLO representatives. Answering a question whether the PLO representatives will be granted visas to enter the United States. Courtney Sheldon, the American spokesman, replied that if they will be legitimately invited they will receive visas.
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.
