The Presidents Conference of the Organization for African Unity condemned Israel today “for its negative position” and “obstruction” of a peaceful settlement of the Middle East conflict. The conference here, attended by 34 African chiefs-of-state, unanimously adopted a resolution asking Israel “to immediately evacuate all Arab territories up to the pre-war borders,” and demanded that Israel “publicly state, once and for all, that it opposes territorial increases achieved through force.”
Although the resolution was the most severe yet issued by the OAU, and was adopted virtually without debate, there were no abstentions, even from chiefs-of-state known for their past close and friendly ties with Israel. The resolution expressed “Africa’s full solidarity with Egypt in the legitimate fight to liberate its territories by all possible means.” The presidents and the OAU called on all UN members to act “efficiently and immediately” within the UN’s various bodies, in order to obtain “Israel’s unconditional and immediate withdrawal and the condemnation of Israel’s current attitude.”
The resolution called further on all UN member states to halt immediately all arms deliveries and all aid and assistance “liable to strengthen Israel’s armed forces and thus ensure the continuation of Israel’s occupation of Arab territories.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
