The decision by UNESCO’s general conference yesterday paving the way for Israel’s return to the international organization does not mean that Israel will not be attacked at the meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, according to Dr. Shlomo Avinert. director general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Avineri, who heads the Israeli delegation to the conference, said in a telephone interview, that while the Arabs appeared relatively moderate in their opposition to Israel’s return, they may still seek anti-Israel resolutions concerning archaeological diggings and what they claim is the “deteriorating state of the education in the occupied territories.”
The UNESCO general conference voted 70-0 with 14 abstentions to allow each of its five regional groups to decide its own membership. The Soviet Union and several Arab states were among those abstaining. Avineri noted that the Soviet Union had failed in an attempt to require that the vote in a regional group be unanimous.
The 36-member European region is expected to vote next week to allow Israel to rejoin it. The UNESCO general conference two years ago voted to bar Israel from the European group. “So far we have passed the stages toward securing Israel’s participation in the European region.” Avineri said. “We must still observe the next stages,” he said.
The decision on Israel as well as rejections of a proposal by the Soviet Union to assert state control over international news organizations, and a resolution by Iraq to equate Zionism with racism is expected to bring about a restoration of United States contributions to UNESCO. The U.S. refused to pay the $38 million it owes for 1975-76 because of Israel’s ouster.
U.S. CONTRIBUTION MAY BE RESTORED
Sen. Dick Clark (D.Iowa), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s African subcommittee, who is in Nairobi as part of a tour of Africa, was quoted as saying that he was hopeful that the U.S. contribution to UNESCO would be restored in view of the more moderate attitude displayed at the general conference.
He issued a statement saying: “A continuation of the moderation and minimal confrontation seen so far in the Nairobi UNESCO general conference, hopefully, will lead to a full U.S. commitment to the organization in every manner, including monetary. After its first two weeks, the conference appears to be headed in the direction of conciliation and consensus, particularly in the role of the mass media and the form of Israel’s participation in UNESCO’s affairs.”
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