Emphasizing that Israel is continuing to seek peace with the Arab countries, Ambassador Abba Eban, chief of Israel’s delegation to the United Nations, told the U. N. General Assembly today that he believes that “this would not be achieved until there were direct negotiations between Israel and the Arab states.”
The Israel diplomat appealed to the General Assembly for a procedure whereby resolutions which have been superseded could be dropped. He was referring to the practice of the Arab states in making propaganda of past decisions of the United Nations on Palestine.
Dr. Charles Malik, Lebanese representative, told the General Assembly that his government insists that Jerusalem be “politically neutralized.” He referred to the recent protest of a Catholic organization to the U.N. against the transfer of Israel Government offices to Jerusalem and said that Jerusalem, as well as an area of ten miles around the city, must be internationalized.
The Lebanese delegate also emphasized that “the Arab world would never acquiesce in the fait accompli” established with regard to the Arab refugees from Palestine. He said that the Arab refugees were the key to practically every issue relating to Israel.
“Things would begin to happen” with regard to Palestine, he stated, if the United Nations made a serious effort to carry out its decisions, if Israel agreed to negotiate on the basis of those decisions, if the great powers gave a” guarantee against “territorial encroachment by Israel upon the Arabs, ” if Israel put an end to its present immigration policy, if the Arabs were “actively helped to strengthen themselves.”
Attacking the Israel Government for seeking to make Israel its capital, the Lebanese diplomat expressed the opinion that Israel would never be satisfied with the new city but would attempt to seize the Jordan-held Old City as well. The only way to avert this “eventuality,” he said, “is from now on to place the entire area of Jerusalem under effective international supervision.”
Dr. Shabander, Iraqi representative, spoke in a similar vein. He attacked Israel and “Zionism” and said that the Arab refugees are losing faith in the United Nations.
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