Arab Move Deadlocks Peace Talks of U.N. Palestine Commission

The Arab states’ refusal to sign the preamble to the United Nations Conciliation Commission’s five-point proposal for establishing peace in the Middle East has deadlocked the “peace” conference here, it was reported today by an unofficial but well informed source close to the conference. The preamble calls on all parties to relinquish the use of force in their mutual relations.

The Israelis have supported the preamble since September 21 even to the extent of offering to sign non-aggression pacts with the Arab states as a method of reinforcing the preamble. The Arabs, however, have bluntly refused to accept it and wish to detach the preamble from the remainder of the plan. As a consequence, the commission has not felt the need for further meetings at this time with the Israeli delegation, but is seeking a way out of the deadlock with the Arabs.

The Israelis are understood authoritatively to have reduced their demands to a minimum. They are not pressing for an immediate and full peace settlement, although they would like one. They ask only for reaffirmation of the armistice agreements worked out by former U.N. mediator Ralph J. Bunche. At this time such reaffirmation would be most desirable in the form of non-aggression pacts, the Israelis feel.

Questioned about press reports that Israel has submitted certain proposals to the U.N. commission, an Israeli delegation spokesman today said that “the Israelis have indeed given the commission all elements that would enable the commission and the Arab states to have an exact idea of what it meant in its offer of non-aggression pacts.” It is understood that a draft of these pacts was submitted to the commission last week-end by the Israeli delegation.