Israel’s resolution expressing the General Assembly’s concern for the safety of commercial aircraft inadvertently crossing international frontiers was adopted today by the Social, Cultural and Humanitarian Committee, with 35 for, none against and 13 abstentions. The abstentions were those of the Arab and Soviet blocs.
During the final debate on the resolution, Michael S. Comay, representing the Israel delegation, clashed with Ivan Kopecky of Czechoslovakia and Yorguy Hakim of Syria. The Czechoslovak delegate tried to put through an amendment that would have deleted the word “attack” involving civilian flights. That amendment was defeated. Mr. Hakim attacked Israel for compelling a Syrian plane to land “in robbed Arab land” thereby “disregarding all elementary respect for international law.” Mr. Comay, in reply, told the committee “the best service I can render is to treat this intervention the way it deserves, that is not to pay the slightest attention to it.”
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