Arab States Withdraw Proposal to Oust Israel from U.N. Agency

The Arab states, bowing to American pressure, have withdrawn a demand that Israel be expelled from the International Telecommunications Union.

The 179-nation body, a United Nations agency, is meeting in Nice, France.

The resolution, submitted by Saudi Arabia, Syria and Qatar last week, was the first in the organization’s history seeking the ouster of a member state. But it was withdrawn before it could even be discussed.

The Arab bloc, led by the Saudis, backed down Saturday after the United States requested it not to politicize a technical organization.

The ITU lays down rules for international cooperation in the fields of cable and telephone exchanges, radio broadcasts, television channels and satellite communications.

The American delegate, Sonia Landau, said the United States regrets that the resolution was submitted but is pleased it was withdrawn without a general debate.

“The universal character of the union bars the exclusion of any of its member states,” Landau said.

Diplomatic sources in Nice told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that it was very unlikely the Arab resolution would have garnered the required two-thirds majority needed to expel a member, had the matter come to a vote.

Nevertheless, several major delegations were trying as late as last Friday to work out a compromise to avoid debate.

Some proposed that the resolution be withdrawn in exchange for an Israeli commitment to restore full telephone and cable communications between the administered territories and the outside world.

But apparently no deals had to be made.

It was the second time in little more than a month that American intervention prevented a U.N. agency from taking action opposed by Israel.

A U.S. threat to suspend both its assessed and voluntary contributions to the budget of the World Health Organization in Geneva effectively killed a bid by the Palestine Liberation Organization for full membership in the WHO.