Arabs and Israel Continue Battle in U.N. over Refugee Problem

Arab and Israeli representatives in the General Assembly’s Special Political Committee continued battling today on the floor over the Arab refugee problem. But the real fight was going on behind the scenes. In private conversations the United States was holding out against the combined pressures of the Arab and Soviet blocs.

The Americans insist that the entire refugee relief program, now being conducted by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Arab Refugees, be made the subject of a fresh study. UNRWA present mandate expires at the end of June, 1960. The Arab states insist that UNRWA’s tenure beyond mid-Summer, 1960, be pledged at this year’s session.

Meanwhile, however, as a cover against their intransigeance, the members of the Soviet bloc–who have never contributed to the support of UNRWA–and the Arabs continued their fight against Israel. Today, it was the turn of Peter Voutov of Bulgaria and Nadim Dimechkie of Lebanon.

Mr. Voutov dug up every anti-Israeli libel ever voiced here in the last ten years and added a few extra flourishes, such as renewal of the charges that Israel is at this very moment preparing a “new intervention” against Jordan. Mr. Dimechkie denounced the refugee compensation plan offered early this week by Israel delegate Abba Eban and said Mr. Eban’s proposals represented “typical Zionist logic.”

At the end of the morning session, Arthur Lourie, Israel’s Ambassador to Canada and deputy chairman of its delegation here, replied briefly to what he called the Lebanese representative’s “violent and vituperative” attack. In spite of the fact that there were 16 delegations on the list to continue debate, the committee adjourned its meeting until tomorrow obviously in the hope that by that time some compromise might be achieved between the Arabs and the United States.