The role of the United Nations in the troubled world of today was emphasized today by Israel’s Premier David Ben-Gurion at a diplomatic luncheon given here in his honor. The affair was attended by the permanent representatives of 50 member states of the United Nations. Among those attending were the permanent representatives of Bulgaria, Byelorussia and the Ukraine. However, the representatives of the Soviet Union, Poland and Czechoslovakia did not attend, nor did the representatives of any of the Arab nations.
“In an armed and troubled world,” Mr. Ben-Gurion told the assembled diplomats, “the United Nations must serve as a great moral force, focusing collective desire for peace and reducing the tensions which undermine peace. For the United Nations to retain such a moral authority, it must be a forum in which differences between nations are reconciled and not inflamed; and in which each member state genuinely respects the political independence and territorial integrity of each other state as the Charter requires us to do.”
Touching upon the fact that no Arab representatives were present at the function, the Israel Premier expressed his conviction that the time will come when Israelis and their Arab neighbors will sit together at the same table. “When I look around this table and see the distinguished representatives of so many friendly countries, it grieves me that our own closest neighbors should be absent,” he said. “History and geography, race and affinity of language, have linked us with our Semitic cousins, the Arabs, and it is my deep conviction that the time will come when we will be able to sit down and break bread together. It is our dearest wish that we and they should join forces against the real enemies of our region such as the deserts which lie sterile and the waste of precious waters.
“The Middle East was once the cradle of civilization and of great religious and spiritual truths. It has far too long been one of the world’s depressed areas. Given internal peace, mutual trust and cooperation between its peoples–Jews, Arabs, Iranians and Turks–some of its ancient glories can be revived, and all its inhabitants can be given decent and peaceful lives.”
Mr. Ben-Gurion then alluded to the fact that, in addition to the representatives from the Big Three Western Powers–the United States, France and Great Britain–as well as Latin Americans and Asians, the luncheon was attended by representatives of many of the new African countries, including Ghana, Chad, Guinea, the Congo (Leopoldville), Mali, Madagascar and Senegal. He told the diplomats:
“It is not without emotion that I see here the envoys of so many newly independent countries. This emancipation of subject peoples is perhaps the greatest historical event of our age. We are approaching the time when one nation shall no longer rule over another. However, other new countries have found–like Israel has found–that independence is not an end but only a beginning. It does not in itself fill the bellies of hungry people, or educate children, or cure the sick, or make the plains and forests productive.
“In our own efforts, we in Israel have enjoyed much assistance from others. It makes us proud and happy that many other new countries in Asia and Africa wish to share our experience in nation-building and in development. Technical cooperation between us and a number of such countries has expanded rapidly in the last few years. Small countries can and should help each other along the road in a spirit of complete equality and brotherhood.”
A toast for Mr. Ben-Gurion was proposed at the luncheon by Ambassador Frederick Boland of Ireland, this year’s president of the United Nations General Assembly who termed the Israel Premier “one of the greatest world figures of our time” and expressed on behalf of all assembled “sincere good wishes for the future peace, progress and prosperity of Israel.” In replying, Mr. Ben-Gurion assured Mr. Boland that “Israelis feel the greatest respect and affection for the gifted Irish people, who have been an example to the world of the love of liberty which suffering could not quench.” The luncheon for Mr. Ben-Gurion was given by Ambassador Michael Comay, head of the Israeli delegation to the UN.
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