British Draft at Security Council Links Troop Pullback with End to Belligerence

The Security Council adjourned late this afternoon after receiving a new draft resolution on the Middle East from Britain, which emphasized in its preamble “the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war. “The Council will reconvene tomorrow afternoon. The British draft called for the withdrawal of armed forces from occupied territories, an end to belligerency, respect for the rights of all states in the area to live in peace within secure boundaries, “free from threats and acts of war,” guarantees of the political and territorial inviolability of all states, and freedom of navigation through international waterways in the region.

To implement these points, the new draft called for the establishment of demilitarized zones, and would request the Secretary-General to send a special representative to the Middle East “to establish and maintain contacts with the states concerned in order to promote agreement and assist efforts to achieve a peaceful and accepted settlements” in accordance with the principles stated in the resolution.

Israel’s Foreign Minister, Abba S. Eban, told the Council immediately that Israel will examine this “and any other constructive draft” in light of its stated policy to maintain and respect the cease-fire lines until they are replaced by peace treaties. Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Mahmoud Riad, repeated Egypt’s demand for immediate unconditional Israeli withdrawal from occupied Arab territories. His statement was interpreted here as, in effect, a rejection of the British draft.

Lord Caradon, head of the British delegation at the U.N., who presented the resolution, repeated his earlier stated hope that the Security Council would reach an agreement on the Middle East before the end of this week.