Eban Opposes Demilitarization of Jerusalem Now in Letter to Security Council Members

Aubrey S. Eban, Israel’s permanent delegate to the United Nations, today circulated a letter to all member delegations on the Security Council warning against the demilitarization of Jerusalem as proposed by Egypt, it was disclosed here today by a spokesman for the Israel delegation.

In his letter, Mr. Eban said that such a move at this time by the Security Council might upset the armistice agreement which now maintains peace between Israel and Transjordan in the Jerusalem area.

Last night, the Council decided to meet on the Egyptian resolution next Tuesday. The American and British delegates expressed opposition to discussing the resolution prior to the General Assembly’s consideration of the entire Jerusalem problem.

In the Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee, Israel’s delegate, Dr. Abraham Katznelson, proposed an amendment to a resolution putting the U.N. advisory functions on social welfare on a permanent basis. Dr. Katznelson indicated that countries such as Israel who have not yet developed their own social welfare functions in full are greatly in need of these services. He proposed that the Secretariat consider the advisability of setting up local training centers for social welfare workers to make the plan more successful.

In the Political Committee efforts to achieve a compromise between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. on the “Little Assembly,” in which Israel has been extremely active, went by the board today as the Soviets rejected a “compromise” and the Committee voted to extend the life of the “Little Assembly.” In the final vote, Israel abstained.