Egypt Refuses to Permit UN Envoy to Probe Treatment of Jews Remaining There

Egyptian refusal to agree to permit a United Nations envoy to investigate the treatment of the remaining Jews in Egypt is the reason for Secretary-General U Thant’s delay in naming a special representative to report on the situation of the civilian population in the areas held by Israel after the Six-Day War, it was learned here today. The appointment was to have been made under a Security Council resolution. Israel had agreed to give the UN representative facilities to study the situation in the occupied areas on the understanding that the envoy would also report on the situation of the Jewish minorities in the Arab lands involved in the war.

Egypt, according to information here, has refused to give the proposed UN envoy means to make a first-hand study. Syria, it was learned, did not even answer the United Nations’ request. Mr. Thant announced his intention to nominate a special representative almost on the eve of the reconvening of the General Assembly last spring. He has not, however, announced the appointment.

It was recalled that a special envoy representing the Secretary-General, Nils Goton-Gussing, who had been similarly charged, completed his mission last December without having been permitted by either Egypt or Syria to study the Jewish situation in those countries.

(According to a report in Paris today, the Egyptian, Syrian and Jordanian Governments have also refused to allow Karl Brunnel, a Swiss, special representative of UNESCO, to inspect cultural properties belonging to the Jews now sequestered in these states. The Israel Government had asked UNESCO to inspect 97 such properties in these states and in Lebanon, but only Lebanon permitted the UNESCO delegate to make an inspection. The other three governments refused to give him access to the properties. M. Brunnel disclosed here.)