Israel will come under a great deal of pressure in the course of the 43rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, Israel’s chief representative to the world body predicted Monday.
In a briefing with Israeli correspondents here on the eve of the assembly session’s opening, Ambassador Johanan Bein said that Arab delegates are likely to introduce a number of anti-Israel resolutions in the assembly. They will probably focus on the Palestinian uprising in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, now in its 10th month.
“It is also expected that the rhetoric against Israel will intensify, and we do not rule out several meetings of the Security Council to denounce and attack Israel’s policy in the territories,” Bein said.
But the ambassador said that, as far as Israel is concerned, this assembly will not be much different from previous assemblies. “We expect more of the same rhetoric, but no significant difference in the pattern of the votes” on Middle East and Israeli-related items, he said.
“The U.N. is the center stage today in the battle on world public opinion,” Bein observed. “As such, the assembly this year will serve as the battle field between Israel and the Palestinians to influence world public opinion and to project a positive image in the world community.”
ARAFAT VISIT IN DOUBT
Asked whether Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasir Arafat will come here to address the General Assembly, Bein said, “It is not sure at all at this point.”
In the last several weeks, unconfirmed reports here and abroad have surfaced that the Palestinian leader, who addressed the assembly in 1974, will come to the United Nations again to deliver a major political speech.
Bein also said that he does not rule out a repeated attempt by the Arabs to deny Israel its credentials to the assembly, which in effect means the ouster of Israel for the duration of the session. He expressed confidence that, as in previous years, the Arabs will be defeated in their attempt.
The annual assembly session was to open here Tuesday, on the eve of Yom Kippur. Hundreds of high-ranking diplomats, including presidents, prime ministers and foreign ministers from all over the world, are scheduled to arrive here to address the three-month conclave.
President Reagan is scheduled to address the assembly next Monday, the first day of Sukkot. Reagan and Secretary of State George Shultz are scheduled to meet in New York the same day with Foreign Ministers Shimon Peres of Israel and Abdel Ismat Meguid of Egypt. The “summit meeting” is taking place at Washington’s initiative to advance the prospects of peace in the Middle East.
Peres, who is scheduled to arrive in New York on Sept. 25, will address the assembly on Sept. 28. Bein said that the foreign minister is scheduled to meet with many foreign ministers of several nations, including some who do not have diplomatic relations with Israel. The envoy would not elaborate.
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