The emergency session of the United Nations General Assembly which, since June 14 had tried unsuccessfully to reach agreement on a substantive resolution dealing with the Arab-Israeli situation in the Middle East, got involved in a procedural dispute today and was unable to adjourn as scheduled. Another meeting of the Assembly was therefore set for tomorrow afternoon.
Soviet attempts to get agreement on some resolution that would call on Israel to withdraw its forces behind its pre-June 5th lines continued up to the very last minute. A meeting last night between Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei A. Gromyko and Ambassador Arthur J. Goldberg of the United States, held at the Soviet mission, failed to break the deadlock. The United States position has been that any call for an Israeli withdrawal must be linked to a termination of the state of belligerence.
(In Geneva, the Economic and Social Council rejected a Soviet proposal to include on its agenda an item denouncing Israel as an aggressor and requiring Israel to pay damages to the Arab states. The delegates rejected the Soviet move on the grounds that two competent organs of the United Nations had already considered the issue.)
Ambassador Max Jakobson of Finland asked for the postponement of the Assembly adjournment in an effort to reach agreement on a procedural resolution referring the Middle East issue back to the Security Council. He encountered objections today from the Arabs to a phrase in the draft resolution which said: “taking into account the importance of preserving peace.”
In a continuation of a campaign of protests and complaints to keep tension high, Syria, in a letter to Secretary-General U Thant accused Israel today of “atrocities, the seizure of innocent civilians, ruthless looting, murder in cold blood” in the Syrian areas held by Israel forces.
Jordan, in an action following the Assembly resolution of July 14 reiterating the request to Israel to nullify legal measures it had taken with regard to Jerusalem, asked Mr. Thant today for an early report on what was being done to implement the resolution. Mr. Thant has asked Israel for a reply on the Assembly resolution but set no time limit.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
