Herzog: Consensus Among UN Members That Expelling Israel Would Harm World Body More Than Israel

Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Chaim Herzog, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency today that there is now a consensus among UN members that a move to expel Israel would do more harm to the world organization than to Israel. He said, at the same time, however, that the possibility that such a move would be initiated by Arab extremists could not be excluded.

The Israeli envoy made those remarks to the JTA shortly before the General Assembly convened for its 20th annual session and only hours after the delegate of Syria demanded the ouster of Israel on grounds that it violated the UN Charter. The Syrian representative, Mouffak Allaf, spoke at the closing session of the General Assembly’s 7th Special Session on world economic conditions which had just approved the credentials of all member delegations, including Israel’s.

The Syrian charged that “the representatives of the Zionist regime who have attended this session represent a regime that is racist, aggressive, and which occupies by force the territories of member states of the United Nations and violates the essential conditions for the qualifications of membership…and is a regime which should be banished from the General Assembly.”

Replying to the Syrian, Herzog said “The delegation of Israel rejects the unwarranted and ill-conceived intervention by the Syrian delegate, injecting as is their wont, a discordant note into this special assembly which has been characterized by an atmosphere of consensus.” Herzog added that “neither this action nor any other disruptive action by Syria nor other countries will deter my government from its policy of seeking accord with our neighbors and moving along the road toward peace in the Middle East.”