The International Civil Aviation Organization accepted today a motion by Egypt to include the downing of a Libyan airliner by Israel on the agenda of its 19th session-which opened here this morning. The motion was supported, by some 60 countries. Other states that registered for the session, including Israel, offered no objections.
The Israeli delegate, Yaacov Doron, objected, however, to the wording of the title of the agenda item which, he said, could create “a priori” opinion. The title of the item, which has been designated No. 3 on the agenda, is “A Libyan Civil Aircraft Shot Down on 21 Feb. 1973 by Israeli Fighters Over the Occupied Egyptian Territory of Sinai.” The same wording is contained in an Egyptian draft resolution condemning Israel and calling on the Secretary General of the UN to institute an investigation.
Libya did not support the Egyptian agenda item and said it would not participate in the debate scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. Libya will probably abstain as well from voting on the Egyptian draft resolution. Some observers here attributed Libya’s aloofness to its desire to retain a free hand for retaliatory action against Israel without being bound by an ICAO resolution.
RESOLUTION URGES IMMEDIATE INVESTIGATION
The draft resolution which Egypt will seek to have adopted at the ICAO’s 19th session states: “The Assembly, having considered the item concerning the civilian aircraft which was shot down on 21 Feb. 1973 by Israeli fighters over the occupied Egyptian territory of Sinai; condemning the Israeli action which resulted in the loss of 106 innocent lives; convinced that this accident affects and jeopardizes the safety of international civil aviation and therefore emphasizing the urgency of undertaking an immediate investigation of the said event; 1) directs the (ICAO) Council to Instruct the Secretary General to institute an investigation in order to undertake fact-finding and to report to the Council at the earliest date; 2) calls upon all parties involved to cooperate fully with the investigating teams.”
As of noon today, about 40 states had registered to speak at the session at which the Egyptian item will be discussed. The ICAO is a special agency of the United Nations headquartered in Montreal. Its 19th session opened in the General Assembly Hall with a standing observance by all delegates of a minute of silence in memory of the 106 victims of the Libyan plane disaster. The delegate from Madagascar expressed regret over “the loss of human life” and said the dead were “innocent victims” of an “irresponsible act.”
The Soviet and French delegates strongly supported the Egyptian motion. The Soviet delegate called the incident a “new link in murder carried out by Israeli aggression.” The Egyptian delegate called it a “flagrant crime” against olvil aviation and said there were expressions of sorrow, concern and condemnation throughout the world.
An Israeli spokesman told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that Israel has no objections to an investigation, had in fact proposed one itself and was willing to cooperate and supply all facilities. But Israel objected to the condemnatory tone of the Egyptian proposal.
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