The Foreign Ministry issued a blistering condemnation last night of the General Assembly’s 105-4 vote to recognize the Palestine Liberation Organization and invite it to participate in the Assembly’s debate on the Palestinian Question. The Ministry’s statement said the resolution was “illegal” and “would not bind Israel in any way.” It contained especially sharp criticism of the Western European countries that had supported the measure, particularly France and Italy which, the Israeli statement pointed out, have suffered Arab terrorist outrages on their own soil or in their embassies abroad.
The Foreign Ministry reiterated Israel’s characterization of the PLO as “not a liberation movement but the roof organization of terror groups whose members have carried out murderous attacks in Israel and abroad.” The statement attributed the lopsided majority in favor of recognition of the PLO to the present parliamentary situation in the UN.
It warned that the resolution could disrupt peace moves in the Middle East and contravened the United Nations Charter because the PLO’s covenant negates the existence of Israel, a UN member state. “Every state would reject a resolution which attacked the very foundation of its existence,” the Foreign Ministry said.
EUROPEAN SUPPORTERS ASSAILED
The statement noted that France and Italy, by supporting the resolution, contradicted their own declared positions and stated desire not to undermine the continuing peace efforts in the Middle East. Only a few weeks ago France had direct experience of the terrorists’ role when its Embassy at The Hague was seized and its Ambassador held hostage by Arab terrorists, the Foreign Ministry said.
“Similarly, Israel regrets Italy’s decision to support the granting to the PLO of the right to appear at the UN–the same organization which had carried out bloody assaults on its territory in which many innocent persons, including Italian citizens, had died,” the statement said.
Israel also expressed disappointment at the votes of Ireland, Sweden, Norway “and other states which we had hoped would not give their support to the organization of murderers and would prefer peace rather than encouragement of Arab extremism.”
In the wake of the General Assembly vote, the Likud Knesset faction demanded today that parliament convene in a special recess session to debate the PLO’s participation in the Palestine debate. A resolution by Likud said that the General Assembly’s recognition of the Arab terror organization disgraced the world organization and proved that it has been taken over by the Arab-Communist bloc. It was not certain, however, whether the Knesset will convene in special session this week since its regular winter session opens next week.
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