Israel Hit by State Dept., UN Unit for Blasting Arab Home in East Jerusalem

Israel was under criticism today from the State Department and from the United Nations Commission on Human Rights for its policy of destroying homes of Arabs suspected of sheltering and otherwise aiding Arab terrorists.

Robert McCloskey, the State Department spokesman, reiterated that Israel must observe the Geneva convention and protect all residents of occupied Arab territories. Article 27 of the Geneva convention stipulates that civilians shall at all times be “humanely treated and shall be protected especially against violence or threats,” Mr. McCloskey and other U.S. officials referred to the Geneva convention in response to inquiries about the United States attitude toward the Israeli policy.

The Human Rights Commission approved the text of a telegram to the Government of Israel proposed by India, Pakistan and Yugoslavia — calling on Israel to halt immediately such acts as the reported destruction of “homes of Arab civilian population inhabiting the areas occupied by the Israeli authorities.” The telegram text was approved by a show of hands vote of 17 for, one (Israel) against and seven abstentions (Austria, Italy, New Zealand, the Phillipines, Sweden, Britain and the United States).

Earlier, in the same session, the commission approved a resolution condemning “all ideologies, including Nazism and apartheid, which are based on racial intolerance and terror, as a gross violation of human rights” and as “a serious threat to world peace and the security of peoples.” The resolution recommended that the UN General Assembly call on member states to outlaw groups which disseminated propaganda for these ideologies and to strive for their eradication. The resolution, sponsored by the Ukraine, was adopted on a roll-call vote of 24 in favor, none against, and the United States, Britain, Italy and New Zealand abstaining.

Dr. Shabtai Rosenne, the Israeli representative, in debate preceding the vote on the telegram, defended the policy of wrecking homes of suspected terrorists, declaring that such measures had been forced upon Israel. He added that the Israeli delegation was “not prepared to accept any expression of views” on the matter by the Human Rights Commission.

Morris B. Abram. the United States representative, read to the commission a statement from the State Department to the effect that it remained the United States position that part of Jerusalem was occupied territory and subject to the provisions of international law on the rights and privileges of an occupying power. The Israel army blew up last Wednesday night, the home of an arrested El Fatah commander in East Jerusalem. The blast caused damage to a number of nearby structures. All tenants of the house were evacuated, with their belongings, before the explosives were set off.