Israel politely but firmly rejected last night a complaint from Soviet. Russia about Israel permission to Britain and the United States to fly over Israel territory in the troop landings In Jordan and Lebanon.
The reply, contained In a note handed to Mikhail Bodrov, the Soviet Ambassador to Israel noted that the overflights were limited to a specific purpose and that they were not carried out for purposes of conquest but in response to Jordan’s request for aid in defending her independence and even her existence.
The note expressed the “firm conviction” of Israel that tension in the Middle East “springs from the subversive activities of aggressive states in the wake of the weakness of the United Nations in imposing the principles of the UN Charter on the principals.” The reply also noted that there had been no complaint from Jordan that the flights were carried out contrary to the wishes of that country. It added that the overflights were permitted for “a limited time until Britain found another way to reach Jordan.” It made no reference to the American overflights.
“The Israel Government is firmly convinced,” the note added, “that it would be possible to ensure tranquility and security among the nations of the Middle East if the Soviet Union and other UN members would bring their full influence to bear to assure preservation of the principles of the UN with regard to the sovereignty and equality of all its members and the abstention from threats or the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of each state.”
Israel also urged the Soviet Union to support Israel’s standing request to the Arab states to meet with Israel “for the purpose of direct negotiations for a stable peace.”
REFERS TO SOVIET STATEMENT ADVOCATING TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY
The Israel reply stressed that the emergency session of the General Assembly, which opened in the United Nations today, would fulfill its mission if it made a concerted effort to insure the territorial and sovereign integrity of all Middle East States and their non-interference in each other’s affairs.
It recalled a Soviet note of December 10, 1957. in which the view was expressed that “International relations must be based on the maintenance of territorial integrity and sovereignty, on non-aggression and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, on equality and mutual benefit.”
Asserting that Israel fully subscribed to that view, the reply cited the many declarations by Israel of readiness to meet with any or all of the Arab states on peace talks and contrasted this with the “constant violations” by Egypt and other Arab states of the UN Charter by blockade and boycott.
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