For the time being Israel is not inclined to repatriate Arab refugees nor to pay them compensation except within the framework of an overall peace, as it outlined earlier, Gordon R. Clapp, chairman of the U.N. economic survey mission, told newsmen today just before he and his party boarded a plane for Beirut. The U.N. party, consisting of Mr. Clapp and a number of his deputies, met with Foreign and Finance Ministry officials three times between Sunday evening and last night.
Mr. Clapp added that the U.N. mission had come to Tel Aviv to discuss short term work projects for the Arab refugees in the various Middle East countries. The short term plan had been investigated by his group because the $32,000,000 allocated by the U.N., and a like sum appropriated by voluntary relief agencies, will be exhausted within 36 days, Mr. Clapp declared. The short term projects being considered by the mission are intended to last for two years, he said.
Maintaining that he was leaving Israel with the feeling that concrete progress had been made in blueprinting the short term projects, he revealed that the plans must be ready for submission to the U.N. Conciliation Commission by November 1. He revealed that these projects would affect in Israel about 30,000 Arabs and 18,000 Jewish refugees. He also said that his party had met with no rebuff on the plan in any Arab capital where it had discussed the matter and that the Arabs were prepared to collaborate in such projects.
The U.N. official revealed that a group of U.N. experts will arrive in Israel within the next two weeks to draw up, together with Israel experts, the final plans which will then be submitted to the Conciliation Commission. The economic survey mission will revisit Israel next month.
ISRAEL’S ACTIVITIES IN BEHALF OF ARAB AND JEWISH REFUGEES DISCUSSED
An official communique issued by the Israel Government tonight, after the U.N. party left, revealed that the first meeting was held at the residence of Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett, that the second parley was held at the Foreign Ministry offices and the third took place at the home of David Horowitz, director general of the Finance Ministry. Ministers Sharett and Eliezer Kaplan participated in the first two sessions, but not the last.
Since the main aspect of most of the problems raised by the mission was economic, Mr. Horowitz was the chief spokesman for the Israelis during the second and third sessions. He outlined the Israel Government’s activities in behalf of the Arab refugees who are in Israel. In this connection, he spoke of the organizations of public works projects for road construction, water supply, and the resettlement of refugees.
Mr. Horowitz disclosed, the communique stated, that the Israel Government has spent about 400,000 pounds ($1,120,000) for Arab resettlement and reemployment. He estimated that out of an Arab population of about 170,000 in Israel at present, 30,000 are refugees. He also spoke of the government’s measures to aid Jewish evacuees from the war areas and of the great damage caused the Israel economy by the war.
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