Israel is willing to play its part in a negotiated and agreed program for settling the Arab refugee problem “in a constructive and peaceful manner, including the settlement of compensation claims, ” Secretary-general U Thant was informed formally here today by Ambassador Michael S. Comay, Israel’s permanent representative at the United Nations.
The real solution of the Arab refugee question, Mr. Comay declared on behalf of his Government, lies in the absorption of the refugees “among their brethren in the Arab world, just as Israel has absorbed about the same number of Jews from Arab countries. “
The Israeli envoy made his statements on the Arab refugee issue in a letter to Mr. Thant replying to one addressed to the Secretary General last week by 12 of the 13 Arab League states. In the Arab missive, Mr. Thant was invited to visit the Arab refugee camps conducted by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees “in order to witness the deteriorating conditions of the refugees, and the prevailing dangerous situation in the area.”
The camps are located in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip — the area under Egyptian jurisdiction. UNRWA has listed more than 1,200,000 refugees on its relief rolls. The Arab states submitting their letter to Mr. Thant contended that UNRWA faces a deficit of $4, 200, 000 and is being threatened by reduction of rations and services. Mr. Comay, in his letter, denied these assertions.
“According to reports, ” Mr. Comay stated, “the Commissioner-General of UNRWA has obtained additional voluntary contributions sufficient to cover current budgetary needs, and has informed the agency’s Advisory Committee accordingly. The impression given in the letter from the Arab representatives, to the effect that the agency faces an immediate financial crisis would, therefore, appear to be unwarranted. “
ARAB AND ISRAEL VIEWS CIRCULATED TO U.N. MEMBER STATES
In the Arab letter, the Arab League members repeated all the old charges made here repeatedly against Israel, claiming that Israel and the United Nations were responsible for “the Palestine tragedy. ” The Arab letter also claimed that the financial problem-relating to the refugees would have been solved if the U.N. had agreed to the naming of United Nations custodian for “substantial property” which the refugees say they had abandoned in Israel. Such a proposal has been made in the General Assembly several times the last few years, and has consistently failed to receive Assembly approval.
Mr. Comay charged in his letter that the Arab missive had been “submitted and circulated mainly for propaganda reasons.” It contained, he asserted, “a number of shopworn political slogans and factual misstatements about the nature and origin of the Arab refugee problem. ” He recalled to Mr. Thant the fact that the Arab representatives had made the same assertions at the last Assembly, when the Special Political Committee held 28 meetings on the issue, and its sessions were “marked by a rhetorical flood of over 140 statements and interventions by Arab representatives. “
The Arab letter informed Mr. Thant that it had been sent in pursuance of a resolution adopted by the Arab summit conference held in Cairo last month. The only Arab League member that did not sign the Arab letter was Tunisia, whose president, Habib Bourguiba, proposed last year that the Arab states should start peace talks with Israel.
Both the Arab letter and the one by Mr. Comay were circulated by Mr. Thant today as official General Assembly documents, in accordance with the requests for such action by the respective signatories.
Mr. Thant said last week that he was “weighing” the Arab invitation to visit the refugee camps and would decline to accept the bid unless he felt he could achieve “positive results.” Last Friday, Mr. Comay conferred with Mr. Thant on the issue raised by the Arab invitation, and was reported to have pointed out to the Secretary-General that no such “positive results” would come from the proposed visit.
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