A resolution proposing the dissolution of the U.N. Palestine Conciliation Commission and the creation by the United Nations of a Good Offices Committee to be available to help Israel and the Arab states to settle their disputes, was introduced yesterday by Israel’s chief delegate Abba S. Eban at a session of the U.N. Special Political Committee which is now debating the Palestine issue.
The Israeli diplomat suggested that the proposed Good Offices Committee should have its seat at the United Nations headquarters in New York and should be composed of representatives of Turkey, France and the United States. He told the Political Committee that the basic causes for the deadlock between Israel and the Arab states was the latter’s refusal to negotiate directly with Israel and their refusal to recognize Israel as a sovereign state.
Declaring that there were three main problems between Israel and the Arab states–territory, internationalization of Jerusalem and refugees–Mr. Eban said: “Perhaps the greatest achievement of the United Nations to date in the field of international security were the agreements on territorial relations between Israel and the Arabs. Not one inch of land has been occupied by Israel that was not covered by agreement.”
Touching on the issue of internationalization of Jerusalem, Ambassador Eban pointed out that the main concentration of Holy Places lay outside Israel territory. “If that group could be placed under international supervision, Israel would not object to similar supervision over the Holy Places in her territory,” he stated. On the refugee issue, Mr. Eban said: “It must be recognized that the authors of vast misery for the Arab refugees were those who resorted to force.”
Israel, he declared, would certainly be prepared “to relieve the international community of responsibility for the Arabs within its borders.” He suggested three stages for the settlement of the compensation problem: 1. Global settlement of the amount; 2. Decision on the proportion that Israel could lay out; 3. Agreement on the time for payment.
U.S. DELEGATE SAYS AMERICA IS INTERESTED IN ARAB REFUGEE PROBLEM
Dr. Philip C. Jessup, United States delegate, said the American Government and the American people were “deeply interested” in the problem of the Arab refugees. He added that he would have more to say on that when the Political Committee got down to a specific discussion of that problem.
The Pakistan delegation proposed that the Conciliation Commission be enlarged to seven members and be charged with implementing the Assembly’s 1948 and 1950 resolutions. The Pakistan proposal also called for the Commission to maintain its headquarters in Jerusalem and empower the Commission’s refugee office to administer the property of the Arab refugees, paying them rent and other funds.
Support of the four power resolution on extension of the work of the Conciliation Commission was voiced in the Political Committee by the representative of Brazil. He said the efforts at conciliation between Arabs and Israelis should continue despite the lack of success achieved to date. He noted “with regret,” he said, that “previous General Assembly resolutions have not yet been implemented, especially on the subjects of repatriation of refugees and the Holy Places.”
The delegate of Iran expressed hope that appropriate steps would be taken at this time for solution of the Arab refugee problem. He said his delegation considered worthy of further consideration proposals to have the Conciliation Commission continue its work in New York to ensure observance of the United Nations resolution.
A sharp attack on the four power resolution was made by the representative of the Yemen who charged that the motive behind the proposal to move the Conciliation Commission to New York was the conviction that the Commission could achieve nothing and the move was a measure to shelve the whole Palestine question. The Arab delegate also attacked the Soviet Union’s position, declaring that the Soviet, which had called for termination of the Conciliation Commission, was equally responsible for the present situation with the other powers.
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