The Government of Israel has called on the World Health Organization, United Nations specialized agency, to change the present arrangement under which Israel is prevented from fully participating in and obtaining the benefits of, WHO activities in the Middle East because of the anti-Israel political campaign of the Arab nations.
In a letter to the executive committee of WHO, which is meeting here in advance of the forthcoming WHO assembly, the Israel Foreign Ministry recalled that a WHO resolution last year get up two committees in the Eastern Mediterranean, one including the Arabs and other nations, and the second including Israel and other nations. This action was taken in an attempt to get around the stalemate resulting from the Arab states’ refusal to attend a conference with Israel or to permit Israel delegates to attend parleys on their soil.
The convening of one of the committees in Alexandria prevented the second committee, on which Israel was represented, from meeting, thus again barring Israel from WHO activities. The letter from the Foreign Ministry pointed out that WHO’s retreat before Arab intransigence has in effect made it harder, rather than easier, to promote the UN’s purpose of conciliating all nations. It asked WHO to reach a solution in consonance with the principles of the UN Charter and one which is mutually satisfactory to the parties concerned.
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