Israel Reiterates Offer at U.N. for Direct Peace Talks with Arabs

In the midst of one of the most turbulent debates of Israeli-Arab issues heard in the United Nations in a decade, Israel today again offered publicly to negotiate directly with the Arab states for settlement of all disputes.

The offer, which was unconditional, was promptly rejected by the Arabs. The proposal to negotiate was made in the General Assembly’s Special Political Committee by Michael S. Comay deputy chairman of Israel’s delegation. He had taken the floor to exercise his right of reply to the violent attack on Israel voiced yesterday before the Special Committee by Ahmed Shukairy, chairman of the Saudi Arabian delegation.

During a two-and-a-half hour session, Mr. Comay spoke for 45 minutes. Mr. Shukairy took an hour to reply to the Israeli response. Mr. Comay interrupted the Saudi Arabian speaker to defend the memory of the late Dr. Chaim Weizmann. first President of Israel. The chairman of the committee rebuked Mr. Shukairy.

Mr. Comay, in his address, pointed out that Mr. Shukairy was “obsessed” with “the proposition that Israel should be destroyed.” The Israeli representative stressed that when Mr. Shukairy called for implementation of old United Nations resolutions dealing with repatriation of Arab refugees, the Arab spokesman wanted those resolutions “implemented against Israel.” He showed that Mr. Shukairy had deliberately distorted old resolutions, quoted them out of context and cited only such parts of the resolutions as suited his purpose. The Israeli representative set the record straight before the committee. He then told the committee:

“We assume that the overwhelming majority of the governments represented at this table are sick and tired of the Israel-Arab conflict and would be only too happy if those directly concerned would settle it. We would repeat most solemnly that Israel seeks nothing from its neighbors but the chance to live in peace with them and, together with them, to strive for the common good of our troubled region.

“To promote this not-unworthy end, we repeat that we would be willing to meet with Arab representatives at any time and place, publicly or privately and without any prior conditions whatsoever. We cannot but ask ourselves whether the present atmosphere in the world, the present restrained hopefulness which prevails at the United Nations, may not perhaps hold out the prospect of some thaw in Israel-Arab relations as well.”