The Israeli Mission declared today that its delegation would not participate in a consideration of the report of the UN Special Committee Investigating Human Rights in the occupied territories. The two-year-old committee, the mission said, has “since its inception… merely served as a tool of Arab propaganda.” It is composed of Somalia, Yugoslavia and Ceylon, all of which “have no diplomatic relations with Israel and have identified themselves with Arab hostility towards Israel,” the mission continued, noting that “all uncommitted states that were approached refused to serve on the committee.” The committee, the Israeli Mission asserted, “proceeded to organize a spectacle of hearing evidence’ from witnesses most of whom were supplied by the Arab governments and organizations.” The result, Israel said, “is a compilation of dated and already refuted Arab propaganda allegations and distortions.” Emphasizing “the freedoms enjoyed by the inhabitants of these (occupied) areas to a degree unparalleled in most Arab states,” plus what it called the United Nations’ failure to investigate the “maltreatment” of “innocent Jews in certain Arab countries.” the mission said it would not take part in a debate on the committee’s report.
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