)The 14-nation United Nations General Committee today recommended Israel’s application for admission to the General Assembly and opened the door to the possibility that it may be acted upon without prior processing in committee.
By a vote of 10 to 3, with Belgium abstaining, the Committee passed a Mexican proposal recommending Assembly consideration of the Security Council endorsement of the application, but leaving it to the Assembly itself to decide whether it should be subjected first to discussion in committee. Had the General Committee followed its formal procedure it would have recommended to the Assembly what organ should process the application. In taking the action it did the committee 3nubbed a British-Lebanese proposal to send it direct to the Political Committee where it would have been subjected to severe pressure on the issues of the Palestine Arab refugees and the future of Jerusalem.
Those who voted against the Mexican resolution were Britain, Iran and Lebanon. But even Britain and Iran were willing that the application be placed on the agenda, providing it filtered through the Political Committee. And later in the debate Dr. Charles Malik of Lebanon, who at first asked for postponement of any action, Id he would be willing to have it go through the Political Committee as the first 9P to Assembly balloting.
U.S., SOVIETS FAVOR SPEEDY ACTION ON ISRAELI APPLICATION
The United States representative, Warren R. Austin, supported the Mexican suggestion–offered by Padilla Nervo, permanent Mexican representative to the U.N. apposing Lebanese arguments that the U.N. act slowly on the Israeli membership bid, {SPAN}###tin{/SPAN} insisted that the reasons advanced were “not proper.” However, in reply to Britain, he asserted that the U.S. “was not greatly concerned if it (the application) {SPAN}##es{/SPAN} to committee,” implying that he expected that the result would be the same– acceptance. Yaacov Malik of the Soviet Union also favored letting the General Assembly itself decide on the procedure to be followed in considering the Israeli application.
Barring an Arab-British filibuster in the Assembly next Tuesday when the Committee’s recommendation will probably be taken up, the Israeli delegation may be seat-in a day or less. If a British-led bloc attempts to stall the vote and succeeds sidetracking the issue into committee, it may be weeks before the application is ##ted upon. It is considered assured here that even if a delay occurs, the final action will be favorable.
It is expected that the British-Arab group will attempt to bloc an immediate ##te next week in the Assembly. Their line–indicated during today’s debate–will probably be to obtain a, report from the Palestine Conciliation Commission in Jerusalem on the Israeli record of cooperation with it. They may even call for a report the recent talks in Tel Aviv between Israeli Premier David Ben Gurion and members the Commission.
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