Dr. Walter Eytan, director-general of the Israeli Foreign Ministry and head of the Israeli delegation to the U.N. sponsored Arab-Jewish peace parley here, this week-end urged the U.N. Conciliation Commission to call for the immediate evacuation of all non-Palestine Arab troops from Palestine. Dr. Eytan explained the Israeli view of the Palestine problem in a lengthy session with members of the Commission yesterday morning.
Dr. Eytan declared that Israel accepted the U.S. partition decision of Nov. 29, 1947, as the basis for the Lasagna talks. This resolution, he pointed out, calls for the establishment of an Arab Palestine, and Israel demands that the U.N. facilitate the establishment of such a state by calling on all non-Palestinian Arabs to leave the territory assigned to it.
The Israeli also proposed that the Commission learn the real will of the Palestinian Arabs through a plebiscite or some other means, and assist in the establishment of a genuine representative body for Arab Palestine. On that basis, Israel would negotiate the frontiers with the Palestine Arabs and with no one else, it was emphasized.
Dr. Eytan challenged the right of any Arab state to act in the affairs of the Palestine Arabs and said Israel would not let them. For the moment, the Israelis are not prepared to recognize any incorporation of Arab Palestine in any other state. Peace with the Arab states, in the Israeli view, is another matter. This Israel is prepared to negotiate with the states concerned, but without reference to the future of Palestine or its refugees.
The Commission did not take kindly to the Israeli statement. The Commission is seeking clarification from the Israelis on many points. Meanwhile, it has taken steps to overcome the threatened delay caused by Arab unreadiness to deal with a specific frontier subcommittee. It will meet the Arabs tomorrow to discuss more detailed points with them and sound them out on Israeli proposals.
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