Mission of U.N. Envoy is Limited to Mt. Scopus Only, Jordan Asserts

Dr. Francisco Urrutia of Colombia, Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold’s personal representative on the Mt. Scopus dispute between Israel and Jordan, is not in the area for the purpose of rectifying the demarcation lines between Israel and Jordan, according to a statement issued here today by Dr. Yusef Haikal, head of the Jordanian delegation here.

The Jordanian diplomat said that Dr. Urrutia’s discussions with the Jordan Government are limited to “the practical implementation” of the special agreement made between Israel and Jordan regarding Mt. Scopus in 1948. He alleged that Israel has been fortifying and planting mines in the area and preventing the Chief of Staff of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization from inspecting the demilitarized zone on the height.

Dr. Haikal took issue with the warning reportedly given by Israels Foreign Minister Golda Meir to Western diplomats that if Jordan’s complaint regarding Mt. Scopus were to be debated in the Security Council, Israel would insist that a debate be held also on its charges that Jordan is regarding Israel free access to the zone, “We would like to point out that it is customary for Israel automatically to bring forth some unfounded complaint of her own each time that a well substantiated charge is brought by an Arab Government,” he said in his statement.

Regarding the Jordan-Israel dispute over Israel’s afforestation work south of Jerusalem, Dr. Haikal said that “Jordan is most anxious to proceed with the case and insure that the Arab rights in the area be properly safeguarded,” A spokesman for the Israel delegation said “the report upon which the Ambassador of Jordan bases his statement is entirely untrue and the Israel delegation has no comments to make on it.”