The question of “what is a Jew” and problems relating to the citizenship of future residents of an internationalized Jerusalem were discussed here today by the U.N. Trusteeship Council, which is considering a draft statute for the Holy City. No decisions were taken at today’s session, nor did the Israel or Jordan representatives take any part in the discussion.
The American member of the Council suggested that the only Palestine refugees who should be allowed to retain their citizenship are those who return to Jerusalem for the purpose of taking up permanent residence there. The Egyptian delegate proposed that only persons resident in Jerusalem on Nov. 29, 1947, should be allowed to retain their citizenship in the city.
A startling announcement which may lead to the abandonment of the United Nations plan for the internationalization of Jerusalem was made here last night by the Iraqi delegate.
The Arab delegate told the Council that unless the plan of the U.N. General Assembly for the complete internationalization of the entire Jerusalem area is accepted by the Council, all Arab states would retreat from their support of the establishment of an international regime for Jerusalem and would support full Arab control over all of Jerusalem.
Edmond Roq, Jordan spokesman at the Trusteeship Council meeting, in a statement today said “King Abdullah has rejected every form of U.N. supervision for protection of the Holy Places just as he has rejected every kind of international regime.”
“King Abdullah,” the Jordan spokesman’s statement continued, “has accepted the armistice boundaries, but within the territory under his control, he alone would retain full authority over the Holy Places as the British and the Ottoman Sultan have done before him.” He added: “King Abdullah would tolerate no outside interference whatsoever and has instructed the Jordan delegation not to participate in any way in discussions of the Trusteeship Council or in any informal talks designed to introduce U.N. control in any shape or form in the area of Jerusalem.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
