Obviously motivated by a desire to halt Jordan’s four and a half month campaign of carping against Israel on the petty issue of trees in the no -man’s land area south of Jerusalem, the Security Council today adopted unanimously a resolution tossing the entire dispute into the lap of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization and the Israel-Jordan Mixed Armistice Commission.
The resolution, co-sponsored by Britain and the United States, was seen as transgressing, at some points, on the provisions of the 1949 armistice agreement between Israel and Jordan. However, Israel gave clear notice here just prior to adoption of the resolution that it will not consider today’s action as affecting the armistice pact in the slightest degree.
The resolution orders the UNTSO chief of staff to regulate activities within the disputed zone, make a survey of property records in the area with a view to determining ownership, and prohibits both Israel and Jordan from using the lands of each other’s nationals. It also orders the suspension of Israel’s afforestation project, a step which Israel anticipated two and a half months ago.
Prior to the adoption of the resolution, Dr. Yusuf Haikal of Jordan delivered a speech to the Council reiterating earlier allegations that Israel was violating the armistice agreement in this instance. However, Mordecai R. Kidron, deputy representative for Israel, briefly but pungently tore apart the Jordanian arguments that had been voiced on this issue for the last several months.
The entire “unfounded complaint” regarding the afforestation project, Mr. Kidron told the Council, is “trivial, petty, and more suited to the attentions of a rural constable than the Security Council of the United Nations.” He pointed out that from the very beginning of this case, Jordan has only been trying to demonstrate to other Arab states “her devotion to the cause of hostility to Israel,” and the present grievance “is an abuse of the Security Council.”
Pointing out that only last week Dr. Francisco Urrutia of Colombia, Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold’s personal representative in the Mt. Scopus dispute, succeeded in getting agreement from both Jordan and Israel on this matter, Mr. Kidron said that now “Jordan is doing its best to foul and complicate” the situation. Mr. Kidron, on behalf of his government, expressed “appreciation of the broad vision, sincerity and diplomatic skill” demonstrated by Dr, Urrutia.
Mr. Kidron reminded the Council that Israel has already suspended work on the project in question. As to the resolution before the Council, he said, its terms “in no way affect, add to, or derogate from the binding force” of the legal relationships between Israel and Jordan which are based on the 1949 armistice agreement. Mr. Kidron made it clear Israel considers itself bound by the armistice agreement only, and that Israel will accept no change of the agreement except “by the joint consent of its signatories.”
Henry Cabot Lodge, American delegate, and Sir Pierson Dixon, the British representative, spoke in behalf of their resolution. Pierre de Vaucelles, deputy chairman of the French delegation, expressed regret that the resolution failed to mention that actually Israel has already suspended its tree planting project in the controversial zone. However, M. de Vaucelles said, he would vote for the resolution.
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