Four of the Western members of the 15-member Security Council were on record today of being cool to an Arab resolution that would “condemn” Israel for its July 14 air raid against Syria and would threaten sterner action, possibly sanctions, against Israel.
The four included the United States, whose Council delegation is being led during the current session by Joseph J. Sisco, Assistant Secretary of State for International Organizations; as well as the regular representatives here of Britain, France and New Zealand.
The anti-Israeli resolution, co-sponsored by Jordan and a fellow-Moslem member on the Council, Mali, was introduced Friday and is to be subjected to further debate when the Council reconvenes tomorrow afternoon. The Council’s current week-long sessions, deals with Syrian charges of Israeli aggression and Israeli counter-charges holding Syria responsible for terrorist attacks inside Israel.
Mr. Sisco said that, while the United Nations must deplore any reprisal action, like the one carried out against Syria by Israel, it is also “reasonably clear” that those responsible for the terrorist depredations inside Israel had come from Syria. He thus supported in effect the Israeli claims on that score. A similar attitude was taken by Sir Roger Jackling, acting head of the British delegation to the United Nations; Roger Seydoux, of France; and Frank Corner, of New Zealand.
The Westerners also suggested that the most fruitful way for the Council to handle the latest flare-up of Syrian-Israel disputes was to let the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization continue its efforts to cement an unconditional cease-fire on the Israeli-Syrian border. Such an attitude was tantamount to a rejection of the Jordan-Mali resolution. The same attitude was taken in the Council by a fifth member, Dr. Raul Quijano, of Argentina.
Ambassador Michael S. Comay, Israel’s permanent representative here, told the Council that consideration of the Jordan-Mali draft without reference to Syrian-originated terrorist actions in Israel would be dealing with only part of the problem involved. He called for condemnation of Syria.
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