Sharett Reiterates Demand for Urgent Security Council Meeting

Israel Premier and Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett today reiterated his appeal to the Western Big Three to call an immediate United Nations Security Council session to deal with Israel-Jordan tension. He said that Israel preferred to bring the matter to the UN’s attention through the Big Powers–whose reply was expected shortly–because it felt that in this fashion the matter would be raised more effectively.

The Premier underlined the fact that Jordan’s refusal to attend the UN-convened parley under Article XII of the armistice agreement and UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold’s decision not to press the Arabs had contributed heavily to the worsening situation.

Mr. Sharett expressed satisfaction that a bi-partisan group of American Congressmen had made representations to the United States Government against the shipment of arms to the Arab states in the present circumstances. The Israel Government, he continued, has studied the State Department’s reply to the Congressmen and appreciates the reaffirmation of the U. S. Government’s friendship for Israel. The Israel Government, he continued, takes note that in the estimation of the U.S. Government an Arab-Israel peace requires “real concessions” from both sides and is “curious to know what real concessions would be required of the Arabs as a peace condition.”

SAYS ISRAEL DISTURBED BY U.S. INTENTION TO ARM THE ARABS

At the same time, Mr. Sharett added, “the Israel Government remains deeply disturbed, ” by the apparent U. S. determination to supply arms to the Arab states which in the past have been guilty of aggression and which today are maintaining a state of war against Israel. For this reason Israel is continuing its friendly discussions with the U. S., opposing arms shipments to the Arabs as long as they continue their present policy of thwarting peace, Mr. Sharett declared.

The Israel Premier inferentially criticized the UN Secretary General’s handling of Jordan’s refusal to attend a direct meeting with Israel. He noted that the Secretary’s latest announcement that he would not pursue the matter further at this time, was “not easily reconcilable with Article XII (of the Israel-Jordan armistice pact) nor with the Secretary’s own former statements indicating a firmer resolve to convene the conference at a fixed date, ” thus putting Jordan to the final test of honoring its obligation. Mr. Hammarskjold’s course of action calls for “elucidation ” pending which the Israel Government prefers to withhold comment, Mr. Sharett emphasized.

In what amounted to a virtual point-by-point review of the armistice agreement; Mr. Sharett maintained that there is almost no section of that document which Jordan has not already violated. Jordan has failed to discharge its obligations under Article I by not preventing armed incursions into Israel, which has levied a heavy toll on life and property in Israel culminating with the Negev bus massacre, he noted.

Jordan has consistently violated Article III, he said, which bans economic warfare and hostile propaganda against Israel. Article IV has been ignored completely–Jordan treats the demarcation lines as non-existent. Article VIII, under which Jordan has agreed to grant Israel access to Mt. Scopus and the Holy Places in Jerusalem, has never been honored. And now, the Premier stressed, Article XII, which has a vital function in the operation of the armistice, is treated “as so much ink on paper.”

The question arises, he went on, whether in the estimation of Jordan the armistice agreement is still valid and whether Jordan realizes the incalculable effects upon peace and security which its virtual repudiation of the armistice is liable to have.