Israel was again attacked here today by the Soviet delegation, this time on the question of the Arab refugees. Addressing the Special Political Committee, Georgi N. Zarubin, Soviet representative, demanded that the refugees should either be repatriated “to their homes” in Israel, or be paid “full compensation.”
Declaring that the problem of the Palestine refugees had remained unsolved and that the number of refugees was increasing, Mr. Zanbin said the United Nations General Assembly, in its resolutions, had never questioned the right of the Arabs to remain in Palestine and to enjoy full citizenship rights. Moreover, the Assembly had decided that refugees desiring to return to Palestine should be given an opportunity to do so “in the near future” while the others should be paid full compensation by the Government of Israel.
Today, Mr. Zerubin went on, “we are faced with the unstaken desire” of a great majority among the refugees “to return home.” This desire, and “their unchallengable right” to see it fulfilled, met with the sympathies “of the whole world.” The Soviet delegate insisted that the decision of the Assembly “must be carried out in practice”.
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