The Soviet Government today used its veto rights in the United Nations to veto a resolution in the UN Security Council calling upon Egypt to abandon its anti-Israel blockade of the Suez Canal, and authorizing the Israel-Egyptian Mixed Armistice Commission to deal with Egypt’s interference with shipping proceeding to the Israeli port of Elath on the Gulf of Akaba:
The resolution, which was introduced by New Zealand, was backed by the United States, Britain and France and received eight of the 11 votes at today’s voting. Only seven votes are needed to carry a resolution at the Security Council. The Soviet vote cast by Andrei Vishinsky killed the resolution regardless of the number of votes cast in favor.
In addition to Mr. Vishinsky, a vote against the resolution was cast by Dr. Charles Malik of Lebanon. Those who voted in favor of the resolution included: New Zealand, United States, Britain, France, Denmark, Brazil, Colombia and Turkey. The representative of Nationalist China abstained.
Explaining his opposition to the resolution, Mr. Vishinsky said that his government advocates an appeal to Israel and Egypt to settle the matter “by direct negotiations.” He criticized the countries which announced their support of the resolution and said that it is the view of the Soviet Government that the resolution will not help in the Israel-Arab situation since no decision can be “imposed” upon any nation against her will.
“The veto saves the Security Council” and did not lower its prestige, Mr. Vishinsky said. The New Zealand resolution demonstrated only that the Security Council was considered “impotent” and it repeated “old moth-eaten resolutions pulled out of the files,” he declared.
ISRAEL MAY COMPLAIN TO GENERAL ASSEMBLY, EBAN INDICATES
Abba Eban, Israel’s permanent delegate to the UN, taking the floor after the vote in the Council, indicated that Israel might take its complaint against the Egyptian blockade directly to the General Assembly. He expressed satisfaction that the majority of the Council had voted for the resolution and expressed the opinion that the majority of the General Assembly would feel the same way “as may one day become apparent.”
Mr. Eban asserted that today’s vote had proven that Arab ojections “must prevail” regardless of majority opinion or the right in the matter. He noted, however. that the law in the Suez Canal and the Akaba area was still the Security Council’s decision on September 1, 1951, calling for an end to the blockade, and added that this resolution was still binding on the parties concerned.
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