Tekoah: Israel’s Vote for Peking Was Not a Vote for Expulsion of Taiwan

Israel–along with Jordan. Lebanon and Saudi Arabian–joined the United States last night in a losing effort to declare the expulsion of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to be an “important question” requiring a two-thirds vote instead of a majority vote. But then Israel–and at least 17 nations that oppose her Middle East diplomacy–split with the US to help replace Taiwan with the People’s Republic of China (Peking).

In the Assembly today, Israeli Ambassador Yosef Tekoah explained his government’s vote. He said that “despite certain shortcomings in the (Albanian) resolution, the central purpose of the resolution is to clarify that the government of the People’s Republic of China is entitled to represent China in the United Nations.” Tekoah noted that the “principle of universality of the UN” required it to admit “every peace-loving state that applies for it.” Furthermore, Tekoah declared. “In casting its vote, the Israeli delegation was guided by the principle that this is a vote which gives recognition to the right of the government of the People’s Republic of China to represent China, a member of the UN, and not a vote for the expulsion of a member state.”

Jan Berris, an aide to the National Committee on US-China Relations who is on loan from the State Department to the Committee, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency today that Washington would probably not hold Israel’s vote against her. “I don’t think it really matters,” she said, noting that Israel had backed the US on the “important question” vote–which would have made it harder to expel Taiwan–and that after the defeat of that measure the pro-Peking forces “obviously had a simple majority” and that it was in Israel’s best interests to join it.

Miss Berris, who is considered by the State Department to be an expert on the People’s Republic of China, noted that Israel has recognized mainland China since 1950, although the move has not been reciprocated and Peking has aided the Palestinian movement. Miss Berris, who is Jewish, said her organization, which she described as “a nonpartisan, nonpolitical, educational committee,” was formed in 1966 and has 230 members across the country. She stressed that it takes no position on the Chinese-seating question. The committee is financed by the Rockefeller and Ford Foundations. Its aim is to help establish relations between the US and the People’s Republic of China.

Miss Berris noted of the Peking regime that “they obviously are in control, and have been in control for 20 years, of 750 million Chinese,” and are thus an overwhelming political reality that cannot be ignored. Taiwan’s population is under 14 1/2 million. Besides, Miss Berris emphasized, “when it counted, they (Israel) did vote with the US.” i.e., on the “important question” vote. She would not speculate on how Peking’s UN membership would affect the Mideast situation. In Washington, Israeli sources said the vote in the General Assembly was based on political logic.