Viewing the current situation in the Middle East as one of the principal factors that make for “a bleak and gloomy” picture of the world situation at present, Secretary-General U Thant today called upon the Arab states and Israel to help Dr. Gunnar V. Jarring, his special Middle East peace envoy, achieve a peaceful settlement in the Middle East.
Mr. Thant spoke at a luncheon tendered by the United Nations Correspondents Association in connection with the organization’s Hammarskjold Memorial Scholarship Fund. Without mentioning either Israel or any of the Arab states, he declared that “the crisis situation” in the Middle East, along with the Vietnam war and the recent Soviet action in Czechoslovakia, cast a dark shadow over the entire world.
“So far as the Middle East is concerned,” he said, “we have witnessed a period of tension and frustration, tension in the area and frustration on the part of the peace-makers. My special representative, Ambassador Jarring, has carried on his mission, tenaciously and discreetly. However, his tireless efforts within the framework of the Security Council resolution of Nov. 22, 1967 have so far not led to concrete results. Here again, the UN can contribute to a peaceful settlement only if there is a will to peace with justice on the part of the parties directly involved.”
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
