The Trusteeship Council, by a vote of 11-0, with the Soviet delegation abstaining, decided to postpone consideration of the draft statute for Jerusalem until the Jan. 19 meeting of the Council in Geneva. The decision marks a victory for the U.S., which sponsored postponement from the start.
Various motions of censure of Israel for transferring some of its government offices to Jerusalem were then taken up for discussion during the day, under pressure of the Arab states. However, the Trusteeship Council adjourned its session this evening when a United States amendment attempting to block the censure motions snarled the meeting. Discussions on the proposed censure move will continue at the next meeting of the Council.
The Council entrusted Roger Garreau, its president, with the task of preparing a working paper on the statute for Jerusalem, after inviting written suggestions from Council members as well as from the three Arab states now participating in the Council deliberations. M. Garreau was also authorized to receive views of other interested governments–presumably Israel and Transjordan–and institutions and organizations. This working paper must be submitted not later than January 5.
The Council then heard a report by Dr. Ralph Bunche, representing the U.N. Secretariat, who confirmed Israel’s intention to make Jerusalem the capital of the new state. Reports from U.N. observers, he said, note that new Israel Government offices are moving into Jerusalem.
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