Two Arab-inspired Resolutions Not Much for Israel to Worry About, Israeli Sources Say

Israeli sources today described two Arab-inspired resolutions passed Friday evening as anti-Israel but not much for her to worry about. One of the drafts–sponsored by Afghanistan, Guinea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritania, Pakistan and Somalia–stated that “the people of Palestine” deserve “equal rights and self-determination” and that “full respect for (their) inalienable rights…is an indispensable element in the establishment of a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.” It was approved in Special Political Committee by a vote of 46-19 with 37 abstentions. Israel and the United States were among the opponents; Britain and France abstained. The other draft–sponsored by Afghanistan, India, Mali, Mauritania, Pakistan and Somalia–“calls once more” on Israel to repatriate the refugees immediately. It passed by a vote of 83-7 with 12 abstentions. Israel voted against the draft and the U.S., Britain and France voted for it. The Soviet Union and the Arab bloc voted for both measures.

Israeli sources said that the eight-nation draft was “bad from our point of view” and that their government opposed the six-nation draft “for obvious reasons–we cannot admit large numbers of refugees for very vital, valid security reasons.” But the sources added that the measures will likely have little effect and be quickly forgotten, as they “do not introduce any new political facts.” The resolutions now go to the General Assembly. The Special Political Committee also approved, by a vote of 91-0-2, a U.S. draft stressing the “critical” financial plight of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Israel abstained. The committee approved, by 97-0-3, a 17-nation draft calling for continued “humanitarian assistance” to the 1967 refugees and issuing a “strong appeal” for funds for UNRWA, Israel voted in favor.