U.N. Decision on Syrian-israel Dispute Expected This Week

A decision is expected in the United Nations Security Council this week on the Syrian complaint against Israel’s hydroelectric project at Bnot Yaacov on the Jordan River, it was learned in UN circles today.

It is understood that the Western Powers, which will sponsor a resolution designed to cover the situation, are agreed over the sense of the resolution but are still working over its wording. The British are said to prefer general language which would refer the problem back to UN truce supervisor Gen. Vagn Bennike. The Americans are more inclined toward specific language to prevent further disputes. However, both the British and the Americans are known to feel that Syria cannot be given a veto power over the Israeli project.

Last Friday the Security Council devoted its entire session to a speech by Dr. Charles Malik of Lebanon attacking Israel and the project and asserting that “to allow the work on the canal project to be resumed in the demilitarized; zone without a mutual agreement between Israel and Syria is to give a de facto recognition of the annexation of the zone by one party to the armistice agreement. ” Any attempt to “Israelize” the zone, he said, would be a step in “the execution of a premeditated plan to gradually ‘Israelize’ all Palestine. “

It would not be enough, he said, for the Council to limit itself to “mere formal assurances on the matter of sovereignty in the zone. ” He insisted that the Council should take “practical measures” to prevent the alteration of the status of the zone to the advantage of either party to the armistice agreement, without a previous understanding with the other party.