U.N. Political Committee Opens Discussion on Palestine; Session Adjourned Until, Monday

The Palestine issue was today raised before the U.N. General Assembly Political. Committee for the first time this session. After hearing a report by acting mediator Dr. Ralph Bunche and a brief discussion in which only two Arab delegates participated, the session was adjourned until Monday.

None of the major powers expressed a desire to participate in today’s debate. Nor vas Israeli Foreign Minister Moshe Shertok prepared to address the session. It is not certain that the Palestine question will be taken up Monday, because if the report of the atomic energy sub-commission is ready then it will receive priority in consideration.

By a vote of 41 to zero, with seven abstentions, the Committee decided to admit an Israeli representative to full participation in its debate, except that the Israelis would have no vote. A document submitted by the Jewish Agency, stating that its duties and rights as pertains to the Jewish homeland have been passed on to the Israeli Government, was read to the Committee.

Dr. Bunche, in his report, declared flatly that the state of Israel was a vibrant reality and that the “Jewish state is no nominal or paper state.” He added that from the day of its proclamation, the Jewish state was a “going concern,” rendering “entirely illusory” the suggestion that the Jewish state could have been prevented by anything except a force strong enough to overwhelm the entire Jewish community of Palestine. Since its proclamation, he insisted, Israel has consolidated its position nationally and internationally.

MEDIATOR FAVORS REPLACEMENT OF PRESENT TRUCE WITH PERMANENT PEACE

Dividing responsibility for the present state of affairs in Palestine between Jews and Arabs, acting mediator Dr. Ralph Bunche today hold the Jews responsible for a political offensive and the Arab states for the military offensive. The military aggression, he said, was entirely the responsibility of the neighboring Arab states and not that of the Palestine Arabs. He asserted that the truce was in danger of deteriorating and that in fact the opposing armies were ready for battle.

Bunche demanded that the truce be superseded now by something much more durable and secure. Although shying away from a blueprint of a plan for bringing about peace, he said the U.N. must support a permanent peace and must favor a Jewish state.

After the establishment of peace, the acting mediator stated, the U.N. would have to face the following problems: boundaries for the two states, extending international guarantees for the boundaries established; Jerusalem; setting up a definite area for the Arabs; guaranteeing all Palestinians their rights; and, the reinforcement of U.N. machinery in Palestine to enable further intervention by the U.N. there.

At the conclusion of Bunche’s report, the delegates of Syria and Lebanon reiterated their usual charges against the Jewish state and Zionism. Aubrey Ebon, Israeli representative to the U.N., reported that his government has begun judicial proceedings in the Bernadotte ease and promised that the U.N. would be kept informed of progress.

Dmitri Manuilsky of the Ukraine remarked that the U.N. was concentrating too much on Bernadotte’s assassination and objected to this continuing “mixing” of business with sentiment, He insisted that Bernadotte’s report could by no means be considered a political testament. He called on the representatives of the Big Powers, particularly those who composed the consular truce commission, to first present their positions and then the remainder of the Committee would join the discussion. Menuilesky was supported by Committee chairman Paul-Henri Speak who warned against further delay and then adjourned the session.