The United Nations Security Council made it clear today that it intends to take no new action on Israel-Egyptian border conflicts and that it expects the two countries to cooperate more fully with the UN truce chief, Maj. Gen. E.L.M. Burns, towards tightening border security.
This stand was announced by Arkady A. Sobelov, of the USSR, this month’s president of the Security Council. He made the announcement following addresses by the representatives of the United States, Britain and France in which they suggested that Egypt and Israel abide by the March 30 resolution of the Council which requested Egypt and Israel to follow Gen. Burns’ recommendations with regard to the prevention of border violations.
It was for the third successive time in recent weeks that the Soviet Union and the Western Powers collaborated fully in unanimous expressions of opinion on the Israel-Egyptian issue. Today’s session dealt with Israel’s complaint against recent acts of Egyptian aggression along the Gaza strip.
EBAN APPEALS FOR A “JUST VERDICT” ON EGYPTIAN AGGRESSION
Before the representatives of the Western Powers and the USSR made known their views today, Israel Ambassador Abba Eban warned the Security Council, in effect, that failure to adopt a resolution condemning Egypt’s aggression would amount to discrimination against Israel. He pointed out that the report submitted to the Council by Gen. Burns “confirms without contradiction or reservation every item of the complaint which Israel has brought against Egypt.”
“We hope that we have not reached a position,” Mr. Eban told the Council, “where in it is virtually impossible for Israel to secure a just verdict by resolution, whether against major violations of international maritime law, or against sustained violations of the general armistice agreement over a long period.”
Mr. Eban referred to Egypt’s persistent mining of roads used legitimately by Israel Army patrols along the Gaza border. He insisted that many of Egypt’s aggressions were not at all motivated by “tensions” that followed the Gaza incident of February 28. He listed 22 Egyptian aggressions that occurred between June 2, 1954 and February 2, 1955. He called the Council’s attention to the Patish murder, to the Nachal Oz “battle” and to other Egyptian attacks which have “precisely confirmed Israel’s case.”
“The Government of Israel now comes before the Security Council with a solemn request that the Council should adopt a decision precisely and accurately reflecting the content and conclusions of the Chief of Staff’s report. We ask the Council to condemn the incessant mining of Israel roads which Gen. Burns describes as the major cause of increased tension. We ask the Security Council to condemn assaults on Israel patrols and incursions such as that at Patish.”
Referring to that portion of the Burns report which asserted that some of the Egyptian aggressions were apparently committed by military or civilian personnel acting “unofficially, “Mr. Eban said; “I should like to inquire whether there is a new jurisprudence under which action by military forces may ever be described as or extenuated as “unofficial.'”
AMERICAN VIEWS PRESENTED BY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE
The views of the U.S. Government on the Israel-Egyptian issue were presented at today’s session by the highest Washington official to participate in a Palestine debate here in a long time, David McKay Key, Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs. Mr. Key referred to the two reports sent to the Council within the last few days by Gen. Burns as well as to a letter from the Egyptian delegate Dr. Omar Loutfi circulated among the Council members this morning, asserting that Egypt has promised concrete implementation of some of the Burns’ recommendations that could lead to the easing of border tensions along the Gaza frontier.
Mr. Key deplored the “unhappy and needless loss of life” in the Gaza area, which he blamed on apparent “lack of vigilance by local commanders.” He quoted Gen. Burns’ statement that such incursions into Israel territory “must be repressed” by Egypt. However, Mr. Key asserted, it is now up to both Egypt and Israel to assure Gen. Burns of fullest cooperation in carrying out the objective of the March 30 resolution calling for border pacification. He pledged the United States Government’s readiness “to aid in any way possible in the attainment of success in these efforts.”
From that point on, the speeches comprised a parade of unanimity on the part of the delegates who spoke, including the representatives of France, Britain, Belgium, New Zealand and the USSR. At the end, Mr. Sobolev summarized the consensus to the effect that no further action was necessary. Not one of the delegates objected.
All of the Council members who spoke deplored the Israel casualties of recent weeks. One of them, Henri Hoppenot of France, went one step further and told “both” sides that they could always return to the Council if they felt that there was insufficient cooperation with Gen. Burns’ mediation efforts.
Earlier today, Dag Hammarskjold, UN Secretary General, told a press conference that the agreements reported by Gen. E.L.M. Burns, chief of staff of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization, for tightening border security between Israel and Egypt in the Gaza area as well as between Israel and Jordan in the Jerusalem region are “good and constructive” measures. However “practical” these steps are, he said, there is still quite a distance between the reaching of such agreements and steps toward overall peace talks between Israel and its Arab neighbors.
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