U. N. Security Council Gets Resolution on Israel’s Reprisal Raid

After more than a week of bargaining behind the scenes of the United Nations Security Council over the text of a resolution on Jordan’s complaint against Israel’s reprisal raid into Jordanian territory on Nov. 13, a joint draft resolution by Mali and Nigeria was today presented to the Council. A vote on the resolution is expected tomorrow.

The resolution censures Israel and emphasizes that actions of military reprisal “cannot be tolerated.” It warns that if they are repeated, the Security Council “will have to consider further and more effective steps” as envisaged in the U.N. Charter. In the meantime, it requests the U.N. Secretary-General” to keep the situation under review” and report to the Security Council “as appropriate.” The resolution avoids recommending any sanctions against Israel, as requested by the representative of Jordan.

The text of the resolution reads: “The Security Council, having heard the statements of the representatives of Jordan and Israel concerning the grave Israeli military action which took place in the southern Hebron area on 13 November 1966.

“Having noted the information provided by the Secretary-General concerning this military action in his statement of 16 November and also document S/7593,

“Observing that this incident constituted a large-scale and carefully planned military action on the territory of Jordan by the armed forces in Israel,

“Reaffirming the previous resolutions of the Security Council condemning past incidents of reprisal in breach of the General Armistice Agreement and of the United Nations Charter,

“Recalling the repeated resolutions of the Security Council for the cessation of violent incidents across the demarcation line, and not overlooking past incidents of this nature,

“Reaffirming the necessity for strict adherence to the General Armistice Agreement,

“1. Deplores the loss of life and heavy damage to property resulting from the action of the Israeli Government of 13 November 1966;

“2. Censures Israel for this large-scale military action in violation of the United Nations Charter and of the General Armistice Agreement between Israel and Jordan;

“3. Emphasizes to Israel that actions of military reprisal cannot be tolerated and that if they are repeated, the Security Council will have to consider further and more effective steps as envisaged in the Charter to ensure against the repetition of such acts;

“4. Requests the Secretary-General to keep the situation under review and report to the Security Council as appropriate.”

UGANDA ASKS FOR ‘HOT LINE’ BETWEEN ISRAEL AND JORDAN

Prior to presenting the resolution, the representatives of Mali, Nigeria and Uganda addressed today’s session of the Security Council, The Uganda representative suggested that a “hot line” be set up between Israeli and Jordanian military commanders to prevent further incidents. He also said that his country welcomed steps planned by Israel to seal the border.

The delegate from Uganda indicated that U.N. truce machinery had outlived its usefulness. He called for practical measures, such as meetings of military commanders on both sides of the armistice lines to work out means of surveillance of the border. He also said there should be full freedom of movement in the demilitarized zones for U.N. military observers so that U.N. personnel will not be stopped in tracking offenders. He also called for U.N. observation posts in sensitive sectors on the demarcation line.

Before the Mali-Nigeria draft resolution was presented to the Security Council, members of the Council were working to combine several proposed texts into a resolution that might be acceptable to the Council. The two obstacles were insistence on the one hand by some members that Israel must be threatened with economic sanctions and on the other hand by some that Arab countries must simultaneously be called on to curb guerrilla activities from their territory. The hope was that both these points might be elimi- nated to produce a resolution that the 15-member Council could adopt without the risk of a veto by the Soviet Union.

The delegates from Mali and Nigeria, in presenting their joint resolution today, said that they did not expect either Jordan or Israel to acclaim this resolution, but asked that they accept it as part of a genuine concern of the Security Council that “peace should be restored and maintained in the area on the basis of peaceful co-existence that we all advocate.”