U. N. Security Council Hears Report on Israel-jordan Relations

Israel is entitled to demand that Jordan cooperate in the formation of a bilateral special committee to solve some problems left hanging in mid-air when the two countries signed their 1949 armistice agreement the Security Council was told today by Col. Byron V. Leary, acting chief of staff of the United Nations Truce Supervisory Organization.

Jordan has made some of the improvements envisaged for talks by that special committee but has refused to talk about the matters which “are of interest primarily to Israel, Col. Leary declared. Col. Leary made these points today in the second of two reports requested by the Security Council at a September 6 meeting when Jordan accused Israel of violating the armistice agreement through the plantin of trees in the area near UN headquarters south of Jerusalem.

Israel submitted a counter-grievance at that same meeting, asking that the Security Council order Jordan to implement three articles in the 1949 agreement which, according to Israel, have never been carried out by Jordan. Col. Leary filed a report on the Jordanian complaint several weeks ago. Today’s report, dealing with the Israel grievances, made these points.

1. In regard to the special committee proposed in the armistice agreement, “Israel is entitled” to request the implementation of that clause “as an agreed solution of problems to which either party attaches great importance would help in relaxing tensions between the two countries.”

Col. Leary interjected, however, that the “main problem is the resumption by the Israel Government of full participation in the meetings of the Mixed Armistice Commission and full cooperation with the observation and investigation machinery of the Truce Supervision Organization.” Israel has boycotted the MAC since October. 1956.

2. On Israel’s second complaint, which concerns Jordan’s failure to implement the first article of the armistice agreement providing that the armistice pact should be turned into peace talks, Col. Leary said the TSO “can do little to secure implementation.”

3Israel’s third complaint concerned Jordan’s refusal to attend a conference at which Jordan and Israel might discuss the armistice problems in general. Col. Leary merely reported that Israel specifically requested such a conference exactly four years ago that the Security Council agreed such a conference should be held and that Jordan declined to attend such a conference.”

A spokesman for the Israeli delegation declined flatly to discuss the Leary report, saying “whatever we shall have to say about the report will be said in the Security Council when the debate on this issue is resumed.”