U.N. Security Council Meets Today on Israel’s Charges Against Syria

The United Nations Security Council will meet tomorrow afternoon to consider Israel’s charges against the United Arab Republic for attacking nine Israel settlements on the Syrian frontier last week, killing one Israeli and causing damage estimated at more than $500,000. Israel has charged the United Arab Republic with threatening the peace and security of the area.

Although there was no indication today to the contents of the speech which Ambassador Abba Eban, head of the Israel delegation to the United Nations, will deliver tomorrow at the Security Council, it is believed that he will voice a virtual ultimatum to the United Arab Republic, in the form of a warning that further attacks are likely to lead to Israeli counter-attacks under the UN Charter’s permission for self-defense.

Lt. Col. Arieh Shalev, of the Israel Army, brought to Mr. Eban today a report of his personal investigation of the Arab attack. Col. Shalev said that he had himself counted 500 shell holes resulting from the Syrian artillery fire. He also brought photographs showing the results of the attack.

Before the addresses the Security Council meeting tomorrow, Mr. Eban is scheduled to meet with UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold; Henry Cabot Lodge, chairman of the American delegation: Sir Pierson Dixon, head of the British delegation; and other members of the Council. He may also discuss the Israel complaint with Arkady A. Sobolev, chairman of the Soviet delegation. Each of these conferences will be separate.

ISRAEL GOVERNMENT DETERMINED NOT TO TOLERATE FURTHER ARAB ATTACKS

Israel’s current complaint, it is understood, follows the advice given its diplomats several years ago when continued Arab attacks brought forth Israeli retaliations. At that time, Israel was told by diplomats here that it should have complained openly first, before resorting to counterattack. That is exactly what Israel is doing now.

It is understood that Israel will warn the Security Council that, short of ignoring the Syrian attack–a course which Israelis term “unthinkable”–there are only two alternatives left. One of these alternatives is to take up the matter with the world community — which is exactly what Mr. Eban will do in his private conferences and in the open meeting of the Council. The other alternative is to defend Israel’s security by counter-attacking militarily, invoking Article 51 of the United Nations Charter which gives a member state the right of self-defense.

Israel is expected to make it clear that it does not want to resort to counter-attack within the terms of Article 51. However, it is understood that the entire Israel coalition government is of the unanimous opinion that no further attacks from Syria or from other components of the United Arab Republic will be tolerated.

Today, on the eve of the Council meeting, it was felt here that there has been a change in opinion among leading delegations, compared with the attitude last week when Israel filed its complaint against the United Arab Republic. At that time, the feeling seemed to be that the Syrian attack was only a slight incident. Today there was the feeling that the situation is very grave, the latest attack being only part of a pattern of UAR aggression.