United Nations truce chief Col. Byron V. Leary has refused to follow through on Israel’s complaint against Syria for threats by the Syrian Premier against Israel, the Foreign Ministry announced today. However, Israel has protested the decision and has informed Col. Leary that it cannot accept the view that the UN truce machinery will not consider this complaint.
Official circles termed Col. Leary’s decision a “serious blow to the effectiveness of the armistice machinery. “They warned that the decision “cannot but prejudice full compliance with the armistice agreements. ” Israels complaint against Syria was based on Article I of the Israel-Syrian armistice pact which prohibits both aggression and threats of aggression by and against the signatories.
The Israeli view is that Col. Leary has no authority to refuse to investigate any complaint put before him, and it was underlined that nearly 100 complaints have been submitted by both sides under the terms of Article I and that in at least seven cases the truce machinery has handed down decisions under this clause. It was further stated that Israel feels that different standards have been applied to Syria and to Israel in the processing of complaints and that Israel is being barred from UN assistance.
The Israeli circles indicated that an intensive effort will be made to press for a solution of the matter. Either the UN Security Council or Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold may be asked to act in the matter, it was indicated.
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