U.S. and Israel Charge Syrian Envoy with Misleading U.N. Body

The Syrian Ambassador to the United Nations, Salah el Dine Terazi, today stood accused here by a United States representative and by Israel’s permanent representative to the UN of “misleading” tactics and “subterfuge” by using a “back door” method of slandering Israel before the Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities.

The charges against Syria erupted this weekend during a stormy, two-hour debate which came just before the Subcommission concluded a three-week session. During this session it adopted three sets of principles guaranteeing the rights of all people to emigrate from or immigrate into their own countries, the right to hold and practice their own religion and the right to freedom from racial discriminations. Some of these principles had been aimed clearly at the Soviet Union and the protection of the sizable Jewish minority in the Soviet Union without, however, mentioning the USSR by name.

The charges against Mr. Terazi were voiced by Israel’s permanent mission chairman here, Michael S. Comay and by the United States expert on the Subcommission Morris B, Abram. They were supported in milder terms by Marcel Bouquin of France, and Francesco Capotorti, of Italy, two other members on the 12-man body. Efforts to absolve the Syrian of the serious charges were made by Boris S, Ivanov, of the Soviet Union and Dr. Wojciech Ketrzynski, of Poland, vice-chairman of the group.

Mr. Comay charged that the Syrian diplomat introduced two memoranda which, the members of the Subcommission believed to be documents of the Syrian Government, entitled to file official papers because Syria is a member of the United Nations. Instead, it turned out, the papers filed by Mr. Terazi were not Syrian documents. One of these was a memorandum by the so-called Palestine Arab Delegation and the other was a three-year-old pamphlet issued by the Arab Information Center in New York. Neither of these groups has official status here.

COMAY EXPOSES SYRIAN MOVE; U.S. WITHDRAWS VOTE SUPPORTING SYRIA

Mr. Comay told the Subcommission that he objected to the introduction of the documents submitted by Mr. Terazi because they had emanated from non-official propaganda groups. He also answered in detail the charges that Israel violates the rights of Arab refugees or the rights of the Arab minority in Israel.

“The Syrian representative, ” said Mr. Comay, “misled the Subcommission. He has filed papers emanating from groups that have no status here whatever. To accept these papers would create a dangerous precedent, opening the door for all emigre groups who can find a friendly government ready to submit their documents for them, although the groups themselves have no status here.”

Mr. Abram who, as a member of the Subcommission, had voted last week to permit the Syrian to present documentation, told the group that he wanted the record to show he has “annulled” his previous vote. “The Subcommission was misled, ” he said. “I want the record to show that I am annulling my previous decision to permit these documents to be entered here, since they were not presented by the Syrian Government.”