U.S. Threatens to Withdraw from UN if Israel is Suspended or Expelled

Under the threat of an American withdrawal from the United Nations, the Arab States and their supporters here were reconsidering the language of an extremely anti-Israel, anti-U.S. resolution on the issue of Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights today. The issue is presently the subject of debate at an emergency special session of the General Assembly which opened last Friday.

Last night the State Department issued a statement warning that any attempt to suspend or expel Israel from the UN “would have serious consequences for continued U.S. participation in and support for the United Nations.”

A draft resolution circulated here yesterday called on the General Assembly to impose sanctions on Israel and “deplored” the U.S. for its military and economic assistance to Israel and for casting a veto last week against a Security Council resolution invoking sanctions on Israel for its Golan move.

PAVING THE WAY FOR EXPULSION

In addition, the draft stated that the General Assembly is “noting that Israel’s record establishes conclusively that it is not a peace-loving member (of the UN) and that it has not carried out its obligations under the Charter of the UN.” According to diplomats here, the characterization of Israel as a non-peace-loving nation could pave the way for its expulsion from the UN.

A meeting of the General Assembly’s Credentials Committee, scheduled for today to approve the credentials of member nations, was postponed at the last minute until tomorrow. That raised suspicion that the Arab states, after adopting a resolution declaring that Israel is not a peace-loving nation, would demand its suspension at the Credentials Committee meeting on that ground.

However, changes and amendments in the draft resolution are not ruled out inasmuch as it was not officially submitted to the General Assembly today as originally planned. Diplomats said they expected a vote on the resolution would take place tomorrow.