The General Assembly adopted a resolution late last Thursday night, one of six anti-Israel resolutions, calling for on urgent Security Council meeting to rescind the deportation of two West Bank mayors, Fald Kawasme of Hebron and Mohammed Milhim of Halhoul, as well as Kodi (Moslem judge) Rajeb Buyud Tamimi. The three were originally deported May 3, a day after terrorists in Hebron ambushed and killed six yeshiva students and wounded 16 others.
The deportation of the two mayors was up-held two weeks ago by the Israeli Supreme Court which also issued a non-binding recommendation that Premier Menachem Begin reconsider the case end allow the mayors to remain on the West Bank to test their promise to abide by Military Government regulations. Begin, acting in his capacity as Defense Minister, ignored the non-binding recommendation and expelled the mayor Dec. 5.
The same Assembly resolution also condemned Israel for policies against Palestinian Arab students and charged that Israeli troops fired “on de fenceless students, causing many casualties” during a week of rioting and tensions on the West Bank following the expulsion of the mayors. The resolution also condemned what it termed measures of repression against universities in the administered territories. The vote on this resolution was 117-2, with Israel and the United State opposing, and 25 abstentions, mainly West European countries.
The resolutions were part of the repeat submitted to the Assembly by the Special Committee to investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Population of the Occupied Territories.
OTHER CHARGES AGAINST ISRAEL
In other resolutions concerning Israeli practices in the territories, Israel was charged with violations of the Geneva Convention regarding the protection of civilians in time of war, and was also criticized for measures it had taken to change the status of the territories. Israel was the only country to oppose these resolutions.
Another resolution calling for the continued investigation of the treatment of civilians detained in the territories was approved by a vote of 118-2, with the U.S. and Israel opposing. There were 23 abstentions. The same vote was recorded on a resolution condemning Israel’s intention to annex the Golan Heights.
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