The General Assembly’s Political Committee (the First Committee) yesterday rejected an Iraqi motion that requested the committee to vote on an anti-Israel draft resolution calling on the Security Council to impose an arms embargo on Israel. By a vote of 59-28 with 30 abstentions, the committee decided to postpone the vote on the anti-Israel draft until next month, together with other resolutions to be voted by the committee.
Israeli diplomats at the United Nations described the committee’s vote as an “achievement” for Israel. It was the first time in many years that the Arabs could not muster a majority in a procedural vote. Many African countries, along with the United States, West Europe and South American countries opposed the Iraqi motion after strong “lobbying” by Israel at the UN. Israel claimed that the Iraqi motion was aimed at torpedoing the current peace negotiations in Washington.
However, it is expected that when the draft resolution comes before the committee next month, it will be adopted by a large margin.
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