The United Nations will not participate in the proceedings of the Israeli-Egyptian political committee to convene here next Monday, Kurt Waldheim, UN Secretary General, informed Israel yesterday. He reportedly said that Gen. Ensio S11lasvuo, the senior UN representative to the Mideast, who represented the UN at the Cairo conference last month, will not take part in the Jerusalem talks.
Ephraim Evron, director general of the Foreign Ministry, met with S11lasvuo Monday and asked him to convey to Waldheim Israel’s desire that he be present at the Jerusalem meeting since it is an extension of the earlier Cairo conference. However, Waldheim responded that no UN representative would be present at the meeting. The reason was not reported. The Foreign Ministry expressed its regret at the decision. S11lasvuo himself heard of the decision from reporters, and would not comment.
Meanwhile, preparations are in full swing for the political committee talks. An Egyptian airliner arrived yesterday afternoon at Ben Gurion Airport with a group of security men, technicians and communications personnel. The talks are due to convene at the Jerusalem Hilton, which will also serve as the residence for the Egyptian contingent.
The media, which was to have had its communications at the Hilton, will be headquartered for the duration at the nearby Binyanai Ha’uma convention hall where a special communications center will be installed. Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan refused to have the media, either local or foreign, staying and working at the same hotel where the committee will hold its talks. Security considerations are believed to have prompted his decision.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
