Several United Nations delegations have already begun to prepare a compromise resolution on an international regime for the protection of the Holy Places in Jerusalem, and key delegates are confident that such a move will win the support of this year’s General Assembly, it was learned today.
The resolution being drafted is modeled on a proposal introduced unsuccessfully last year by Sweden and the Netherlands. That resolution invited the states concerned in Palestine to pledge full religious freedom and access in the Holy land and established U.N. supervision over the Holy Places without, however, extending U.N. authority politically or territorially.
One top Western delegate asserted today that virtually all support for last year’s Assembly mandate for complete internationalization of Jerusalem had faded away ant that a compromise resolution that restricted U.N. authority to the Holy Places only should win almost unanimous support this year. It was indicated that there would be a number of sponsors for such a resolution, which would be ready when the Palestine issue comes up before the Assembly later on in the current session.
It is also understood here that the resolution will omit the two items of last year’s Swedish-Netherlands proposal which were most objectionable to Israel–a provision for progressive demilitarization of Jerusalem and the banning of Jerusalem as a national capital.
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