United Nations Secretary General Kurt Waldheim, on his way to attend the meeting of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) summit meeting in Kampala, Uganda, has warned the 46-member group against seeking to oust Israel from the UN.
According to reports received here, Waldheim during a brief stopover in Khartoum said that the campaign to evict Israel from the UN was a very serious matter. He added that a United States withdrawal, provoked by an expulsion of Israel, would be regrettable. “I hope that such a step to quit the UN can be avoided and that we can maintain universal cooperation.”
The OAU foreign ministers have named a committee to draft a resolution calling for Israel’s ouster from the UN. According to reports, one part of the proposal would ask that Israel be expelled until she complies with UN resolutions while another asks permanent expulsion. However, reports from Kampala are that the Black African countries may not go along with the Arabs on this issue. They are also expected not to approve a request that they allow the Palestine Liberation Organization to open offices in their capital city.
Earlier this month a resolution urging Israelis expulsion from the UN was adopted at a conference of 40 Islamic foreign ministers in Jedda, Saudi Arabia. Strong opposition to Israel’s expulsion has been issued by the U.S., Canada, and some Western European countries.
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