As a result of the recent shooting down of an Israel passenger plane by Bulgarian fighters. Israel today proposed that the next session of the UN General Assembly, opening Sept. 20, place a supplementary item on its agenda under the heading: “The Question of the Safety of Commercial Aircraft Flying in the Vicinity of, Or Inadvertently Crossing, International Frontiers.”
In accordance with the General Assembly’s rules. Israel submitted a brief memorandum explaining the necessity for a study of all incidents in which loss of life has resulted when aircraft have “inadvertently” crossed international frontiers. The memorandum proposed that Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold undertake the study and report back to the session of the General Assembly which will convene in Sept., 1956.
The me morandum, submitted on behalf of Israel by Mordecai R. Kidron, acting head of its delegation here, did not name Bulgaria, but the move by the Israel Government was interpreted here as an obvious reference to the recent incident in the Bulgarian air space.
The text of the memorandum reads:
“In recent years, a number of tragic incidents of shooting down of commercial aircraft, innocently deviating from fixed flight plans in the vicinity of, or across international frontiers, have occurred, resulting in serious loss of life and causing grave international friction, It appears clear that existing international rules and practices in this field fail to provide the necessary protection for aircraft and their passengers in the circumstances indicated.
“In inscribing this item on the agenda of the tenth regular session of the General Assembly the Government of Israel is concerned exclusively to propose that the General Assembly request the Secretary General to undertake a study of this question, in consultation with the specialized agencies concerned and any other body he may deem appropriate, and report to the General Assembly, at its eleventh regular session, his findings and any recommendations he may wish to make for the prevention of such incidents and to provide greater safety for air passengers.”
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