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U. N.delegations Seek to Avoid Debate on Eichmann at Security Council

June 20, 1960
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A number of delegations here, including leading representatives of the Western Powers, today continued to exert pressures against having the United Nations Security Council debate the Argentine complaint against Israel in connection with the capture of Adolf Eichmann, the Nazi leader who directed the Killing of 6.000, 000 Jews.

The Security Council meeting on this issue is scheduled to take place on Wednesday. However, hopes were expressed here today that, prior to Wednesday, some compromise might be reached between Israel and Argentina, perhaps through a meeting between Israel’s Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion and Argentine President Frondizi, both of whom are now in Europe.

The Israel delegation here continued today to maintain close contact with members of the Security Council on the issue. Over the weekend, Israel’s Foreign Minister Golda Meir interrupted a previously scheduled lecture tour of the United States to come here for a conference on the Argentine grievance with Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold. Israel’s permanent representative, Michael S. Comay, also discussed the issue with the Secretary General as well as with Dr. Tingfu F. Tsiang, of China, president of the Security Council, and all other members of the Council, including Arkady A, Sobolev, of the Soviet Union.

(Moscow dispatches today indicated that the Soviet delegation at the UN may take a double stand on the Argentine grievance when it comes to the Security Council. On the one hand, Russia may support Argentina on its insistence that the anti-Israeli grievance should be inscribed on the Council’s agenda, thus making possible full debate on the issue. On the other hand, Russia might side at the Council with Israel on its method of capturing Eichmann, pointing out that the arch-criminal was able to hide in the Western world for 15 years.)

The consensus of many experienced observers here was that, if the Argentine issue does receive public airing before the Security Council, that body might adopt a resolution only “recommending” that Israel return Eichmann to Argentina, as the Buenos Aires Government insists. Such a recommendation, however, would not be legally binding upon Israel.

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