Ambassador Arthur Lourie, Israel’s acting permanent representative to the United Nations, today told Ceylon’s Ambassador T. B. Subasinghe, this month’s president of the Security Council, that no meeting of the Council need be held on a Jordanian grievance filed with the 11-member Council over the weekend.
The Jordanians allege that Israel is “endangering international peace and security” by scheduling a military parade to be held in Jerusalem as part of the annual celebration of Israel’s independence on April 20. Mr. Louirie also conferred with several other members of the Security Council, pointing out to them that Jordan’s claim is “without a vestige of foundation.”
While no official comment was made by any of the participants in the conferences with Ambassador Lourie, there were clear indications here that those Security Council members with whom the Israeli representative discussed the issue were disinclined to accept Jordan’s claim that a full-scale debate be held on the Amman grievance against Israel. The Jordanians, backed by their Arab supporters, were, however, insisting that Mr. Subasinghe bring the Council together in the next few days.
In a letter to Mr. Subasinghe, Ambassador Lourie pointed out that there will be no aircraft in Israel’s military parade, and that the weapons to be shown in the parade will be without any ammunition. He also informed the Council president that Jordan itself has, on four separate occasions in the last year, brought to the Jordanian side of Jerusalem various heavy weapons and aircraft forbidden under the terms of the armistice agreement. “The Israel Government,” stated Mr. Lourie, “recognizing the purely ceremonial nature of these occasions, has not complained of the actions.”
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.
