Israel presented another letter here today to Lord Caradon, of Britain, this month’s president of the Security Council, complaining against the continuing terrorist incursion into Israel. It noted that these acts of sabotage, in the last 36 hours, have not abated even while Israel’s charges of Syrian Governmental responsibility for the activities of the El Fatah saboteurs are “sub judice” in the Council.
The letter was given to Lord Caradon by Israel’s permanent representative here, Ambassador Michael S. Comay, and referred specifically to the latest mine explosions, one near the Syrian border, the other on the Jordanian frontier.
The Security Council continued in recess today on the Israeli complaint against Syria. But strenuous efforts were being made behind the scenes to draft a resolution, or possibly two measures, to wind up the long-drawn issue, under consideration for 10 days. There was belief that, when the Council reconvenes, probably Tuesday, the United States may present a resolution if the Washington delegation succeeds in finding a formulation that could be acceptable to the Council minority, including the USSR. It was believed that a relatively mild resolution could obtain 10 of the Council’s 15 votes. A minimum of nine favorable votes are needed for adoption of a Council resolution, but a Soviet veto could negate any Council action.
It was noted here today that, so far, Jordan, which is the only Arab member of the Council, has not spoken up at all on the merits of the current Israeli-Syrian dispute. Muhammad H. El-Farra, Jordan’s representative on the Council, has taken the floor only once, and that intervention was confined to a point of order.
Meanwhile, in the General Assembly, debate is expected to open at last, tomorrow, on the Arab refugee issue. The debate has been delayed for nearly two weeks by Max Jakobson, of Finland, chairman of the Assembly’s Special Political Committee, which must discuss the refugee problem. The main reason for the delay is believed to be that too many delegations in the committee were dissatisfied with that portion of the annual report submitted by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees which has admitted, for the first time, that UNRWA is channeling relief to refugees who are being given military training for possible war against Israel through the Palestine Liberation Organization.
In preparation for tomorrow’s meeting, 12 of the Arab League states sent a letter to the committee today, requesting that the PLO be given the right to seat a delegation for direct participation in the committee’s deliberations. Tunisia was the only Arab member not joining that action. The committee has also been requested to seat the so-called Palestine Arab Delegation, a group never officially recognized by the United Nations in the past.
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.
