Rarely has Israel been following with greater interest a United Nations action than the current session of the Security Council on Israel’s complaint that Syria is sponsoring a steady succession of guerrilla incursions into Israel.
Observers indicated a belief today that Security Council action, or lack of action, as well as the final wording of the resolution introduced last week by the United States and Britain, will deeply influence Israel’s future attitude toward its Arab neighbors as well as the formulation of policy of Israel’s policy-makers toward future border incidents. The observers said that both officials and the man in the street believe that the Council’s decision will demonstrate whether Israel can count on the U. N. at least for moral and diplomatic support.
(By the time this issue of the JTA Daily News Bulletin went to press, the Security Council, at the United Nations, had not as yet decided on the action, expected today, with regard to the Israeli grievance against Syria and the proposed Anglo-American resolution linking Syria with the recent raids into Israel. The Council will meet tomorrow.)
Meanwhile, an Israeli army car detonated today a freshly laid mine in the latest border incident. The new incident occurred near the Syrian border. The car was damaged but none of its occupants were hurt. The site of the incident was Nebi Huda, across the border from the fortified Syrian position at Tel Azzaziat, scene of a number of recent guerrilla incursions.
Premier Levi Eshkol and Foreign Minister Abba Eban held special consultations today to evaluate the status of the Council’s deliberations and to plan for any contingency. Further top level meetings were scheduled after the Council disposes of Israel’s complaint.
A new blow at Israel’s confidence in U. N. action was delivered yesterday by the Israeli-Jordan Mixed Armistice Commission which again declined to hold Jordan responsible for a shooting incident on October 13 near Neshua, despite clear-cut evidence that the perpetrators came from Jordan, the MAC failed even to attest to that fact.
Official sources here expressed disappointment and disapproval over the United Nations Truce Supervision chairman’s failure to vote for the relevant paragraphs of Israel’s resolution presented to MAC. The lack of results from the MAC meeting strengthened Israel’s view that the “legalistic” approach by UNTSO, which aims at “water-tight proven cases” was both ineffective and untenable.
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.
