Soviet Russia’s Prime Minister Alexei N. Kosygin is coming here to direct the USSR’s fight against Israel in the expected emergency session of the General Assembly. Announcement that Mr. Kosygin would come here, with an entourage of about 40 persons, was made officially today by the Soviet Government in Moscow.
At the same time, it was learned here, Israel’s Foreign Minister Abba Eban would arrive in New York late tomorrow night or early Saturday to attend the special Assembly session. The information about Mr. Eban’s forthcoming arrival discounted earlier rumors to the effect that Israel’s delegation to the emergency session of the Assembly would include Gen. Moshe Dayan, Israel’s Defense Minister.
The fact that the Assembly would be held was indicated this afternoon, as Secretary-General U Thant received many favorable replies from the members of the United Nations to a poll he launched yesterday in response to a Soviet request for an emergency special session. Only 62 “yes” votes from the U.N.’s membership of 122 were needed to make it obligatory upon Mr. Thant to convene the Assembly for a meeting within 24 hours. Consequently, the Assembly was expected to meet this weekend.
In the poll, the United States Government abstained. U.S. Ambassador Arthur J. Goldberg notified Mr. Thant that the U.S.A. “does not concur with the convening of the Assembly’s extraordinary session.” Mr. Goldberg questioned the legality of the summons for an Assembly at this time, insisting that the Security Council was still “seized of the question of the Middle East situation.” He pointed out that several resolutions aimed at attempts to bring about peace between Israel and the Arab states were still pending in the Council.
The Security Council met last night and decided, against the opposition of the Soviet Union, that it was still “seized” of the problem of Middle East peace. The decision was made after the Council had voted unanimously a resolution calling upon Israel to treat all Arab refugees, civilian in the zones occupied by military forces and Arab refugees humanely.
Prior to the adoption of that resolution, the United Nations announced that Israel had entered an agreement with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, the arm for feeding and sheltering the Arab refugees. Under that pact, Israel pledged to aid UNRWA in its work for caring for the refugees in the Gaza Strip and on the west bank of the Jordan River. Both are areas now occupied by Israeli troops. The Israel Government pledged to facilitate UNRWA’s work in every way.
Laurence Michelmore, commissioner-general of UNRWA, announced that “where conditions permit, limited services have already been started and are now being expanded” for aid to the Arab refugees.
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.
