Efforts to reach agreement among members of the United Nations General Assembly on a “face-saving” resolution the Assembly could adopt before concluding its emergency session on the Middle East ran into the expected snags today.
Sweden, Denmark and Finland circulated a draft resolution which would call on all parties in the dispute for restraint and for observance of the cease-fire lines. It would also authorize the Secretary-General to designate a personal representative in the Middle East to deal with all the governments involved.
In conferences with representatives of the unaligned bloc, the Arab states and others who supported the unsuccessful Yugoslav resolution, discussion broke down on the question of inclusion of the non-belligerency concept. There was also disagreement over the term, “durable peace.”
The Assembly session yesterday heard explanations of their votes on the various resolutions earlier this week by representatives of a number of states and bitter diatribes from the Arabs. In a sudden and unexpected maneuver which caught many delegates by surprise, President Abdul Rahman Pazhwak of Pakistan proposed an adjournment of the session until next Wednesday. There had been general agreement on a 48-hour recess. However, only Israel voiced objection to the long recess.
“The Assembly has fully debated the matter.” Ambassador Gideon Rafael told the session. “It has reached a state of conclusion. It has taken votes and these votes clearly express the viewpoints of the member states of the United Nations on the various proposals submitted to them for their judgment and decision.”
PLAN NEW ONSLAUGHT AGAINST ISRAEL ON JERUSALEM ISSUE
The week-long recess was seen as a maneuver to keep the emergency meeting of the Assembly alive until Israel’s deadline for compliance with the Assembly resolution ordering Israel to revoke its measures for the reunification of Jerusalem. Under the terms of the Pakistani resolution, Israel was given one week in which to comply. Next Tuesday is the deadline.
Since Israel refused to recognize that the Assembly had any competence in the Jerusalem question, the Secretary-General’s report on Israel’s compliance with the resolution is expected to be negative. Israel’s foes in the Assembly consequently anticipated another opportunity to belabor the Jewish State as being in wilful defiance of the international body.
SECRETARY-GENERAL SENDS ENVOY TO MIDDLE EAST
The Secretary-General announced today that he had designated Nils-Goran Gussing of Sweden as his personal representative in the Middle East to investigate the treatment of the civilian population and prisoners of war. The appointment was in accordance with the Security Council resolution of June 14. Mr. Gussing is the representative in Greece of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.
Ambassador Rafael complained to the Secretary-General today that while Israel had accorded normal facilities to the International Red Cross to visit prisoner-of-war camps in Israel, not all the Arab governments have permitted similar visits to Israeli prisoners. He complained of the absence of information in U.N. reports on the treatment of Israeli prisoners and expressed concern about the fate of these prisoners.
The Jordanian Government complained to the Secretary-General about the conditions under which Israel announced it would permit refugees to return to the West Bank area. The Jordanian complaint said the West Bank was “an integral part of the Hashemite Kingdom” and the right of Jordanians to return to their homes there “is a natural right affirmed and endorsed by the United Nations.”
Foreign Minister Abba S. Eban of Israel, who had cancelled his scheduled return to Israel Wednesday night, was to have left New York for Jerusalem tonight.
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