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UN Council Tied Up in Parliamentary Wrangle on Non-governmental Status of Jewish Unit

May 26, 1969
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The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), involved in what appeared to be an almost insoluble parliamentary wrangle over decisions of the Coordinating Board of Jewish Organization, accepted a resolution Friday to defer a decision until June 2. Renewal of status for the non-governmental organization has been bitterly fought by the Soviet Union and the Arab states whose efforts to deprive other Jewish NGOs of official status were defeated last week.

The procedural wrangle was further complicated last Thursday when a Tanzanian motion to refer the entire question of the Board’s status back to the ECOSOC committee on NGOs was given precedence over an American motion that, pending a final decision, the Jewish NGO should enjoy the right to appear before ECOSOC agencies. The Arab representatives took the position that until the committee reported, the Board, which represents the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the South African Jewish Board of Deputies and the B’nai B’rith, had no standing.

On Friday, when the ECOSOC resumed sessions, the American delegate, Walter E. Kotschnig, asked the chairman whether the U.S. resolution of the day before was receivable. The chairman ruled it was, but again, the resolution was not put to a vote, priority being given to the Norwegian motion to put over action until June 2.

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