Resolution Culminates Hectic Activities

The Security Council, meeting in emergency session last night, unanimously adopted a three-point resolution sponsored jointly by the United States and the Soviet Union. The resolution was passed 14-0 with China not participating. (See P. 1 of Supplement for text of resolution.)

The Council’s resolution culminated a weekend of swift, dramatic developments in which U.S. Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger flew to Moscow on Friday at the invitation of the Kremlin to discuss means to bring about peace in the Middle East and flew to Israel last night, apparently to explain the U.S. Soviet agreement to Israeli leaders.

Certain key questions about implementation of the joint resolution remained unanswered in Washington this morning and State Department sources indicated they would have to await Dr. Kissinger’s return, expected late tonight. What was unknown today was when the peace negotiations called for between the parties would begin, where they would be held–whether on the territory of either of the combatants or at some neutral site–and who would constitute the “appropriate auspices” under which the talks would be held.

AIRLIFT TO ISRAEL TO CONTINUE

(In Washington today the Defense Department said it would continue its airlift of war materiel to Israel until the results of the cease-fire become more evident. Jerry Friedheim, Pentagon spokesman, said there would be no change until the Defense Department determines the results of the cease-fire. He said that as of this morning the Department was continuing its airlift that began a week ago.)

U.S. Ambassador John Seali said in the course of his statement to the Security Council last night, “We believe that from the tragic events of the past 17 days there must be a new resolve, a new attempt to remove the fundamental causes that have brought war to the Middle East so frequently and so tragically. Another respite between two wars is not good enough. And for our part both the United States and the Soviet Union are ready to make our joint good offices available to the parties as a means to facilitate the negotiating process.” Scali also said that the U.S. and the USSR “believe that there should be an immediate exchange of prisoners of war.”

Israeli Ambassador Yosef Tekoah said: “To the Arab governments the Egyptian-Syrian aggression of October 6 has brought failure and disgrace. To Israel it has confirmed the correctness of its views and the reality of its apprehensions. It is clear now that, after having launched war 25 years ago against Israel’s existence, Arab leadership still aims at Israel’s elimination as a sovereign member of the family of nations. The nature, the timing, the extent of the Yom Kippur aggression leave little room for doubt.” Tekoah added that the new war brought nothing but disgrace and dishonor “for those leaders of Egypt and Syria and their supporters who have led their states into more devastation and sorrow.”