In what was termed here “a revolutionary move,” Israel submitted today a draft resolution to the General Assembly calling on the countries involved “to reconvene without delay” the Geneva peace conference. The Israeli resolution, which is the first that Israel has ever submitted to the General Assembly, came during the third day of the Assembly’s debate on the Middle East.
The short resolution called “on Egypt, Israel. Jordan and Syria to reconvene without delay at the Geneva peace conference on the Middle East under the co-chairmanship of the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in order to resume negotiations without prior conditions on the establishment of a just and durable peace in the Middle East as called for in. Security Council Resolutions 242 of 22 November 1967 and 338 of 22 October 1973.”
Chaim Herzog, Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, said at a press conference this morning, that Israel expects the Arabs “to torpedo” the resolution. He added, however, that this will also serve Israel’s purpose because it would make clear that the Arabs are “prevaricating, befogging and throwing some screens” in the recent declarations about their desire for peace in the Middle East. Herzog said that if the Arabs approved the resolution, Israel was ready to begin negotiations tomorrow. The vote on the Israeli resolution is expected Wednesday. The Arabs and their allies can torpedo the resolution by offering amendments which can completely change its meaning.
HERZOG OBJECTS TO PREVIOUS RESOLUTIONS
Herzog said that the resolution, which does not mention the Palestine Liberation Organization as a participant in the Geneva conference, was submitted to all UN ambassadors today with an explanation of what objections Israel has to two previous resolutions introduced by Egypt and Syria during the current debate.
He said that the Syrian resolution, which called for PLO participation in Geneva, is “hostile.” The Egyptian resolution, although not referring to the PLO directly, mentioned a report by Secretary General Kurt Waldheim on his talks with the parties to the conflict and called on Waldheim to pursue these talks for a future Geneva conference. Waldheim in his report said he had met with the PLO. Herzog met this morning with. Ambassadors of Latin American countries to explain the Israeli move and said that their response was “favorable.” He also met with U.S. Ambassador William Scranton.
AMENDMENT INTRODUCED TO INCLUDE PLO
A few hours after the Israeli resolution was submitted, India, Sri Lanka and Yugoslavia introduced an amendment calling for the participation of the PLO in what they termed a “UN peace conference.” The amendment said in order to negotiate a lasting peace, the conference should be based, in addition to Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338. on General Assembly Resolution 337. adopted last Nov. 10. which calls for the participation of the PLO in all Mideast peace efforts.
In a related development, the Soviet Union during today’s Middle East debate called for an early resumption of the Geneva conference with the participation of the PLO. Soviet Ambassador Richard Ovinnikov suggested that the General Assembly urge Waldheim to contact the co-chairmen of the Geneva conference–the U.S. and the USSR–and ask for immediate consultations with all parties to prepare for the resumption of the conference.
Ovinnikov said that a Middle East settlement requires Israeli withdrawal from all occupied territories; restoration of Palestinian rights, including the establishment of their own state; international guarantees for the security of boundaries and the independent existence of all Mideast states including Israel. He said the Soviet Union was ready to participate in such guarantees.
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.
