Israel Ambassador Abba Eban, head of the Israeli delegation to the United Nations, arrived here today from Washington ready to lay before the U,N. Security Council tomorrow the whole story of border incidents during the last 18 months.
In the meantime, a spokesman for the Israeli delegation issued here a statement declaring that “the Government of Israel will welcome a call by the Security Council to the parties concerned for full compliance with the armistice agreements and is ready to take all practical steps to insure this end.” The statement reads:
“The Government of Israel has had occasion several times in the past few years to draw attention to situations arising from non-compliance with the armistice agreements. On July 23,1953, the permanent representative of Israel to the United Nations, in a communication to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, drew attention to the fact that during 1952 armistice violations had resulted in 135 Israeli casualties including 60 killed and no fewer than 3,742 illegal and criminal crossings of the border.
“On June 18,1953, a spokesman of the Israel Embassy in Washington drew attention to the fact that in the period from January to June, 1953, there were 97 Israel casualties including 26 killed. The situation since June, 1953, has not improved. Criminal border crossings continued apace. Passenger traffic in Israel was subjected to armed attack, houses were blown up and considerable damage done to lives and property with 30 casualties including 21 killed. Between January and August, 1953, the number of criminal incidents was 1,565.
“The gravity of the situation can well be judged by a consideration of the decisions of the Israel-Jordan Mixed Armistice Commission. In a 12-month period from June, 1952, to June, 1953, the Mixed Armistice Commission ruled against Jordan in 159 cases and against Israel in 25 cases.
HIGH-LEVEL DISCUSSIONS SUGGESTED BY ISRAEL TO JORDAN
In March, 1953, the Government of Israel formally suggested high-level discussions between representatives of Israel and representatives of Jordan with a view to considering steps that could be taken to bring border strife to an end and insure a situation of full compliance with the armistice agreements.
“This proposal was turned down by the Government of Jordan and it was not until June, 1953, that the Jordan Government indicated its acceptance of the much more limited agreement known as the local Commanders Agreement. The Government of Israel had already made specific suggestions beyond its acceptance of the Local Commanders Agreement for steps to be taken to reduce border tension and continue to press for consideration of them. These proposals were turned down by Jordan. Border violations since that date have continued unabated and their character has changed for the worse.
“The Government of Israel will welcome a call by the Security Council to the parties concerned for full compliance with the armistice agreements and is ready to take all practical steps to insure this end. The implementation of such a call must include Egyptian compliance with the long-standing Security Council resolution of September 1, 1951, calling on Egypt to desist from its breach of the armistice agreement by its blockade of the Suez Canal. It is expected that an impartial consideration of the situation must take into account the entire background.
“Since the inception of Arab aggression against Israel in 1948 the Government of Israel has, on repeated occasions, stated its readiness to enter into direct peace negotiations with the Arab states. It has been the constant view of Israel that the security of the Middle East requires a rapid advance from the stage of armistice to a condition of real peace formalized by freely negotiated peace agreements and expressed in the cessation of all acts of hostility including economic and diplomatic, as well as military hostility. This view has consistently been supported by the organs of the United Nations as expressed in resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council.
“Israel is of the view that the persistent refusal by the Arab states to discuss peace, accompanied as it is by a continuous policy of armistice violation, inflammatory threats of a “second round,” of diplomatic aggression, economic boycott and blockade, is a pertinent and central factor in a consideration of the security situation in the Middle East, and hopes that the consideration of the-Middle East security problem will result in the appropriate steps being taken without delay leading towards real peace and the reduction of tension in the area. In such steps Israel will be ready at all times to cooperate to the full.”
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.
