The Security Council voted II-I with three abstentions this morning to seat the Palestine Liberation Organization with all rights of a UN member state at its debate today on the unrest on the West Bank and East Jerusalem. William Scranton, making his debut as United States Ambassador to the UN, objected to the seating of the PLO on grounds that it violated Security Council regulations.
He said, however, that he had no objection to the Palestinians being heard because obviously they have an interest in this situation as well as in an overall Middle East peace settlement. Israel is participating in the debate. (See related story P. 3.)
Abstentions were registered by the United Kingdom, France and Italy. The latter two countries cited violation of Security Council rules as the reason for abstaining. Scranton’s argument against seating the PLO with full membership status followed the same line as that taken by his predecessor, former Ambassador Daniel P. Moynihan last Dec. 4 and Jan. 12, in connection with the PLO’s participation in the Security Council’s Middle East debate.
Scranton said the seating of the PLO was an ad hoc measure and no matter how often it was done, it remained illegal under Council procedures. The Israeli delegation and the PLO representatives were seated at opposite ends of the horseshoe table.
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.
