UN to Claim Damages from Israel for Loss of Emergency Force Equipment, Stores

Secretary-General Thant disclosed in a budget report today that he intends to claim compensation from the “government or governments responsible” for “some of the losses and damage to property belonging to the United Nations Emergency Force or its staff” which was stationed in the Gaza Strip and along the Israel-Egyptian demarcation line prior to the Six-Day War. UNEF was withdrawn last May on the orders of Mr. Thant who was complying with Egyptian President Nasser’s demand for the removal of the UN forces, a move which many consider to have been a direct cause of the war last June. At the time, UNEF officers accused Israeli forces of seizing UNEF stores and equipment.

The Secretary-General reported that the budget for the maintenance of UNEF through 1967 was to have been $14 million, but only 45 of the 122 member states paid their UNEF assessments for the year, amounting to $5,203,065.

Ambassador Gunnar Jarring, the new United Nations emissary to the Middle East, was reported today to have been urged by the British to give priority on his mission to the question of the reopening of the Suez Canal. This matter was brought up when he met with the chief British delegate to the UN, Lord Caradon. Ambassador Jarring was reported to have delayed his departure to the Middle East until the conclusion of the Arab summit meeting, scheduled for Rabat, Morocco, starting December 12.

(In Jerusalem, Prime Minister Levi Eshkol said that Israel will cooperate with Ambassador Jarring because his mission will be to promote direct negotiations with the Arabs–a major objective of Israeli policy.)

The annual debate on the Arab refugee question, based on the report of Commissioner-General Laurence Michelmore of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, originally set for Dec. 12, has been postponed until the early part of 1968, apparently at the urging of the Arab states, who are known to oppose a discussion at this time. The General Assembly will hold a pledging conference of member states on Wednesday to raise funds for the maintenance of UNRWA.