Situation in the OPT/Jerusalem – Note verbale from Jordan

NOTE VERBALE DATED 10 MARCH 1968 FROM THE MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS

OF JORDAN TO THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

The Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan presents his compliments to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and has the honour to call to His Excellency's particular attention the recent Israeli measures, announced on 29 February 1968, concerning the status of the Arab territories which have been occupied by the Israeli forces since 5 June 1967.

Since their armed aggression on the Arab countries on 5 June 1967, the Israeli authorities have been using the slogan of peace as a screen to conceal their aggressive and expansionist policies against the Arab lands and peoples. The nature of Israeli policies and schemes has been clearly exposed by the numerous and successive measures which have been applied without any regard to justice, the rule of law or basic human considerations.

Israel has defied Security Council resolution 237 (1967) which calls upon the Israeli authorities to ensure the safety, welfare and security of the inhabitants in the occupied Arab territories, and the return of those inhabitants who have fled the areas since the outbreak of hostilities.  It also has openly violated the two General Assembly resolutions adopted on 7 and 14 July 1967 [resolutions 2253 (ES-V) and 2254 (ES-V)] which call upon Israel "to rescind all measures already taken and to desist forthwith from taking any action which would alter the status of Jerusalem".  Far from heeding the Security Council and General Assembly directives, the Israeli authorities have persisted in carrying out projects calculated to bring about drastic changes in the national and historical character of the Holy City.

Israel further persisted in its systematic policy of expelling thousands of Arab inhabitants from their homes in the occupied territories to the east bank of the Jordan at a rate of several hundreds per day, in order to strip certain areas of their Arab inhabitants, and create a vacuum for Israeli annexation and expansion.  To facilitate this operation Israel has intensified its inhuman practices of terror, repression, torture and intimidation against the innocent Arab inhabitants in the occupied territories.  Not to be daunted by the cease-fire resolution, the Israeli armed forces have launched repeated and indiscriminate attacks on Jordanian positions and villages and have directed their fire against civilians and refugee camps, thereby inflicting heavy losses in lives and property.

In spite of the positive and constructive attitude of the Government of Jordan towards the mission of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the implementation of Security Council resolution 242 (1967) of 22 November 1967, the Israeli authorities resorted to evasive and devious methods in order to strengthen their foothold in the occupied territories and to fulfil their expansionist plans.

Last but not least, Israel has embarked upon a new grave course in open defiance of the United Nations and in violation of elementary principles of international law, the United Nations Charter and the United Nations resolutions relating to the present crisis in the Middle East.

Israel has declared officially that it no longer regards the occupied territories as "enemy territories" and has established custom and civilian control posts for official entry to and exit from "Israel".  It has substituted Israeli names for place names on the west bank of the Jordan.  These measures negate every Israeli contention and plea for peace.

It should be emphasized that Israel has chosen to make this declaration at the time the Secretary-General Special Representative, Dr. Gunnar Jarring, was consulting with the Secretary-General in New York.

The Government of Jordan views with the utmost gravity and concern the seriously deteriorating situation which results from the latest Israeli measures in changing the status of the occupied Arab territories.

The Government of Jordan wishes to draw the attention of the Secretary-General, members of the Security Council and Member States to this serious and precarious situation.

The Government of Jordan would like to state that the aggressive Israeli behaviour referred to in this note is incompatible with the prerequisites for peace.

The Government of Jordan desires to emphasize its determination to preserve both its national integrity and legitimate Arab rights in the occupied territories, and to liberate these territories which are an integral part of the Arab homeland as well as to free the Jordanian and Arab inhabitants from the yoke of Israeli military occupation.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs would be grateful if the Secretary-General will circulate this note as an official document of the General Assembly and the Security Council.

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* Also issued under the symbol A/7069.