DOCUMENT S/6003*
Letter dated 6 October 1964 from the representatives of Algeria,
Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Saudi Arabia,
Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Republic and Yemen,
addressed to the President of the Security Council
[Original text: English]
[8 October 1964]
With reference to the letter contained in document S/5980 of 18 September 1964 1/ we have the honour, upon instructions from our respective Governments, to state the following:
1. In an attempt to deal with the Palestine problem detached from its historical context, the Israel representative made deliberate misrepresentations and deletions regarding the statement on Palestine in the Declaration [annex] issued by the Council of the Kings and Heads of State of the member States of the Arab League at its second session held at Alexandria, from 5 to 11 September 1964. This Declaration has reaffirmed the views that our Governments separately and jointly have expressed in the United Nations, and which were supported by joint declarations and resolutions adopted in international conferences, to uphold, restore and safeguard the rights of the Palestinian people to their usurped homeland.
These rights stem from the universally accepted principle that a country belongs to its indigenous inhabitants regardless of allegations made by colonial forces working to determine its destiny against the free will of its own people.
2. Therefore, the Declaration “stressed the necessity of utilizing all Arab potentialities, and the mobilization of their resources and capabilities, in order to counter the challenge of colonialism and Zionism as well as Israel’s continued aggressive policies and its insistence on denying the rights of the Arabs of Palestine to their homeland”.
3. Israel, which was born as a result of colonial aggression, has consistently violated and disregarded the resolutions of the Security Council regarding Palestine. While no Arab Government has ever been condemned by the Security Council, the unfounded statement made in the letter regarding the “years of hostile and bellicose policies against Israel on the part of the Arab States” must, therefore, be examined in the light of the fact that Israel has been condemned five times by the Security Council for premeditated military attacks. These condemnations were embodied in the following resolutions:
(a) Security Council resolution of 18 May 1951 2/ concerning the “aerial action taken by the forces of the Government of Israel on 5 April 1951" on the Syrian borders.
(b) Security Council resolution of 24 November 1953 3/ regarding the “action at Qibya taken by the armed forces of Israel 14-15 October 1953".
(c) Security Council resolution of 29 March 1955 4/ which condemns the attack which was “committed by Israel regular army forces against the Egyptian regular army force” in the Gaza strip on 28 February 1955.
(d) Security Council resolution of 19 January 1956 5/ which condemns the Israeli attack against Syria on 11 December 1955 as a “flagrant violation … of Israel’s obligations under the Charter” and expresses the Council’s “grave concern at the failure of the Government of Israel to comply with its obligations”.
(e) Security Council resolution of 9 April 1962 6/ which reaffirmed “the Security Council resolution of 19 January 1956 which condemned Israeli military action” against Syria and determined that “the Israeli attack of 16-17 March 1962" (near Lake Tiberias) constituted “a flagrant violation of that resolution”.
The most flagrant example of Israel’s acts of aggression has been the attack on Egypt in 1956, which was roundly condemned by the international community.
4. The record of Israel in the international community hardly qualifies it to accuse other States of violating the United Nations Charter and of posing a threat to international peace and security. No other Member of the United Nations has such a consistent record of aggression, violations and lawlessness.
5. Furthermore, our Governments deem it necessary to draw the attention of the Security Council to recent Israeli aggressive policies and statements which create an imminent danger to international peace and security.
We have the honour to request that this letter and the attached official text of the Declaration issued at Alexandria on 11 September 1964 be circulated to the members of the Security Council, as a Security Council document.
The representatives of the Following States Members of the United Nations:
|
(Signed) |
H.B. AZZOUT (Algeria) A.H. ALJUBOURI (Iraq) W.M. SADI (Jordan) S.J. KHANACHET (Kuwait) Georges HAKIM (Lebanon) Wahbi EL-BOURI (Libya) Dey Ould SIDI BABA (Morocco) Saleh SUGAIR (Saudi Arabia) Omar ADEEL (Sudan) Rafik ASHA (Syria) M. El-MEMMI (Tunisia) M. EL-KONY (United Arab Republic) M.A. ALAINI (Yemen) |
ANNEX
DECLARATION ISSUED BY THE COUNCIL OF KINGS AND HEADS OF STATE
OF THE ARAB LEAGUE AT ITS SECOND SESSION
The Council of the Kings and Heads of State of the Arab League held its second meeting, at Al-Montasah Palace, Alexandria, 5 to 11 September 1964. Participating in the meeting were:
The Council of Kings and Heads of State of the Arab League studied the report of the Secretary General of the Arab League on the resolutions and principles adopted by the first session of the Arab Summit Conference, the implementations of these resolutions and means of strengthening them.
The Council expressed its satisfaction with the unity of Arab ranks, with the progress of work on the resolutions of the first session, and with the initiation of collective constructive work for the advancement of the Arab people and for ensuring victory for the cause for which they are struggling.
In its second session, the Council achieved remarkable success in strengthening the solidarity of the Arab world and the joint Arab action and adopted resolutions augmenting and completing those of the first Summit Conference.
The Council was unanimous in defining national objectives for the liberation of Palestine from Zionist colonialism and in committing itself to a plan for joint Arab action both in the present stage for which plans have been made, and in the following stage.
The Council stressed the necessity of utilizing all Arab potentialities, and the mobilization of their resources and capabilities, in order to counter the challenge of colonialism and Zionism as well as Israel’s continued aggressive policies and its insistence on denying the rights of the Arabs of Palestine to their homeland.
The Council adopted resolutions for the implementation of Arab plans, especially in the technical and military fields, including embarking on immediate work on projects for the exploitation of the waters of the River Jordan and its tributaries.
The Council welcomed the establishment of the Palestine Liberation Organization to consolidate the Palestine Entity, and as a vanguard for the collective Arab struggle for the liberation of Palestine. It approved the Organization’s decision to establish a Palestinian Liberation Army and defined the commitments of the member States to assist it in its work.
The Council discussed the political and economic surveys and reports concerning the relations of the Arab countries with foreign countries. It discussed the results of the visits of the Arab Foreign Ministers to foreign countries.
The Council expressed its appreciation for the support given by foreign countries to Arab causes in general and the Palestine cause in particular. It decided on the continuation of these contacts with all countries of the world and the completion of studies as a prelude to the implementation of principles adopted in the First Summit Conference which called for the regulation of relations vis-à-vis foreign countries in accordance with their position regarding the Palestine question and other Arab causes.
The Council confirmed Arab determination to oppose anti-Arab forces, primarily British colonialist policy and its exploitation of wealth and acts of extermination now practised in the Occupied South in defiance of the Charter and principles of the United Nations and the right of the people to self-determination and the resolutions of the General Assembly and of the United Nations Special Committee with Regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.
The Council resolved to combat British imperialism in the Arab Peninsula and to provide assistance to the liberation movement in the Occupied South and Oman.
The Council devoted attention to consolidating Arab friendly relations with the amirates of the Arab Gulf to ensure the indivisible Arab freedom and to realize common interests.
The Council discussed means of consolidating unified Arab political, defence, economic and social action within the framework of the Arab League.
The Council placed special emphasis on the promotion of Arab economic co-operation and the implementation of all economic agreements since economic unity is the basic foundation on which Arab power and progress rests and the strongest bastion against foreign challenge. This, in addition to the fact that such unity is the primary objective of contemporary international groupings.
The Council stressed the necessity of stepping up co-operation and increasing the economic support to the States of the Arab Maghreb.
The Council agreed to form a joint Arab Council to undertake nuclear research for peaceful uses and to set up an Arab court of justice. It was also decided that the Council of Arab Kings and Heads of State should meet every year in September. It resolved that the Follow-Up Committee should continue to meet once every month at the present level, and once every four months at the level of Prime Ministers or Deputy Prime Ministers in one of the Arab States. The meeting at the level of Prime Ministers would assume the character of an executive authority for the Council of Kings and Heads of State, and would look into urgent matters in conformity with the resolutions of the Arab Kings and Heads of State. It will also be charged with executing and speeding up current plans. It is authorized to ask the Kings and Heads of State to hold extraordinary meetings in cases of urgent developments.
The Council welcomed the signing of the Joint Arab Defence Pact by the rest of the member States which has made the pact effective in every part of the Arab world from the Atlantic Ocean to the Arab Gulf. The Arab Kings and Heads of State emphasized that an attack on any Arab State will be regarded as an attack on all the Arab States which are committed to repelling it at once.
The Council, in its belief in Afro-Asian solidarity, supports the results of the Second African Summit Conference, held in Cairo in July 1964, and finds hope in the development of African unity and in the revelation that neo-colonialism is using Israel as a tool to realize its ambitions in the developing countries against their aspirations to attain progress, strength and unity, thus perpetuating illegal foreign exploitation.
The Council believes that the rights of the peoples for freedom, self-determination and elimination of colonialism and of racial discrimination, are an integral and an indivisible whole, and that Arab-African co-operation is a foundation of Arab policy by virtue of historical and geographical association and common interests and objectives. For this reason, the Council supports the struggle for independence of the peoples of Angola, Mozambique, Southern Rhodesia, South Africa, and so-called Portuguese Guinea, and condemns foreign intervention in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Arab States believe that international co-operation and world peace constitute the basic foundations for world prosperity and the happiness of mankind and the Council therefore expresses its regret over recent imperialist shows of strength and the threat to use force in solving international disputes, contrary to the universal tendency prevailing in the past years towards policies affirming peaceful coexistence and the relaxation of international tension.
The Council confirms the need for liquidating imperialist bases which threaten the safety and security of Arab lands, particularly those in Cyprus and Aden.
The Council urges the major Powers to be inspired in their policies and actions by the will of the people and the principles of peace based on justice, and the right of nations to independence and self-determination.
The Council stresses the importance of the work of the International United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, hoping that it will continue to increase international co-operation in the field of economy for the benefit of all humanity.
The Arab Kings and Heads of State, having committed themselves to collective Arab work, serving the cause of freedom and progress in the great Arab homeland as well as world peace and co-operation, call upon every Arab citizen to fulfil his duties in this critical stage, and pray to God to guide the footsteps of his nation in its legitimate and just struggle, and for the cause of justice and peace to prevail throughout the world.
In response to the invitation extended by King Hassan II, the Council decided to hold its forthcoming meeting in September 1965 in the Kingdom of Morocco.
____________
*Incorporating document S/6003/Corr.1.
Notes
1/ Ibid., Nineteenth Year, Supplement for July, August and September 1964.
2/ Text identical with that of the draft resolution (S/2152/Rev.1) adopted at the 547th meeting of the Council. See Official Records of the Security Council, Sixth Year, 546th meeting, para. 2.
3/ Text identical with that of the draft resolution adopted at the 642nd meeting of the Council. See Official Records of the Security Council, Eighth Year, Supplement for October, November and December 1953, document S/3139/Rev.2.
4/ Text identical with that of the draft resolution adopted at the 695th meeting of the Council. See Official Records of the Security Council, Tenth Year, Supplement for January, February and March 1955, document S/3378.
5/ Official Records of the Security Council, Eleventh Year, Supplement for January, February and March 1956, document S/3538.
6/ Ibid., Seventeenth Year, Supplement for April, May and June 1962, document S/5111.
status.plo
Document Type: Declaration, Letter
Document Sources: League of Arab States (LAS), Security Council
Subject: Inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, Palestine question
Publication Date: 08/10/1964