Jewish immigration to Palestine – Reply of Member States to SecGen – Press release

UNITED NATIONS

Department of Public Information

Press and Publications Bureau

Lake Success, New York

Press Release PAL/62

9 July 1947

FOUR MORE GOVERNMENTS REPLY ON QUESTION OF JEWISH IMMIGRATION

The Secretary-General has received the replies of four more Governments–Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Chile and Egypt–to his letter to member nations of 29 May with which he transmitted a copy of a letter from the United Kingdom. The UK letter, citing the special General Assembly resolution on Palestine of 15 May 1947 urged that members of the United Nations should assist a peaceful solution of the Palestine problem by "doing all in their power to discourage illegal immigration (into Palestine) while the question remains sub judice."

In addition to the four new replies, an additional note has been received from the United States Secretary of State.

The new replies contain the following remarks:

Haiti –

"In thanking you for your communication, I have the pleasure of informing you that I have transmitted your communication to the competent authority of my Government and shall keep you informed of whatever action may be taken."

Dominican Republic –

"I have the honour to inform you, in reply, that my Government will comply with the terms of the above-mentioned General Assembly Resolution."

Chile –

"My Government, after having taken due notice of the communication, has directed me to inform you that with due respect to the international obligations and consistent as a Member of the United Nations, it will do everything possible to contribute in the solution of the Palestine problem and thus expedite the work of the Special Committee established by the recent special General Assembly."

Egypt –

"In reply I wish to inform Your Excellency that his Majesty's Government takes greatest interest in this question."

The Secretary-General also received a note from the Secretary of State of the United States, in reply to his letter of 29 May, with reference to a statement of the President of the United States of America which reads as follows:

"The General Assembly of the United Nations in special session on May 15, 1947, unanimously adopted the following resolution:

"`The General Assembly calls upon all Governments and peoples, and particularly on the inhabitants of Palestine, to refrain, pending action by the General Assembly on the report of the special committee on Palestine, from the threat or use of force or any other action which might create an atmosphere prejudicial to an early settlement of the question of Palestine.

"`The search for a fair and workable solution of the Palestine problem is one of the most difficult and important tasks confronting the United Nations.  It is in the interest of the United States as well of the United Nations that the efforts of the United Nations to solve this problem meet with success.

"'Activities calculated further to inflame the passions of the inhabitants of Palestine, to undermine law and order in Palestine, or to promote violence in that country are certain to create an atmosphere prejudicial to an early settlement of the Palestine problem and to render still more difficult the tasks which the United Nations has before it.

"`I therefore urge every citizen and resident of the United States, in the interests of this country, of world peace, and of humanity, meticulously to refrain, while the United Nations is considering the problem of Palestine, from engaging in, or facilitating, any activities which tend further to inflame the passions of the inhabitants of Palestine, to undermine law and order in Palestine, or to promote violence in that country'"

Previous replies were received from Ecuador, Nicaragua, China, The Philippine Republic, USA, Australia, Mexico, El Salvador, Canada, and Guatemala (See Press Release PAL/39) and from the USSR and Colombia (See Press Release Pal/47)

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