Request for admission of Palestine to UNESCO – Israel’s analysis – Letter from Israel

UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL,

SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL EDUCATION

Hundred and thirty-first Session

Item 9.4 of the agenda

APPLICATION FOR THE ADMISSION OF PALESTINE AS A MEMBER STATE

OF UNESCO, IN CONFORMITY WITH ARTICLE II, PARAGRAPH 2,

OF THE CONSTITUTION; APPLICATION FOR THE ADMISSION OF

THE STATE OF PALESTINE TO UNESCO AS A MEMBER STATE

PROPOSED BY ALGERIA, EGYPT, INDONESIA, MAURITANIA,

NIGERIA, SENEGAL AND YEMEN

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SUMMARY

By letter dated 19 May 1938 the Director-General has

transmitted to the Chairman of the Executive Board copy of a

letter dated 18 May 1989, together with its attachments, which

he has received from the Ambassador, Permanent Delegate of

Israel to Unesco, in reference to item 9.4 of the agenda. The

texts of these communications are reproduced below.

_______________________________________________

The Director-General

reference: DG/89/199

Dear Mr Chairman,

I am in receipt of a letter dated 18 May 1989 from Mr Yakov Aviad, Ambassador, Permanent Delegate of Israel to Unesco, in reference to Item 9.4 of the Agenda of the present session of the Executive Board.

In accordance with the wish expressed by Ambassador Aviad, I am forwarding to you herewith a copy of that letter, together with its attachments, and would ask you to bring the same to the attention of the Members of the Board in connection with their consideration of the aforementioned agenda item.

Mr José I. Vargas

Chairman of the Executive Board

Unesco House

Paris, May 18th., 1989

Mr. Director General,

I have been instructed to submit to you a document stating the legal case pertaining to point 9.4 of the Agenda of the 131 Executive Board Session, as seen by Israel.

This analysis ""PLO/Palestine" and the criteria for statehood in International Law" has previously been given to Mr. Maurice GLELE, the Legal Adviser of UNESCO.

Now that the PLO's legal arguments for its case have been presented in great detail and circulated to Board members – as 131 E.X/43, we wish to bring to the attention of the members of the Board Israel's point of view.

We shall be most grateful if you could circulate this analysis as a document of the current session of the Board. This should enable all concerned to view the problem of the acceptance of the PLO into UNESCO as a full member with all the relevant arguments at their disposal.

Thanking you in advance,

Mr. Federico MAYOR

Director General

UNESCO

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