Palestine question – Statement by Ralph Bunche at Rhodes – Press release

UNITED NATIONS

Department of Public Information

Press and Publications Bureau

Lake Success, New York

Press Release PAL/32, PAL/21

27 September 1948

CHAIRMAN OF THE U.N. PALESTINE COMMITTEE

BROADCASTS TO THE PEOPLE OF PALESTINE

(The following speech was broadcast by Mr. Emil Sandstrom, Chairman of the U.N. Special Committee on Palestine to the people of Palestine at 1330 hours today Palestine time, 6:30 A.M. EDT.)

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The members of the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine are now here and the Committee, which I note from the press is referred to locally as "UNSCOP", will get down to work immediately.

I would emphasize that the eleven member group of which I have the honor to be Chairman, is a special Committee of the General Assembly of the United Nations, created for the sole purpose of reporting to it on the Palestine question and submitting such proposals as it may consider appropriate for the solution of the problem of Palestine.  In the achievement of this purpose, the duty of the Committee here in the time available to it, is to learn all that it possibly can about this country and its people.

To that end the Committee earnestly hopes for the full cooperation in its task from all elements in the population.

I cannot put it too strongly that this Committee has come to Palestine with a completely open mind.  Our membership represents 11 different countries, elected by the General Assembly, no one of which has any direct concern with the Palestine question, but each of which shares the general concern for its equitable solution.  We are impartial on this problem and we intend to make an impartial report to the General Assembly.

We come without bias.  We have reached no conclusions in advance and we will reach none until we are in possession of the necessary information.  Indeed, the work of this Committee begins here.

I may say also that we are under no illusions.  We are fully aware of the difficult nature of our mission.  We are here to learn, and from what we learn we shall draw our own conclusions.  We wish those conclusions to be based on the fullest possible knowledge and consideration of all the relevant facts, and it would be regrettable indeed if any part of that information were not to be available to us in the framing of our conclusions.

In this connection I would call attention to our press release No. 1** issued before our arrival here in which all organizations or persons so desiring were urged to prepare for the Committee at the earliest possible date, written statements setting forth their views.  Persons wishing to be heard orally were also invited to submit in writing their request for a hearing.  We repeat that invitation.  Written testimony and requests for oral hearings should be addressed to me as Chairman of the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine, care of the Secretariat, Y.M.C.A. Building, Jerusalem.

We trust that this invitation will be received in the spirit in which it has been extended.  We seek here information only as the essential basis for our conclusions and we sincerely trust that all parties concerned will willingly and in good spirit provide us with it.

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**Issued as Press Release PAL/21 at Lake Success.