Decisions on Invitations to the Hearings – UN Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP) 40th Meeting – Summary Record

SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON PALESTINE

SUMMARY  RECORD OF THE FORTIETH MEETING (PRIVATE)

Held at the Grand Hotel

Sofar, Lebanon,

Wednesday, 23 July 1947 at 3.15 p.m.

CHAIRMAN called the meeting to order.

[Missed]tion of Communications received by the Committee.

CHAIRMAN explained that the only communication on which the Committee had to take a decision was an application to be [Missed] Mr. Gabriel Menassa, a former Under-Secretary of State of Islamic Affairs of Lebanon and President of the [Missed] Lebanese Society. A written statement has been submitted with an application for a hearing. The Chairman considered that the application, coming from a private person resident of a country primarily concerned with the matter, should be rejected.

Mr. BLOM (Netherlands) supported the Chairman’s views, pointing out that the Committee had come to Lebanon in order to [Missed] Arab States and not private individuals.

The CHAIRMAN informed the Committee that copies of the letter from Mr. Menassa would be distributed later in Geneva.

DECISION: It was agreed that no hearing should be granted.

The CHAIRMAN referred to a statement by Mr. Elias Harfoucha, editor of a Lebanese newspaper, and to a telegram from the Opposition Party of Lebanon which had already been distributed to the Committee.

DECISION: It was agreed on the proposal of the Chairman that no further action toed be taken.

Mr. Garca GRANADOS (Guatemala) informed the Committee, that Mr. Simic, Mr. Fabregat, Mr. Robles (Secretary), Mr. Bunche (Secretariat) and himself had met representatives of the opposition party and that he would summarize their views in Geneva.

The meeting was adjourned at 3.30 p.m.