Draft reply to Israel’s request to re-open discussion on preamble; Memo to Arab Delegations – UNCCP 256th meeting (Paris) – Summary record

UNITED NATIONS CONCILIATION COMMISSION FOR PALESTINE

SUMMARY RECORD OF THE TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY-SIXTH MEETING

Held in the Hôtel de Crillon, Paris,
on Monday, 22 October 1951, at 4.30 p.m.

DRAFT REPLY TO LETTER DATED 19 OCTOBER FROM THE DELEGATION OF ISRAEL (IS/74)

The CHAIRMAN informed the members of the Commission that he had gathered from a conversation he had just had with Mr. Fischer that a letter along the lines of the Secretariat draft now before them would be satisfactory to the delegation of Israel. Mr. Fischer had not committed himself during the conversation, as Mr. Sharett, the Foreign Minister of Israel, was arriving in Paris that day. However, the Chairman had the impression that there was no question of the Israel delegation wishing to reopen discussion of the Preamble as such: its desire was to discuss the situation which had been created by the Commission’s acceptance of the Arab declaration and which affected the Israel delegation in its work relations with the Commission. Although he did not expect that Israel delegation would express a desire to hear the Commission’s detailed explanations of its proposals, his impression was that the Commission were to give its explanations, at the appropriate time, the Israel delegation would raise no objection.

He had explained to Mr. Fischer that the Commission intended to give the Arab delegations detailed explanations of its proposals on the morning of 24 October and would like to give those explanations to the Israel delegation on the same day. He had felt that it would be unfair riot to tell the Israel delegation in advance what the Commission had in mind, and Mr. Fischer had seemed to appreciate his frankness.

Mr. MARCHAL (France) had also spoken to Mr. Fischer that afternoon, and his impressions were similar to those of the Chairman. The situation called for very careful handling. The question of the date of the meeting with the Israel delegation was, in his opinion, an important one. He felt that 24 October might be a little early for that meeting, and that by waiting a day or two longer the Commission would probably have a better chance of giving its detailed explanations to the Israel delegation in the same way as to the Arab delegations.

The CHAIRMAN stated that he was to meet Mr. Fischer again on the following day, at which time the latter might be able to define his delegation’s attitude more clearly. He therefore proposed that the Commission’s reply be held up for the time being. This was agreed.

The draft reply to the Israel delegation was approved, with minor drafting changes.

DRAFT MEMORANDUM TO THE ARAB DELEGATIONS

The Commission had before it a draft memorandum submitted by the legal adviser and one submitted by the CHAIRMAN, who explained that his draft was substantially the same as that of the legal adviser, the only difference being that he had changed the order in which the various ideas were presented.

The Chairman felt that the communication should be in the form of a memorandum of the Commission, which would be sent to the Arab delegations under covering letters, rather than in the form of a memorandum addressed directly to the Arab delegations in reply to the memorandum which they had submitted to the Commission. This was agreed.

The draft memorandum submitted by the Chairman was approved, with minor drafting changes suggested by the representative of France.

A meeting was fixed for the following afternoon for the purpose of considering the draft statement to be made by the Chairman in presenting to the delegations the Commission’s detailed explanations of its comprehensive proposals.

The meeting rose at 5.10 p.m.