UNITED NATIONS CONCILIATION COMMISSION FOR PALESTINE
Letters dated 1 December and 10 December 1954 addressed
to the Chairman of the Conciliation Commission by the
Representatives of Iraq and Egypt respectively
Sir,
You are no doubt aware that the question of the returning of the assets of the Arab refugees of Palestine has been a matter of the greatest interest for us since the inception of the tragedy of Palestine. It will be recalled that in my previous contacts with the Commission on that question I have urged the Commission to do its utmost towards solving this question. The matter has now passed through various stages but we are not aware officially of a satisfactory result.
Some months ago it was announced in Israel that an agreement was signed between the Israeli government and the representative of Barclay’s Bank on that question according to which Barclay’s Bank is advancing the Israeli Government a loan which would enable the latter to pay the frozen accounts of the Arab refugees. I will be grateful if you could inform me of the development of this up to the present, and what is being done by the Commission along this line. I need not tell you that my government, after a long delay in solving this question, is taking a very serious view of the whole affair and see no reason why the tragedy of the refugees should be further complicated by unjustifiable delays. We believe that it is the duty of the Commission to press the government of Israel to the utmost of its capacity to release the Arab refugees bank accounts. It is not clear to us how Israel could, having violated United Nations resolutions and committed so many acts against morality and justice, be allowed to continue to drag that problem as to avoid a satisfactory solution.
I hope the Conciliation Commission will think seriously of these remarks, and I would appreciate your letting me know as soon as possible.
Sincerely yours,
(Signed) Awni Khalidy
Permanent Representative
Sir,
With reference to the Commission’s note* concerning the release of part of the Arab blocked accounts, I have the honour to inform you that my Delegation would be grateful to receive a detailed memorandum on this subject since it was first discussed in Lausanne.
Please accept, Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.
(Signed) Omar Loutfi
Acting Chairman of Egypt
to the Ninth Session
of the
General Assembly
Ref: 3716
File 4/4
December 9, 1954
Sir,
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated December 7th, 1954, and its enclosures;
I have transmitted the information contained in your letter to my Government.
Please accept, Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.
(Signed) Abdul Monem Rifa’i
Ambassador of the Hashemite
Kingdom of Jordan
The Honourable
Mr. Adil Derinsu
Chairman,
United Nations Conciliation
Commission for Palestine,
United Nations
New York, New York
* See A/AC.25/AR.81
Download Document Files: https://unispal.un.org/pdfs/aac25ar82.pdf
Document Type: Communication, Letter
Document Sources: United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine (UNCCP)
Country: Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria
Subject: Arms control and regional security issues, Economic issues, Negotiations and agreements, Peace process, Peace proposals and efforts
Publication Date: 01/10/1954