Reconsideration of reply to 27 October Israeli note (N.Y. Talks) – UNCCP 112th meeting – Summary record

UNITED NATIONS CONCILIATION COMMISSION FOR PALESTINE

SUMMARY RECORD OF THE ONE HUNDRED AND TWELFTH MEETING

held in New York on Monday,

14 November 1949, at 5 p.m.

* Alternate

Reconsideration of the reply to Israeli note of 27 October

Mr. ROCKWELL said that after further consideration of the text of the Commission’s reply he would like to submit to the Commission four modifications.

First, he proposed that the expression of doubt should be omitted in the first sub-paragraph of paragraph 1 and the phrasing made more positive; in place of requesting clarification, the Commission should declare its assumption that the Israeli offer to accept 250,000 refugees remained unchanged.

The Commission accepted the alternative text proposed by Mr. Rockwell.

Secondly, he thought that the paragraphs dealing with the territorial question were too long and somewhat repetitive; however, no concrete suggestions had been made.

In view of the absence of specific proposals, the Commission approved Mr. Palmer’s suggestion that the text should stand as it was.

Thirdly, in paragraph 8, the second sentence, he suggested that the wording should be made more positive, in order to leave no doubt of the Commission’s right, within the meaning of conciliation, to submit compromise proposals to the parties.

The Commission accepted Mr. Rockwell’s alternative text.

Fourthly, in the third sub-paragraph of paragraph 8, he did not understand what was meant by “mediation conducted with circumspection”.

Mr. de BOISANGER did not insist upon retention of his original sentence, but maintained his view that if the Israeli delegation opposed mediation, it would be because it feared that the type of proposals which the Commission might make would be unacceptable to its Government. For that, reason some statement must be made which would reassure the Israeli delegation regarding the Commission’s intentions. He strongly urged that such a statement should be made .in written form, in the text of the present letter.

The CHAIRMAN agreed with the French representative’s view. He further suggested that it would be more exact, as well as more agreeable to the Israeli delegation, to redraft the preceding paragraph in such a way as to make it clear that the Commission itself had conceived the idea of undertaking mediation, and that that idea had been supported by the Arab delegations.

The PRINCIPAL SECRETARY proposed a text which indicated that the Commission, in its Fourth Progress Report, had referred to the possibility of eventual mediation; that the Commission now considered that circumstances were favorable to the commencement of such mediation; that the Arab delegations had requested it, on the basis of the terms of the resolution of 11 December 1949; and that the Commission therefore intended to undertake that delicate task.

The CHAIRMAN proposed a short suspension of the meeting in order that the new draft might be put in final form.

The meeting was suspended at 5:30 p.m. and was resumed at 5:50 pm.

The Commission adopted the redrafted text and approved the full text of the letter in its amended form.

The meeting rose at 6:05 p.m.