UNCCP – Affirmation of Israel’s willingness to cooperate with the Commission (response to Commission’s 29 March memorandum) – Letter from Israel

UNITED NATIONS CONCILIATION COMMISSION FOR PALESTINE

Letter dated 8 May 1950

addressed to the Chairman of the Commission

by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Israel

Sir,

I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of the memorandum which the Conciliation Commission for Palestine handed on 29 March 1950 to Mr. Gideon Rafael and which was transmitted by him to the Government of Israel.

The Government of Israel greatly appreciates the consistent efforts of the Conciliation Commission for Palestine to create an atmosphere and conditions conducive to the attainment of a peace settlement between Israel and the Arab States, and reiterates its continued readiness to cooperate with the Commission in exploring all avenues that could lead towards the achievement in the shortest possible time of a final settlement of all issues outstanding between the parties.

I wish to reaffirm categorically that the Government of Israel is willing to negotiate with any State which announces its readiness to conclude a final settlement of all outstanding questions with a view to the establishment of permanent peace. The Government of Israel requires no concessions or undertakings in advance of such negotiations, it being understood that any party having claims to make will be entitled to put them forward in the course of the negotiations.

The Government of Israel would negotiate a peace settlement with the Arab States directly — either with or without the participation of the Conciliation Commission as proposed — on the understanding that the principals in these negotiations would be the Israel and Arab delegations, while the Conciliation Commission would act as a harmonizing agent between the parties with a view to inducing a friendly atmosphere and extending its good offices to the parties with their consent. The Government of Israel understands that this is the manner in which the Conciliation Commission itself regards its functions under the new procedure outlined in its memorandum of 29 March.

I should be grateful if you would inform me through Dr. Menahem Kahany, the delegate of Israel at Geneva, which Arab State or States are ready to negotiate with Israel a settlement of all outstanding issues on the lines envisaged, whereupon I shall be happy to communicate to you without delay the names of the members of the Israel delegation fully empowered to negotiate and conclude such a settlement looking to the establishment of permanent peace.

I have the honour to be,

Yours faithfully,

(Sgd) M. Sharett

Moshe Sharett

Minister for Foreign Affairs