Jerusalem Committee/Agendas/Communication (Lausanne talks) – UNCCP 47th meeting – Summary record

UNITED NATIONS CONCILIATION COMMISSION FOR PALESTINE

SUMMARY RECORD OF THE FORTY-SEVENTH MEETING

held at Lausanne on Thursday,
29 April 1949, at 11 a.m.

Activities of Jerusalem Committee

Mt. YENISEY (Chairman, Jerusalem Committee) asked whether the Commission had any directives to give the Jerusalem Committee in connection with the series of meetings which the Committee intended to open with the various delegations the following week.

Mr. de BOISANGER agreed with the Chairman’s view that there was still considerable preparatory work to be done by the Committee before a final draft of the Statute was elaborated. He had studied the draft prepared by the Legal Adviser, which differed to a large extent from the draft submitted by the French delegation; he thought the Commission should consider and comment upon the two drafts at a later moment. He approved of the Committee’s intention to begin interviews with the various delegations early in the week, and suggested that when it asked for the views of the Israeli delegation on the control of the Holy Places, the Committee should make it clear that the position adopted by Mr. Ben Gurion on the internationalisation of Jerusalem was in contradiction to the terms of the resolution.

Agendas for meetings.

The CHAIRMAN proposed that the Principal Secretary should contact all the Arab delegations and ascertain what questions each of them particularly wished to discuss with the Israeli delegation. The Commission could then study the lists and prepare separate agendas, possibly adding other questions which it considered should be discussed. The Chairman made it clear that such agendas need not necessarily be used in direct talks between the Arab and Israeli delegations; they could serve as guides for exchanges of views to be carried on through the Commission.

Mr. de BOISANGER and Mr. YALCIN supported the Chairman’s proposal. Mr. de Boisanger suggested, nevertheless, that the Principal Secretary should carefully avoid giving the impression that the Commission intended to lead the Arab delegations into direct talks with the Israeli representatives, talks which the Arabs were not yet prepared to undertake.

Communications received by the Principal Secretary

The PRINCIPAL SECRETARY circulated copies of two communications received: one a message from Mr. Eytan transmitting a letter from Mr. Sharett concerning the Syrian-Israeli armistice negotiations; the other a message from Mr. Barnes regarding the special committee on Jerusalem set up under the armistice agreement. between the Hashemite Jordan Kingdom and Israel.

As regards the first communication the CHAIRMAN suggested that it should be acknowledged with a statement that

the matter lay within the competence of the Mediator, not of the Conciliation Commission.

The PRINCIPAL SECRETARY pointed out that the second communication was simply for the information of the Commission and did not require any action.

The Principal Secretary reported that according to information he had received, the delegation of the Hashemite Jordan Kingdom would probably arrive in Lausanne sometime during the following day.