Resumption of talks for a peaceful settlement of the Palestine question/Meeting with Israel – UNCCP (Lausanne) – Summary Record

UNITED NATIONS CONCILIATION COMMISSION FOR PALESTINE

SUMMARY RECORD OF A MEETING BETWEEN THE CONCILIATION COMMISSION
AND THE DELEGATION OF ISRAEL

held in Lausanne on Monday,

18 July 1949, at 4:30 p.m.

* alternate

The CHAIRMAN observed that unless the Israeli representative wished to take up any specific questions, the present meeting would be considered simply as a formal re-establishment of contact. He explained that Mr. Paul Porter had been appointed to succeed Mr. Ethridge as chief United States representative on the Commission and would arrive in Lausanne shortly; the Commission did not contemplate holding any further plenary meetings until his arrival. It was possible that meetings of the General Committee of the Committee on Jerusalem might be scheduled during the week. Moreover, some preliminary reports had been received from the Technical Committee on Refugees; those reports might very probably give rise to certain questions which the Commission or the Committees would wish to discuss with the Israeli delegation.

The Chairman expressed the hope that the new phase upon which the Lausanne negotiations were now entering might end with the establishment of that permanent peace in the Middle East which was the common aim of all.

Mr. HIRSCH regretted the absence of the chief members of his delegation, but explained that the general consultation with the Government concerning the Lausanne talks had been delayed and had lasted longer than expected. Many practical questions raised by the Commission and its Committees wore under discussion in Tel Aviv and it was expected that the chief members of his delegation would return with replies to those questions. He had had no direct message from his Government, but he did not doubt that Dr. Eytan would return to Lausanne during the next few days.