Palestine question – Ad Hoc Cttee Subcommittee #2 meeting: membership, election of Chair – Press release

UNITED NATIONS

Department of Public Information

Press and  Publications Bureau

Lake Success, New York

Press Release GA/PAL/26

23 October 1947

PALESTINE – SUB-COMMITTEE 2

The first meeting of Sub-Committee 2 on Palestine was held this morning The meeting was opened by Dr. Alfonso Garcia Robles.

Composition of the Sub-Committee includes the following countries and their representatives:

The United Kingdom Representative (Mr. Harold Beeley) will take part in the Sub-Committee meetings as an observer.

Mr. Gonzalez Fernandez of Colombia was elected Chairman. In accepting this position, Mr. Fernandez made it clear that, on Dr. Evatt’s return to Lake Success, he would request that other non-Moslem Members of the United Nations, in addition to Colombia, be nominated to the Sub-Committee. He would therefore accept the Chairmanship until Dr. Evatt’s return.

Mr. Camille Chamoun of Lebanon expressed surprise that all of the Arab countries were included in the Sub-Committee’s make-up and announced that, as soon as other countries less directly concerned with the issue were found to replace some the Arab countries, Lebanon would be ready to withdraw in favor of one of the other countries.

The Representative of Pakistan, Mr. Mirza Ispahani, expressed criticism of the composition of both Sub-Committees, terming the make up of each too one-sided to smooth off any of the rough edges or disageement between the Arab plan and the UNSCOP Majority Plan.

After Mr. Gonzalez-Fernandez took over the Chairmanship, the Iraqi Representative, Mr. M.F. Jamali, nominated the delicate of Pakistan for rapporteur.

The Representative of Pakistan, Mr. Ispahani, explained that he was representing his delegation only until the return of Sir Mohamed Zafrullah Khan. The Iraqi Representative then changed his nomination to read “the Representative of Pakistan”. This Mr. Ispahani accepted and the nomination of the Pakistan representative was approved by the Sub-Committee.

It was decided that in the future, Sub-Committee II’s meetings would be upon, unless a delegate should request a closed meeting.

Mr. el-Khouri, in a discussion of the Sub-Committee’s agenda, said he believed that the Palestine problem would be gently simplified if separated from the problem of displaced Jews in Europe. He suggested that if UN Member Nations would agree each to accept 15 hundred per month, as had been agreed in Palestine, the Jewish refugee problem would be solved in short order.

Mr. el-Khouri then stated that the United Kingdom was sole arbiter of possible immigration into Palestine, under the Mandate. It was therefore the duty Committee II, he said, to prepare a report concerning possible recommendations which are to be made by the United Nations to the United Kingdom, within the scope of the Charter.

The meeting adjourned shortly after 1 p.m. and will reconvene at 3 p.m. this afternoon.

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