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46

A large number of non-Arab delegations expressed considerable concern regarding the attitude of Israel to the refugee problem and the question of the internationalization of Jerusalem, and the Scandinavian countries were highly critical of Israel's failure to discover the assassins of the United Nations Mediator. When the Israeli representative (Mr Eban) appeared before the Committee he was closely questioned on these three matters. In his opening speech Mr Eban stated that it was his Government's understanding that nothing but the provisions of Article 4 of the Charter was relevant in the consideration of an application for membership, but indicated his readiness to give the official view of the Israeli Government on the problems of Jerusalem and the Arab refugees, although the task of finding solutions to these problems had been allocated to the Conciliation Commission. So far as Jerusalem was concerned, Israel had co-operated to the fullest extent with the United Nations in its attempt to implement the decisions of 29 November, 1947, with regard to the city, and bore no responsibility for the failure of that project (the Statute for the City of Jerusalem). At this stage the Government of Israel thought- that the international principle should be maintained, but that in existing circumstances it should be expressed " more realistically " than in the previous resolutions of the General Assembly. Israel therefore advocated the establishment by the United Nations of an international regime for Jerusalem concerned exclusively with the control and protection of the Holy Places. Thus the international regime would apply to the whole city of Jerusalem, but could be " restricted functionally so as to be concerned only with the protection and control of Holy Places and not with any purely secular aspects of life and government." Israel would seek from the fourth regular session of the Assembly recognition of its lawful authority over Jewish Jerusalem, but would co-operate in fulfilling the terms of the resolution of 11 December, 1948, which in its view envisaged other methods of settling the question than on the lines of the Statute outlined in the resolution of 29 November, 1947. On the question of refugees Mr Eban stated that his Government felt that the Arab States which were entirely responsible for the present situation should face up squarely to their responsibility. A solution of the problem was inseparably linked with a final peace settlement in the Near East and was conditional upon co-operation between Israel and her neighbours. Thus resettlement in neighbouring areas must be considered as the main principle underlying the solution of the problem, although Israel would be ready to make its own contribution and would co-operate fully with the United Nations in the implementation of paragraph 11 of the resolution of 11 December.

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