S/PV.1057 Security Council

In accordance with the practice of the Council in previous debates on this question, l shaH, with the consent of the Council,invite the representatives of Israel and the Syrian Arab Republic te participate in the discussion without a vote. In this connexion, l wish to draw the attentionofthe members of the Council to two documents. The first is a letter dated 22 August [S/5397] addressed to the President of the Council by the representative ofSyriaand indicating that he has been instructed to represent his Government in connexion with its complaint to the Counci!. The second document is a telegram [S/5400] addressed to the Secretary-Generaltoday by the representative of Israel, indicating that he has been designated to represent his Government in connexion with the complaint which it has submitted.

1 would like to mention to members of the Council that a report!; on these incidents covered by these communications involving the Israeli- Syrian General Armistice Agreement y is expected to be received shortly by the Secretary-General from the Chief of Staff of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization in Palestine. 3. The repl'esentative of Israel has asked to make a statement. and 1 now caU upon the Permanent Representative of Israel.

First. my delegation wishes to thank the Council for invitingitto participate in this debate and inviting me to be seatedat the Council table. My Government also wishes to record its deep appreciation for the readiness that you, Mr. President, and the Counci! have shown to accede to the request for urgent consideration of our complaint against Syria. The immediate ground for that complaint-the wanton murder of two Israel farmers by Syrian soldierswould be serious enough even :f it were an isolated incident. It has far greater import as the culminating outrage in a lengthy series of Syrian armed attacks on Israelcivilians and against the backgroundof a tense and disturbed border. 5. It is in the belief that a situation dangerous to the peace has been created that my Government nowcaUs for swift and firm action by the Council. To be precise, we believe the time has come ta condemn and curb Syria's persistent violation of the General Armistice Agreement and the United Nations Charter. 6. The Council will admittedly be in a better position to judge recent events on the border when the report of General Odd Bull, th€" Chief of Staff of UNTSO, to which the President has just referred, has been made available, and my delegation may wish in due coUrse to make further observations on that report. However, the Council has, in our opinion, actedwisely 41 becoming seized of the situation without delay. 7. The inciàent last Monday is described in the letter from the representative of Israel, [S/5394] as follows: "On 19 August 1963, at 1910 hours, threeunarmed members of an Israeli agricultural settlement at Almagor in the Galilee, while returning home on a tractor from work in their fields, were ambushed and attacked at close quarters by a group of at least ten Syrian soldiers in uniform, using automatic weapons and hand grenades, at a point about one kilometre west of the Syrian border. Two of the farmers were shot !Dwn andimmediately afterwards murdered in cold blood. The third fl'3d, pursued by 8. The planned and deliberate way inwhichthissorry feat of arms was carried out is clear from the nature of the terrain. The Syrian border lies to the east of the Jordan River, which, at this spot, before it flows into Lake Tiberias, is about 650 feet below sea-Ievel. The agricultural settlement of Almagor stands at sea-Ievel at the top of a rocky plateau some distance to the west of the River, looking (I<::'Ml into the Jordan Valley to the east and on the Sea oÎ Galilee to the south. The group of Syrian soldiers which carried out these murders had to cross the frontier, ford the River. and climb several hundred feet up a steep boulder-strewn escarpment in order to get to the spot where they concealed themselves in ambush. It appears that they also planted a military land-mine in the track at this spot, and today an Israel truck was blown up on this mine. r 9. The Council may weIl wonder why a military unit should be dispatched into the territory ofaneighbouring State, for what may appear to be a meaningless murder. Certain background circumstances suggest that this was a calculated and sinister act of provocation, and that the two youngfarmers were butchered for the express purpose of fomenting tension. Just îortyeight hours previously, the Syrian Government in Damascus had suddenly started to manufacture an ominous war scare. It announced loudly, without the slightest foundation of fact, that the Israel Army was massing on the border in order to attack Syria. 10. The Syrian Prime Minister demonstratively summoned the envoys of foreign Powers to inform them of the "dêmarches" made to their Governments. Frenzied appeals were issued to sister Arab States to rally to Syria's defence, and propaganda blasts crackled from the radio stations. This exercise in whipping up an artificial crisis proceeded throughput 17 and 18 August. On Sunday 18 August, the Syrian Minister of Defence stated that the Syrian Army intended ta crush and grind Israel to pieces. The following day, the murders were preformed at Almagor. Last Tuesday, the Syrian Revolutionary Council in Damascus issued the foUowing bellicosestatement, which 1 will.quote from a translation: "It is the firm decision of the Revolutionary Council to defend the rights of the Arabs in Palestine and ta mobilize the entire Arab potential, 50 as to blot out the disgrace that isIsrael oilce andfor aU. In the decisions taken on 20 August, there is enoughto prove to Israelthat she is the loser in the battIe of today and in the battIe to which the Arab natiOn now looks forward in the near future." f ~ 11. On Tuesday last the Syrian fortified positt"ons on the heights overlooking the central demilitarized zone opened intensive machine-gun fire on the Israel village of Ashmora within the Zone and the area surrounding it. 13. 1 admit that it is tempting for a Syrian r6gime to stir up trouble with Israel as an antidote to trouble elsewhere. It is tempting to use this means for the silencing of opposition at home and for patching up a frazzled Arab unity. But this is a dangerous and irresponsible pastime, ofwhichthe Security Council should take very serious note. TheIsrael-Syrianfrontier does not exist in a vacuum. 14. Fourteen years after the signing of the General Armistice Agreement in a ceremony on this veryborder, the situation between the two countries is still neither peace.nor war, but lies in an uneasy twilight zone betweenthe two; and it is the Governments of Syria and certain other Arab States which proclaim their intention to renew the war. What is more. Israel and Syria today live side by side in a region which is neither peaceful nor stable. butthe contemporary stage for revolution and counter-revolution, federation and counter-federation, of marching armies, of airforces bombing mountain villages, and of lethal modern weapons piling up to a dangerous degree. 15. We ail stand at a moment of historywhen hope is stirring for a genuine relaxation of international tension and the resolving of conflict by negotiation. In this setting, it is criminalfolly to increase tension and endanger the peace in a britUe region inorder 10 gain some local political advantage. 16. My Government's policy of self-restraint in the face of attack and provocationhas been severely tèsted over a long period prior to, and leading up to, the events of this last week. Our farmersworkingin their fields in border areas,ourfishermenplyingtheir eraft on Lake Tiberias. our police officers carrying out their routine patrols, have had to endure constant harassing fire from Syrian army positions, in most cases d4g into the high ground overlooking the border from .the Syrian side. To the letterfrom the representative of Israel to the Presidentofthe Security CO)lllcil of 21 August [S/5396], there is attached alist mno less tb.an ninety-eight such attacks sinee last December alone. Eaeh sueb. attack has. been a clear violation of the ArDlistiee Agreement, and thecumula.tiveeffectof the shooting$ has been a steady rise in tension·along the border. 17. It is no.t surprising, therefore, thatthispatternof aggression has been the subject of anxious arlà unre- 18. Fully realizing the dangers inherent in this incessant and illegal resort to firearms. the Secretary- General. the UNTSO Chief-of-Staff and their representatives. have made every effort to induce the Syrian Government to halt such behaviour. buttheir protestations have fallen on deaf ears. 19. l would urge the members of the Council to view this problem not merely as one of lists and statistics. but also in its human aspect. The men. women and children who live and work in the vincinity are the unsung front-Une heroes 'of an undeclared and completely one-sided border war. Repeatedly they have to drop their work and take cover from a sudden eruption of fire. and at times rush their families into underground shelters when their villages are bombarded. ., 20. What is the value. they ask themselves. of an armistice agreement which guarantees them against a molestation which the United Nations appears unable to halt? They want to know whether there is indeed no alternative for the monotonous and futile sequence of firing and complaint. They look to their Government and their Army to ensure their safety. Must their elective leaders tell them that when the uniformed troops of one Member State fire upon the population of another Member State. this should be accepted as if it were',a phenomenon of nature. like rain or wind? This is the question which my Government in its turn now brings before the Security Council. We do so without implying any criticism ofour esteemedSecretary- General and his representatives. who have tried their best to eliminate this obvious source of inflammation. Even during the latest flare-up on the border. General Bull has obtained Syrian commitments not to resort to shooting. but these commitments have not lastedovernight. 21. The unhappy state of affairs l have describedwas recently aggravated by an extraordinary case of kidnapping. On 17 July. a Belgian citizen employed in Israel. together with his mother and brother. andthree Israel friends. a man and two girls. were on a pleasure excursion in a small motorboat on Lake Tiberias. when they were driven by a sudden wind tO,wards the northeastern shore. While they were struggling near the shore to empty the boat of \Vatel'. Syrian soldiers descended upon them. heldthem up at gun-point.forced them to cross the border-which is separated here from the water's edge by a ten-metre stripof Israel territory-and dragged them off to Damascus. The 22. 1 would now turn briefly to the Syrian complaint [S/5395]. 1 presume General Bull's report will deal inter alia with the exchange of fire on 20 August. The account of it given indocumentS/5395isfalse in three main respects: firstly, the firing was not initiatedby Israel, but by the Syrian positions in the vicinity, as 1 have already stated; secondly, no Israel military forces or amoured cars were deployed within the demilitarized zone; and, thirdly, there was no heavy concentration of Israel troops in the area. preceding the exchange of fire, as is alleged in this complaint. 23. The complaint has developed ironic overtones. It is Syria whi.ch has alleged concentration and deployment of troops on the Israel side of the border. Yet, when General·Bull requested that his military observers be allowed ta visit the defensive zone on both sides, in order to ascertain the facts. Israel immediately agreed, but the Syrian Government stalled off such a visit. which apparently has only just been accepted by it. The Council is free to draw its own conclusions as to why it is the complainant. and not the accused. who has been avoiding scrutiny. At any rate, this evasiveness hardly suggests that the Syrian complaint has any foundation in facto or that it is sincere. 24. 1 have put before the Council the facts which are relevant to our complaint, andexplained the background to it. It remains for me to indicate the general attitude of. my Government concerning these border attacks and provocations. We are aware that the border situation is rooted in an unresolvedconflict, whichhas persisted since the Arab countries tried fifteen yeaI's ago to destroy the infant State of Israel by armed force. The hostilities at that time were terminated by a series of armistice agreements. whichexpressly state that they were to be regarded as a transition stage to an early peace. Unfortunately. Arab rulers cling ta the prospect of a secondround. They are still unwilling toaccept the living reality of Israel statehood. or to establish with Israel that relationship of peace and fruitful co-operation which we for our part ardently desire-as does the international community. Reconciliation between Israel and its Arab neighbours may weIl be a slow and patient process. Until the goal of permanent peaée has been attained. it is our firm policy to avoid friction. to keep the borders quiet and to devote our labours to the constructive redemption of a land ang a people. and the growth of ties of friendship and mutual aid with other nations. old and new. 26. After the mostrecent Syrian acts,my Government has decided to invoke the authority of the Council. We do so in the anticipation that Syriawill be sharply condemned for Us conduct, and warned in unequivocal language that that conduct m:lstcease. MyGovernment feels that such action is essentialinorder to preserve that measure of stability whichexists under the armistice régime.

I now give the floor to the representative of the Syrian Arab Republic. 28. Ml'. TARAZI (Syria) (translated from French): Ml'. President, I wish to thankyouandthe members of the Council for having invited me to speak. 29. As you are well aware, the security Council has met once again to discuss a subject related to the famous Palestine question whichhas beenon its agenda since 1948. 30. The world today is faced withmanyproblems,but none of themresemolestheonewhichconcernsus now. As Ml'. Cornay's speech amply shows, history has never yet recorded such a stubborn and deep-rooted determination to misrepresent facts,disregardwell-established rules of law, and defy those responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security. as has been shown thus far by the authorities which have occupied the Arab territory known as Palestine. 31. Being well aware of the scope andthe difficulty of the task facing the Security Council. the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic would have preferred the difficulties resulting from the implementation of the General Armistice Agreement betweenSyria andIsrael to be settled by the organ established by the Agreement for thatpurpose, namely the Mixed Al'mistice Commission. Today Ml'. Comay is shedding crocodile tears about the Àrmistice Agreement but he knows full well that, since 1951. the Israel delegation has refused to participate in the work of the Commission. If all the conflicts arising from the appli.cation of the Armistice Agreement had been settled by the Armistice Commission. the valuable tirne of the Counoil wouldhave been saved. 34. In his speech to the Council Mr. Comay sought to slander the country which 1 have the honour of representing. He has applied to its soldiers, officers, administrators and leaders all the pejorative andinsulting adjectives which he has been able to find in his arsenal, an arsenal with wh.tch we have already been long familiar. 35. Not content with attacking Syria, Mr. Comaywent on to attack the Arabs. It isintriguingto discover that Mr. Comayhas become a theoreticianof the Arab world and wishes to give to us lessons infederalism or antifederalism. 1 do not intend to reply to his malicious insinuations with regard to the Arab countries, but 1 should like to inform him that, if the Arab worla does feel that something is wrong, the fault lies with. Israel and not with the Arabs themselves because of the injustice committed in 1947. 36. The Arab countries do not want war. Israel appears today in the guise of a lamb, but the lamb-skin covers the wolf. At the same time, Mr. Comay has played the hypocrite; he attacks the Arabs buthe himself is innocent. For him, Israel is the quintessence of aH virtues on the earth, it is innocence incarnate, it is total submission, it is the desire for peace, it is justice personified. What more can one ask? Butthese terrible Arabs have a grudge against Israel whose intentions are above reproach: all he can do now: is to shed tears and he is used to that. And the terrible Arabsare behavingbadly and mustbe broughtinto line. 37. Mi'. Comay will not admit that Israelhasviolated the Armistice Agreement and is continuing to do SOt The picture which he gives us of the people he represents is false: it is quite contrary to the truth. Mr. Comay would do well to ponder this judicious maxim of La Rochefoucauld: "We would gain more by allowing ourselves be seen as we are than by trying te appear a.s we are not".• Even in having recourse to this supreme authority for the maintenance of peace and security,Israel has not concealed its real intentions. It has unmasked itse.lf. After having presented an alleged situationto the Security Council and requested the COUDcil to act, the mostelementary modestywould require the Israel authorities to keep silent until the Council has taken action on their request. In fact the 38. Thus, unwilling to rely on the Security Council and its members, the Israel authorities arenow l'esorting to pressure and blackme..il for the purpose of achieving their expansionist and aggressive designs. They are telling the Council "If you do not condemn Syria we shaH take it upon ourselves to give it a good lesson ft. This way of carrying on reminds us of the methods used by Hitler in the pursuit of his absurd claim to regenerate Germany and mankind. While reading the agency reports in question, 1 recalled that when 1 was a student 1 heard Hitler broadcasting to the whole of Europe his threats to occupy all Czechoslovakia ifthe Sudetenland was not annexed to Germany. Since the laws of imitation are immutable in psychology, Israel has a good example to follow. But Israel has forgotten that times have changed and that the Security Council will not let itself become a victim of such odious and vile pressure. 39. Having openedfire on the Syrian positions from the demilitarized zone-I repeat, from the demilitarized zone-in flagrant violation ofthe Armistice Agreement, Israel appears before you in the guise of victim. But its real intentions have soon forced it to return to its basic policy of belligerency-to use a very moderate expression. 40. As for the allegation contained in the Israelcomplaint concerning the death of the two farmers, 1 am authorized by my Government to assert that nothing of the sort ever took place. If the two farmers are dead, the Syrian authorities arenot responsible for their death. We do not know whether there were two deaths or not. All that we can affirm is that it is quite impossible for Syrian soldiers to cross the terrain in its present state which has been described by the Israel authorities as the site of the Inurder. 1 leave this question for General Bull to settle. Nothing can be settled by derision or insolence. The case must be substantiated by facts and arguments. If you have caused two people to be killed on a farm in a settlement of the demilitarized zone, do not accuse the Syrian authorities of having committed the murder. The Syrian authorities are not responsible. 41. How many people have died as a result of your actions? In 1955 how many people were killed? On 19 December 1955 how many Syrian soldiers did you kill in the Tiberias region? On 16 March 1962 how many persons died as a result of your treacherous attack on Syrian positions? You do not want the public to know aIl this. For you, Israel must appear the innocent party. Israel has committed nothing. You try to make out that Israel is still a newborn baby in swaddling clothes. Sometimes ridicule can kill but not, 1 believe, to that extent. 44. The gàllery of Israel aggressions contains many pictures. 1 pa,ss over them.and notthe least importarit. as Victor Hugo's Hernani stated. When you have such actions on your conscience you cannat set yourself up as a judge of maraIs and propriety. as Mr. Comay has just done. The Israel complaint merely distorts the truth with lies and treachery. It is the task of the Governmentof the Syrian Arab Republic ta show you thingsas they really are. Since Israel has had the audacity ta accuse us. allow me to appear as the accuser. In doing sa 1 shaH merelyplacethe following facts,before the Counci1: , (!!:) The Israel àuthorities have recently built fortifications in the demilitarized zone, digging trenches there and laying minefields. Yet, according to the p:rovisions of article V, paragraph 5 (!!:) ofthe Armistice Agreement, in the demilitarized zone, "the armed fqrces of bath Parties shall 'be totally excluded and ••• no activitiesby military or para~militaryforcesshall be· pèrmitted"; (Q) On 19 August 1963 an Israel militaryconvoywas observed at about 1945 hours (local time) and this convoy, consisting of twenty-four or twenty-fiVe vehicles, was coming from Jauna (in Hebrew, Rosh Pinna) and was moving towards Dardara, in the demilitarized zone; (ç!) On the same day at 2000 hours sixty military vehicles coming from the shores of Lake Tiberias and moving towards Montellé were deployed over the sector facing Syrian territory; (~) Somewhat later, at 2050 hours anlsraelmilitary convoy of about 100 vehicles was observed coming from Houlé; the vehicles were going towards Khalsa on the Syrian border and were deployed at various points; (f) On 20 August 1963, the Israelis set an ambush in the demilitarized zone, with two armoured cars at TaU El Sanadi and several tanks and an infantry section cov~ring Tall El Sanadi, and at 1330 hours opened fire from Dardara against the Syrian positions, using machine guns and cannon and causingfires inthe Arab villages of Dardara and Wadi Dabbour and on the western slope of the Tel Hilal. The Israelis continued to shell the Syrian positions in spite of the fact that they had accepted the proposaI for a cease-fire made to the two parties by the Chairman of the Armistice Commission and accepted by both of them; . (g) On the same day, at 1630 hours, three Israel jet fighters violated Syrian air space throughout the whole of the line of demarcation, which was flown over in both directions. In spite of the acceptance of the ceasefire proposed by the Chairman of the Mixed Armistic.e Commission, two Israel fighters flew over Syrian territory at a low altitude. At 1845 hours an encounter took place between Syrian and Israel aircraft above Syrian territory, in spite of the proposaI for a ceasefire made by the Chairman of the Mixed Armistice Commission; (h) On the same day, at 1930 hours, the Israelis continued to set fire to crops in the Syrian settlements. On 21 August at 0115 hours an Israel convoy consisting of approximately 125 vehicles was spread aver Israel settlements, facing the northern part of the demarcation line. These facts constituteflagrant violations of the Armistice Agreement. 45. This deliberate overflight of Syrian territory, apart from the fact that if reveals the true intentions of the wolf in sheep's ciothing. is nothing more or less than an act of aggression committed. in accordance with the usual tactics of those who seek to evade their obligations, in order to be able to satisfy their overriding desires which are the result of their insatiable appetite. 46. It is the dutYof the Council to examine the series of forays which our war lords have recenUy attempted. 47. Having.committed infringements on such a scale, the'Israelis .have no thought of mâking excuses. They goover to the attack. They commitaggrassion to the certainlmowledge of the United Nationsobservers. Far from going quietlyabout their business, they mean the world tore...echowith their stentoriantones. Israel tothemis agreat power-Ml'. Comay, when he -spoke justnow,bêhaved as if he wasrepresenting a great power•.Consequently, Israelmust act like a great Power.ltsactionscannotevenbesubjélct to the re- ,strictionsgeneraHy accepted by thegreat Powers. La Fontaine .was ,right: thefrog is trying to make itself as large as theox. Beware, Mi'.Comay; the frog mightburst! 48. Relying on the 'backing ofthose who are prepared tÇ)support U, Israel intends tocontinue defying the Armistice Agreement. The list of complaints which Syriahas presented to the Chairman of the Mixed ArmisticeCommissionconcerning Israel's violations of-the status of the :demilitarized zone is long. 1 did not want todwell upontbis listas the representative of Israelhas done;but matters being as theyare, 1 shaH dosa. ] have six·or seven thousand complaints in my possession. It would take more than a week to read thèm aIl. Nota day passesbut several successive violationsare committed in the demilitarized -,zone. Matters have reached a point where the files ofthe Mixed ,Armi13ticeÇommiss.ion canno longercontain tlle .complaints whi.ch the Syrian delegation, anxious tosetthingsright,. iscontinually making. 49. Hll.ving givenanobjective ac.count of the present Situation. 1 mustnow point out to the Security Counct! the true reasons which, inmy delegation'sopinion. hâve. ledto tbis etatë ofthings, and to suggest the remedies whichshould beapplied. 50•. 'ThebaS~c .cause .. of the tension. which has prevaUedfora ,long time and is.continumg togrow.lies ln the f',.lt that the Israel authorities have i'efused to .• xespl· . the status of the demilitarized zone asit was d'i'f.iV'J! in the Armistice j\g~eementand in. thee.l'- planat():1'.'Y letter that Ml'; Ralph Bunche, Acting MediatorforPalestine,addressedin thatconnexion toMr. NliJArslan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the.8yrian 52. Mr. Bunche's letter of explanation, which 1 have already mentioned. was reproduced in the summary record of the Syria-IsraelArmistice Conference, presided over 'by Mr. Vigier, representative of the Acting Mediator, of 3 July 1949. It will be recalled that the work of that Conference led to the signing on 20 July 1949 of the General Armistice Agreement between Syria and Israel. Later, the Security Council. in its resolution of 18 May 1951.Zlreproduced Mr. Bunche's explanatory letter in full. 1 should like to recall it to the members of the Council to save their reading it. 53. The status of the demilitarized zone beingestablished, how does it operate? In other words, what is it? Not to repeat what has already been said several times. the status of the demilitarized zone can be reduced to the followi:lg principles: (a) restoration of civiUan life in all Ara';;> villages and Israel settlements: @ Administration of the demilitarized zone on a local basis, under the supervision of the Chief of staff of the United Nations Truce Super'iision Organization: (Q) No questions of sovereignty, jurisdictionor citizenship arise with regardto the demilitarized zone. Israel has never grasped that last point; 1 am quite sure that Mr. Cornay will contradict it today or at a later meeting. That is the crux of the matter: no country exercises sovereignty over the demilitarized zone; it is administered under the supervision of the Chief of Staff who is at the same time the Chairman of the Armistice Commission; @ No armed forces may be stationed in the demilitarized zone; no fortifications may be built there; responsibility for keeping order within the zone rests with a police force recruited on a local basis and with the consent of the Chairman of the Armistice CommiSSion. 54. Those are the main principles in accordance with which the demilitarized zone ought to have been administered. 1 might say: those are the main principIes in Une with whichthe demilitarized zone should in future be administered, and here 1 appeal to the Council. It has happenedthat ever sincethe Ar.mistice Agreement came into' force. the Israel authoi'ities 55. An this happened as soon as the Armistice Agreement came into force. After claiming that they had signed the Agreement in aU good faith, the Israel authorities sought to do away with the demilitarized zone so that it had "the life spanof a rose-one morning's space", to use Malherbe's words. By actingthus, the Israel authorities have completely shattered the provisions of the Armistice Agreement. They have destroyed the balance which those provisions established. They have seized military advantages in defiance. of the stipulations of article n, paragraph 1. They have assumed rights categorically denied to them by paragraph 2 of the same article. 56. The Security Council is already fully aware of the ensUing situation. To cite but one example out of many.in itsresolution of 19 January 1956, it already caUed upon the parties to complywith their obligations under articl~ V of the Armistice Agreement to respect the demilitarized zone. Although the Security Council has already provided for the existence of the demilitarized zone and its status, Israel does not want to recognize that the demilitarized zone, is a demilitarized zone. Where Israel is concerned, that zone forms an integràl part of Israel territory in the sense that it may be occupied by Israel troops. despite ~he Armistice Agreement. Consequently. Israel cannot come to dèmand the fulfillment of the provisions of the Agreement while refusing to recognize the character of the demilitarized zone and objecting to its legal status. The Armistice Agreement is an indivisible whole; ft c~ot be applied in spme cases and rejected in others•. 57. Therefore. Israel' has not complied with the Security Council's injunctions. Already in 1955. General Burns drew the Secretary-General's attention to the fact that thé status of the demilitarized zone was being conipletely ignored by the Israel authorities. It might have been easy to remedy that state of affairs by resorting to the body set up under the Agreement to settle disputes arising out of its application or interp:retation. namely, the MixedArmistice Commis,.. sion. Sudh a procedure has 'been impossible since 1951. when Israel refused to take part in discussions in the Commission on anymatter pertaining to the demilitarized zone. 58. 1 would ask Mr. Comay a question. He said that the IE?raetdelegation to,the Mixed Armistice Commission had lodged many complaints about 13yrian miscon~uct. Can heteU me why the Mixed Armistice Commission did not meet to take actionon'thesecomplaints'? It didriot meet becàuse the Israel delegation does not Want to take part in thè Commission's work. ' and the complaints mentioned by Mr. Cornay, all these complaints which have been the ~ubject of a document submitted .. t9 the Council by the, Israel delegation. in fact concern activities which are in sorne way con- 59. AU that must be brought out and not be hidden away. and we must not be satisfied with half-truths; to follow Alfred de Musset. "a door must be either open or closed". Either you recognize the jurisdiction of the Mixed Armistice Commission, in which case when you lodge complaints you ask its Chairman to calI a meeting ofthe Commission, or youdo not recognize that jurisdiction and, in that case, you do not say that you have lodged complaints, because a complaint which has not been followed by a condemnation cannot in itself constitute a condemnation. 60. We have lodged complaints. but we have not been able to have Israel condemned for two reasons: the first is that Israel does not wish to take part in the work of the Mixed Armistice Commission; the second. that the Chairman of the Commission has not convened tbis body because he wanted to settle this problem with Israel beforehand; he wantedto persuade Israel to take part in the Commission's work. But since 1951, and up to and including this date, Israel has always flatly andcategorically refu03ed to take part in that work. If the Armistice Commission had been meeting regularly. under the terms of the General Armistice Agreement. we should not be here today; but Israel has very fixed ideas and secret purposes. Israel believes that this demilitarized zone has been imposed on it. not by direct negotiation perhaps but by diplomacy. Israel thought in 1949 that although it was signing the Agreement it could soon eliminate tbis demilitarized zone. So far. legally speaking. this zone has not been eliminated. because the General Armistice Agreement itself would have to beeliminated first. 61. Consequently. 1 say to Israel: if you are in favour of the Armistice Agreement, then you must accept the competence and jurisdiction of the Commission; if you are not in favour of the Armistice Agreement, if you do not accept the jurisdiction of the Co~mission. then do not come here shouting without rhyme .or reason that there have been violations bythe Syrians andthatyouhave lodged complaints. If you have complaints to make, ask the Chairman of the Mixed Armistice Commissionto convene thatbody, ask for the complaints to be discussed,. and then you can come here and tell us that you have had Syria condemned. 62. In this connexion. let me read to you the replies of General von Horn, Chief of Staff of UNTSO.· to the questions put by sorne members of the SecurityCouncil during the debate on the Syrian complaint in 1962: "The Chairman of the Mixed Arm.istice Commission is empowered under paragraph 5 (e) ofarticle V to authorize the return of civilians ta villages and unde~ article VII. paragraph 8, was competent to interpret the meaning of the General Armistice Agreement. The IsraelGovernment.however, didnot agree. todiscuss inthe MixedArmistice Commission anything pertaining' to thedemilitarized zone or to subnùt to the Commission the interpretationofarti... cIe V of the General Armistice Agreement for a decision as toits competence or as to the competence of the Chairman in matters concerning the demilitarized zone. As a resuIt, no ordinary meetings .of the Mixed Armistice Commission have taken place since 1951." [IOOlst meeting, annex, p.4.] 63~ r have nothing ta add to these precise and wise words. which need no commentary. In addition to its bellicose and aggre~sive activities, Israel, by its refusaI to recognize the competence of the Armistice Commission iil anythingpertainingto the demilitarized zone. and by its obstinate boycott ofthe Commission's work. has· definitely violated the clauses ofthe Agreement. This systematic violation explains why we find ourselves obliged to lodge complaint after complaint. Bèt,ween 1: January and T August 1963. 3.059 complaints Md alreadybeen registered. There havebeen others since. then. 64. Does' anyone here imagine that we are satisfied with such a situation? Nevertheless, we welComethis meeting.- of theCouncil, which givesus an opportunity of. enlightening the Councilas far as we cano Israel. which sticksat:nathingin itsviolations ofthe General Armistice Agreement.comes beforethe Cauncilunder faise pretences. . 65~ 1 shoulQ not like to take toomuch of the Council's precious Ume. because 1 believe 1 have made matters quiteclear. My dèleglition draws attention to the following conclusions: (a) Israel should be condemned.by the Securtty Counci1for its aggressive. activities and its incessant violations of the Armistice Agreement; @the Armistice Agreement shouldbe applied strtctly and in. its entirety,. for it constitutes an indivisible whole~ There can be no insisting on respect for sorne oHtsclauses while ignoring theothers; (c) thé' status c» the demilitarized?:one should be respëcted in full. The whole future of the Agreement depends onthisi «i) the- Mixed Armistice CaIil·mission should resume normal working. It should not overlôok any matter. The Sècu1!ity Council resolutionof 9April 1962already urg~s the parties to make use af the Commission~ Nothing, like thathas been dane thus fa'r because of ISllael'g,defaulting and bad faith. 66'.. Before' Qoncluding; 1 shauid' like ta· say that the Israel, .authorities have. been guilty of seizfng and abductingSyriansanc:iforeigners. 6·7~. On:. 10'Decem1;ler 1954. an aJrcraftof the Syrtan airlin:e$". fly1ng. frdm .Dama$Cus il) Cairo. wascompel;fe~lwhenOVE!i1 the op.en.seato·head'forIsraettérrl-- tory•.where itmàdeaforced landing.The pa.$sengers oni,that·air.craftwereallcapturedbytheIsraelauthori.. 69. These are the remarks 1 feIt bound to make at this preliminary stage of the debate. 1 reserve the right to speak again later to deal with sorne other points.

r now calI on the Secretary- General, who has expressed a desire ta make a statementon the subject before the Council.

At this stage ofthe consideration of the issue now before the Council r wish to make only a very brief statement. 1 am, of course. deeply concerned about the new troubles that have arisen in a long-troubled area. Within the next day or. so 1 expect to receive from General Odd Bull, the UNTSO Chief of Staff, a full report on the investigations made by the 'UNTSO Observersof the incidents referred to in the complaints of the two parties. and 1 will. of course, make this information immediately available to the Council. 72. General Bull andhis staff have beendoingeverything possible ta ease the tension and ta prevent any further incidents in the area. The agreement of the two parties has been obtained by General Bull to a simuItaneous investigation of the defensive areas on both sides by UNTSO Observers. Bath parties have also responded favourably to General Bull's appeal that the cease-fire be observed. ~/3. 1 take this opport'mity ta request the Governments of Israel and S,iria to exert every possible precaution ta ensure that the cease-fire will be actually and fully observed and to prevent the occurrence of any further incidents. This would have the additional advantage of enabling the Council to consider this issue in an atmospherefree ofany new tension.

r thank the Secretary-:General for the statement he has made to the Council about the endeavours made by the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization in the area and 1 am sure that 1 speak on behalf of all the members of the Council when 1 request the representatives of the two parties concerned to submit the appeal by the Secretary- General to theïr respective Governments. 75. There are no further speakers inscribed for this meeting. 1 have been given to understand that the report from the Chief of Staff of UNTSO, which the Secretary-General made reference to a moment ago, may be made available by the Secretary-Genera.l to the members of the Council on Monday. . The meeting rose at 4.40 p.m.