S/PV.1321 Security Council

As SO often in the past, the Security Councills attention has once again been drawn to the grave and tense situation in the area of the Near and Middle East, but this time in connexion with an act ofopen aggression by Israel against Jordan, one of the Arab countries and a Member of the United Nations. We are concerned here not only withIsrael’s military preparations, dangerous as they are to the cause of peace, but also with a clear breach of peace and security by the extremist circles of Tel Aviv and with the conduct of open aggressive military operations by Israel’s armed forces against the territory of a neighbouring Arab country. 7. The statement made at the Council this morning [1320th meeting] by U Thant, the Secretary-General, gave detailed information on the events that have taken place, and brings out very clearly the full seriousness of the crime committed against Jordan by Israel’s armed forces on 13 November of this year. The fact of this new aggression by Israel is as flagrant as it is undeniable. 8. From the statement of Ambassador El-Farra, the Permanent Representative of Jordan, a member of the Security Council, at the Council’s meeting this morning and from the letter he addressed to the President [S/ 75861 it is evident that, on 13 November this year, Israel’s regular armed forces, supported by heavy artillery, tanks and aircraft, violated Jordan’s borders and subjected the peaceful Arab population of the villages of As Samu, Rafaat and el Tuweimin and the police post of Rujm el Madfa’a to shelling and strafing. The tragic result of this brazen aggression was that the peaceful inhabitants of Jordan suffered heavy loss of life and considerable property damage. -/ Sec Officia1 Records of the Security Council, Fourth Year, Special Supplement No. 1. 10. It is quite obvious that this was not what might be called an isolated episode or a mere incident but, as the representative of Jordan correctly pointed out, a premeditated major operation by the Israel armed forces which could have been carried out only on the disect orders of the Israel Government. As a matter of fact, even the Israel authorities cari hardly deny this since they have admitted that the raid on Jordanian territory was planned as-in their words-a deterrent action against Jordan, 10, ment, ment épisodique re, représentant importante israéliennes, direct que les 1 ‘incursion ditée terminologie, la Jordanie, 11. de qui force cette cependant, maintes sion contre Israël, aux Etats Israël territoriale 11. However, the question arises who authorized Tel Aviv to resort to armed force against the Arab countries. By what right was this done’? It is surely common knowledge, and we have often heard this from the lips of the Israel representatives themselves during the discussion of charges against Israel, that the United Nations Charter prohibits States Members of the United Nations-including Israel, of coursefrom using force against the territorial integrity and political independence of any State. 12. litaire la façon la plus flagrante tantes mérite agression manifestement gations Charte breuses des fois le recours caract&re les buts et principes international gissent 12. Consequently, by making a direct military attack against Jordanian inhabited localities, Israel has flagrantly violated these supremely important provisions of the United Nations Charter. This alone is enough to justify more than a mere condemnation. Israel’s new aggression against Jordan glaringly contravenes not only that State’s obligations under the Charter but also many resolutions of the Seourity Council, which has repeatedly pointed out in specific terms that the use of so-called military reprisals is completely incompatible with the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, with the provisions of contemporary international law, and with the elementary standards by which a11 States must be governed in conducting their foreign policy. 13. It should be remembered that on three separate occasions in the recent past-in January 1956, in April 1962 and in April 1964--the Security Council has roundly condemned the so-called reprisals to which Israel had resorted against Arab States. 13. ni&res occasions 1962 et en avril la plus sailles” contre 14. sur le fait que dans sa résolution188 1964 le Conseil 14. Allow me to draw your attention to the fact that in its resolution 188 (1964) of 9 April 1964, the Security Counoil: Wondemns reprisals as incompatible with the purposes and principles of the United Nations”. 16. Recently, as we know, one Arab country after another has been subjected to provocation and aggression by Tel Aviv. In the summer of this year, the Security Council consldered the question of the aggressive actions of Israel against the Syrian Arab Republic. Barely two months later.-in October of this yearthe Security Council was again compelled to deal with the provocative manœuvres of the Israel extremists, by which they attempted to camouflage Israel’s continuing military preparations against the Arab States. Yesterday it was Syria. New, an aggressive intervention has been directed against another Arab State, Jordan. Such a situation cannot be tolerated. 17. In recent years, we have heard more thanenough officia1 assurances by the representatives of Tel Aviv that the Israel Government harbours no aggressive designs against its neighbouring Arab States and that it desires to do a11 it cari to maintain peace in the Near and Middle East, 18. However, in view of the plain facts, we cannot but note that the policy pursued by the ruling ciroles of Tel Aviv is contrary to the officia1 statements of the Israel Government about its desire for peace. The aggressive military operation undertaken by Israel against Jordan on 13 November was SO blatant that even the representatives of the United States and the United Kingdom were compelled to deplore and denounce the action of the Tel Aviv authorities; they were obliged to recognize that it was a flagrant violation of the Charter OP the United Nations and that it flouted the Armistice Agreement and numerous resolutions of the Security Council. It is regrettable that such words of censure concerning Israel’s aggressive action should be uttered SO belatedly. They smack of hindsight. They were uttered only after the premeditated crime had been committed, when human life had been lest and peaceful villages destroyed. 19. We hope that the verbal condemnation of Israel’s action which has this time bcen heard from the representatives of Washington and London Will not remain empty words but Will be followed by effective measures in the Security Council that will enable it to condemn aggression in no uncertain terms and to take steps to prevent a repetition of such acts by Israel. Deeds by the United States and the United Kingdom during the further discussion of this item Will constitute tangible proof of the sincerity of the statements which the Western Powers have made here in the Council. 20. As for the United States representative’s attempts in his statement today to make it appear that the Council was prevented from doing its duty by the Soviet Union’s vote on 3 November 1966 against the one-sided 21. We should also like to point out that this further aggressive action by Israel is taking place against the background of a general activation of the forces of imperialism in the Middle East, 1 ‘activité des forces de l’impérialisme dans le Proche- 22. The Soviet Union has repeatedly drawn Israel’s attention to the dangerous exacerbation of the situation in the region resulting from the policy of the imperialist Powers and of the Israel extremists acting in concert with them in the struggle they were waging against the independent Arab States, The Soviet Union has very much at heart the interests of peace and security in the Middle East, which lies in the immediate vicinity of its own frontiers. We hold that aggressive action against the Arab States must be ended at once, puissances impérialistes et des activités des extré- 23. In conclusion, allow me once again to state that the Security Council, which, under the Charter of the United Nations, bears primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace, must, in the present situation, severely condemn Israel as an aggressor which has violated the Armistice Agreement, numerous resolutions of the Security Council, and the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter; the Council must take effective measures to ensure the cessation once and for ail of Tel Aviv’s aggressive actions against the Axab States. que le Conseil de s&curité, auquel incombe la responsabilité principale du maintien de la paix et de la breuses résolutions du Conseil de sécurité et les principes tives qui mettraient orateur inscrit sur ma lis te est le représentant d’Israël et je lui donne la parole.

The next speaker on my list is the representative of Israel, on whom I now call. plus tard ses observations sur certaines des déclarations qu’ont faites les membres du Conseil. Pour le moment, je me bornerai à deux ou trois bréves faits. Quelque opinion que les membres du Conseil puissent avoir de l’action défensive entreprise par mon gouvernement, il ne faut pas exagérer 1 ‘ampleur et la nature des

My delegation would wish to reserve the right to comment at a later stage on some of the statements that have been made by members of the Council. At this point 1 shall confine rnyself to two or three very brief observations, The first is of a purely factuel nature, Whatever view Council members may have of the defensive action taken by my Government, the size and nature of the forces involved should not be given inflated dimensions, 26. First, they were not of brigade strength but, as I stated this morning, a relatively small mobile force of tanks and personnel carriers. Secondly, no Israel plane directed any fire or took any action against any ground target. Israel planes were engaged solely in a brief encounter with Jordan planes. Thirdly, there 26. Tout d’abord, il ne s’agissait pas d’une brigade mais, comme je l’ai dit ce matin, d’un groupe mobile relativement et de véhicules de transport de troupes. En second lieu, aucun avion d’Israël n’a ouvert le feu ou engagé une autre action contre un objectif situé au sol, Les 27. My second observation is this: other Governmente and nations that are friendly to Israel, and whose friendship we cherish, may or may not agree with this or that specific action we have felt obliged to take, but 1 am confident that they understand that the people of Israel are subjected to hostility, threat and physical danger and that the Government of Israel carries a heavy and serious responsibility for the national security, under the abnormal conditions forced upon us by the hostility of our neighbours. We cannot accept the statement that Israel’s reputation is involved in this matter. Furthermore, it is a baseless and indeed a meaningless charge that we act in the interests of alleged imperialist Powers against what is called the national liberation movement in the area. 28. We fought in that area hard and bitterly and at great sacrifice for our own national independence. And whatever we do, whatever our Government decides to .do, it is done in order to defend and protect our national independence and our national security-on the sole responsibility of our Government and not on behalf of anybody else or on behalf of any other considerations but our own. 29. Mr, EL-FARRA (Jordan): This morning we a11 heard the statement of Mr. Comay on the complaint now before the Council. Mr. Comay, in an attempt to divert the attention of the Council from the clear complaint presented by Jordan, from the real and only issue before the Council, referred ta many irrelevant questions which are not before the Council today. He referred to the area of Israel, to the area of the Arab homeland. He referred to the threats to Israel. He referred to the Armistice Agreement. He referred to the demarcation line. He referred to my statement about occupation and liberation. He referred to Syria. He referred to wars of liberation. He referred to the complaint he had presented against Syria last month. He referred t.o so-called mining incidents inside Israel-occupied territory. He referred to Gaza and Sinai and wars, and what not. But he said very little about the real question now before the Security Council. 86. 1 refuse to answer any of the allegations and fabrications of Mr. Comay, The Council is used to hearing them. The stories were repeated last month; they were repeated yesterday in the Special Political Committee; and now they are repeated againhere. Not a single one of these issues is before the Council. The Council, realizing the explosive situation in our area, Will, 1 am sure, confine its deliberations to the real issue. We refuse to accept Mr. Comayls invitation to enter with hlm into a dialogue that would divert the 31. What is before the Council is a clear-tut case of aggression. And no matter how we look at it, the following facts are clear: first, Israeli armed forces crossed the armistice demarcation line, using offensive-not defensive-weapons on a large scale, a scale far beyond a limited, local action or defensive action; secondly, the regular Israel Army, supported by a squadron of Mirage jets, brigades, heavy artillery, tanks and armoured vehicles, invaded Jordan territory, murdered innocent men, women and children, destroyed villages, animals, schools and the house of worship in the village of As San-m; thirdly, the whole objective of the invading force was to destroy Arab villages and hamlets south of Hebron-whereas the Jordan Government has not committed any act of any kind, at any time, either this week, last week, the week before, this month, last month, the month before, or even during this entire year, which would warrant any action of this scale or of this nature; fourthly, that the Israel authorities admitted and even boasted of committing this crime and assumed full responsibility for it. As 1 said this morning, the Israeli military spokesman stated: “The attack was committed in retaliation and as a punitive measure”; fifthly, that this wioked, inhuman act of savagery was premeditated, well-planned, and timed to coincide with the visit of a Head of State; sixthly, that Israel has said time and again, before this Council, that it had no complaint against Jordan. 1 need not cite Mr. Eshkol’s statement, published in .today’s New York Times, on this very issue. 32. Thus, no matter how we look at the question, there is one single issue before this Council. There is no other issue before this Council, and any attempt to divert the attention of the Council elsewhere has no place in our deliberations. 1 hope I have made this very clear. There is no link whatsoever between the invasion and any other incident; and since there is no Iink-and this is recognized even by the Israeli spokesman-then there is no place for Israel’s contention, and it has no place here. l’affaire, Il n’en a pas d’autre débats. vasion n’est n’y a aucun lien de cette nature parole d’Israël d’Israël 33. Mr. Comay asked the members of the Security Council this morning what their own Governments would have done under similar circumstances. 1 am sure that no responsible Member wouldfollow Israel’s example and take the law into its own hands. This 1 am sure of, 33. Conseil aurait certain ponsabilités s’arrogerait 34. 1 said before, and 1 repeat, that Jordan is not responsible for any incidents within Israel. Mr. Galili, the Minister for Information of the Israel authorities, said on 12 November, one day before the invasion, before the attack against Jordan: “The Army and the Border Police were doing their utmost to trap the infiltrators before they carried out their mission, but 34. n’est d’Israël. autorités veille police ceux

There are no more speakers on my list for this afternoon. 1 have consulted with members of the Council and it is the unanimous desire that there be an adjournment to permit members to consult with each other in order to expedite our consideration of this urgent matter. As 1 hear no objection, the Council stands adjourned until 11 a.m. tomorrow. The meeting rose at 5.5’p.m. HOW TO OBTAIN UNITED United Nations publications distributors throughout the Write to: United Nations, Sales COMMENT SE PROCURER LES Les publications des Nations Unies agences dépositaires du monde entier. ou adressez-vous à: Nations Unies, COMO CONSEGUIR PUBLICACIONES Las publicaciones de las Naciones casos distribuidoras en todas partes dirijase a: Naciones Unidas, Secci6n Litho in U.N. Price: $U.S. 0.50 (or equivalent in other currencies)