S/PV.1325 Security Council

In accordance with the decision taken previously and with the consent of the Council, 1 shall invite the representative of Israel to take a place at the Council table, At the invitation of the President, Mr. M. Comay (Israel) took a .plaoe at the Council table.

The Security Council Will continue its oonsideration of the question inscribed on its agenda, 1 direct the attention of members of the Council to the addendum [S/7593/Add.l] to the report by the Secretary-General which has been distributed this afternoon. In accordance with the request made by the Security Council this morning, the Secretary- General has made the topographical map available to members. On behalf of the members of the Council, I express oux appreciation to the Secretary-General for his prompt response to our request.

The Security Council has already had the opportunity of giving thorough consideration to the request addressed to it by the Jordanian Government. We have now reached the point where we must take a decision stating the Councilts position with regard to the serious and explosive situation preoipitated by the Israel authorities and, at the same time, decide 4. The, preliminary information submitted by the Secretary-General at the 1320th meeting on 16 November and the report .of the Chief of Staff of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization in Palestine [S/‘7593] reveal the heavy toll taken by the act of aggression of 13 November, with its great loss of human lives and substantial material damage. Even more disquieting, howevér, are the heightened tensions, the threats made by extremist circles inIsrae1 against the Arab countries and the attempts being made to justify and encourage Israel’s acts of aggression. Al1 this should be a subject of grave concern for the Council, which bears the principal responsibility for the maintenance of international peaoe and security. The resolution which the Security Council adopts must reflect its concern about the present situation in the Middle East and also its determination to take strong measures to put an end to this dangerous situation. 5. The debate on the present item has shownunequivocally that a11 members of the Security Council condemn the doctrine and the practice of reprisals. Even those who seek to minimize the responsibilityof the Israel authorities have been obliged to admit that by its military attack on Jordan, Israel has committed a flagrant violation .of the Charter, of the General Armistice Agreement between Israel and JordanI/ and of the principles of international law. It is pointless for certain friends andprotectors of Israeland especially the United States-to try to divert the Council’s attention away from the true reasons for Israel’s act of aggression by bringing up incidents said to have occurred in Israel territory, in order to justify the open and premeditated aggression ti Officia1 Records of the Security Council, Fourth Year, Special Supplement No. 1. 7. In its resolution, the Security Council must once again condemn Israel for its reprisals, as it has, incidentally, done several times in the past, when it condemned a11 aots of retaliation as being incompatible with the purposes and principles of the United Nations, The condemnation must be clear and unambiguous; first, because the act of aggression of 13 November constitutes a violation of the Charter and of the General Armistice Agreement and presents a real threat to peace in the Middle East and to world peace. But what is particularly disturbing is the attitude of the Israel authorities and the encouragement they are receiving from imperialist circles. The act of aggression of 14 July last was described by the Israel represcntative as tfstrictly limited action”. Now, the open and brutal invasion of Jordan, using tanks, aircraft, armoured vehicles and SO forth has been’ described by the same representative as “limited local action” and “defensive action”. condamné de la Convention l’attitude ment qui sont particuli&rement par le repr8sentant limitée”. contre en ceuvre etc., a étk qualifiée par lemême locale peut s’empi?cher pression 8. It is indeed regrettable that operations of such a kind and on such a scale should be treated SO lightly and in such an irresponsible fashion. The Israel communiqu8 on the invasion of Jordan gives a distinct impression of coming from a country in a state Of war. 1 shall quote a few excerpts from it: “Israel forces including tanks and half-tracks penetrated into Jordan territory Sunday morning shortly after 6 o’clock. The Jordanian police station at Rujm el Madfala attempted to stop the Israel forces, but it was fired upon by the tanks and reduced to silence.” 9. Is this unprovoked act of aggression what the Israel representative calls “defensive action”? It should also be added that the requests made by United Nations organs seeking to determine the truc chara.cter of this “defensive action” and of those who had carried 11. This is the language of lawlessness, the language of one who has taken the law into his own hands and does with it what he Will. This attitude on the part of the Israel authorities is becoming a line of conduot and an established policy. As the representative of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria emphasized in connexion with the act of aggression committed against Syria, the Security Council must not remain indifferent in the face of this policy of Israel, because the sole puspose of a11 attempts to justify the present violations is “to establish a basis for future action liable to disturb peace and security” [1292ndmeeting, para, 241. 12. We have pointed out also that if the Council refuses to take action despite these repeated violations by the Israel authorities Yhe consequences for international peace and security may be disastrous. Such anattitude might well be interpreted as an invitation to further acts of reprisai” [1295th meeting, para. 111, 13. The course of events has justified that analysis. The military attack on Jordan on 13 November last is glaring proof of this, and Israel’s complaint against Syria last October was but a component of a much broader plan and a preliminary to the act of aggression committed on 13 November, 14. According to the logic of the doctrine of retaliatien, it would be in no way surprising if the attack on Jordan were but the prelude to some vaster and more dangerous military operation. 15. That is why we agree with those who consider that the time for condemnation is over. Whilc mere condemnation, couched in strong terms, was still justified last July and might have served as a warning to Israel, that is no longer the case today. This time, the Council must take vigorous and effective action which will pave the way. once and for all, to any fresh acts of aggression by Israel against its neighbours and bring the extremist elements in that country back to their senses. 16, Mr. EL-FARRA (Jordan): I should like briefly to answer the additional distortions made by Mr. Comay this morning. Mr. Comay kept saying that they attacked the village of As Samu because it was the village involved in certain violations of the General Armistice Agreement inside Israel, He also said, in his intervention of 16 November [132Oth meeting] that tanks “The area between the armistice demarcation line, Rujm el Madfa’a and As Samu provides fair access for wheeled vehicles and good access for tanks., . Approximately 500 metres separate the villages from the armistice demarcation line with no obstacles to vehicle travel between.” [S/7593, para.&] 17. Thls is based on the findings of the observers and not on any claim by Jordan or so-called hearsay evidence. 1 wonder whether it is open to Mr. COmay to state before this Council that they used tanks because of the rough hilly terrain to be traversed. fondement, plir une certaine 18. Having said this on the tanks used to kil1 and destroy, 1 turn to another point raised by Mr. Comay: the Westion why this particular village was chosen for the attack. 1 submit that the answer to this is very simple. 1 have shown that the village in question is a peacefnl village and that the claims and contentions of the Israelis have no foundation. The report, ,however, gives us the answer to the question why this particular area was chosen. It is clear from paragraph 8 of the report of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization that the area is hilly, XOCkY, and tut by some wadis, and that three roads lead to this area: a pavecl road from the north-east, a paved road from the north-west and a grave1 road from the south. It is also clear that there were no obstacles to vehicle travel on these roads. It was the intention of the Israel Army to choose a Perfect strategic area for its military operatlon which would give it, after the surprise attack, a military advantage-an advantage which enabled it to spend four hours completing its crime. It is clear from the map presented by the Secretariat-and 1 am grateful to the Secretary-General for his prompt action in this respect-and from paragraph 8 of the report when read in connexion with the map, that Vhe highest points in the village area dominate the countryside for some distance around the village”. 19. Moreover, the three roads leading to As Samu were oontrolled, because Israel tanks occupied the four hills surrounding As Samu. The report states that the Israel covering troops were on the high ground surrounding both villages, and Israel fighter aircraft were overhead. The purpose behind the occupation of a11 four hills surrounding As Samu was obviously to seal the area against any outside help as well as to use those hills because of their advantageous dominating features as places from which to fire on the peaceful village. Therefore, the ISraeliS by these tactics had in mind not only inflicting the pour pour liens 20. Tactics of this kind could be understood and expected if one’s enemy were a military target clefended by proper conventional defensive methods; but their use on the peaceful inhabitants of a peaceful village as a sign of courage is something for the Security Council to consider. 21. In those circumstances, is it open to Mr. Comay to keep repeating-and here 1 quote from the letter he submitted to the Security Council this morning [S/ 7594]-that the purpose behind the attack was “a warning against aiding and harbouring saboteur and terrorist groups that had been carrying out a number of raids into Israel”? ‘22. The Truce Supervision Organization was not enabled to investigate on the other side of the demarcation line, and, according to paragraphs 29 and 30 of the report, no examination of witnesses or of some of the persons who committed the crime was possible. Had that been done, the report which we are now considering would have stated that another force was behind the demarcation line waiting to engage any possible Jordanian reinforcement. Let me refer in that connexion to the fact that “a number of overflights by Israel aircraft, most of them at low altitude, were taking place in the Hebron arean [S/ 7593, para. 5]-the area of the attack. This, again, was reported not by Jordanians, to be called hearsay evidence, but by the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization station in the Hebron area, fifteen kilometres from the scene of the attack. 23. Since Mr. Comay repeated the word nhearsay”, the question arises: did the Israel authorities cooperate with the United Nations in the area and help the United Nations carry out its investigations on the Israel side of the armistice demarcation line? We have offered full co-operation with the Truce Supervision Organization. On the other hand, paragraphs 29 and 30 indicate how Israel denied the investigating United Nations military observers any access to the area and/or any witnesses from the other side. The Israel representative’s reply was that “no Israel officer or soldier who had taken part in the operation would be called as a witness, and that there was no Jordanian aircraft in Israel territory”. 24. My fourth point refera to the volume of the Israel operation. 1 have time and again referred to facts and figures, and 1 need not reiterate what 1 said earlier. 1 should simply like to say that the Israel military spokesman himself, reporting on the question, said that the raid had been in brigade strength. 26. Finally, 1 know that it has been the practice of the Truce Supervision Organization, when inspeçting the scene of any attack, to take pictures showing the tragedy. A cruel attack of this nature must have influenced the persons who inspected the scene to take some pictures. 1 should like to ask our Secretary- General whether pictures of the destruction and damage, of the village, of the area, of the animal9 and of the human beings, were taken by the military observers in the arga. If the answer is in the affirmative, 1 respectfully request that a11 those pictures be made available to ail members of the Security Council. They may be more convincing to Mr. Comay. They may put an end to the attempt to distort, to mislead and to confuse.

The representative of Jordan bas addressed a request to the Secretary-General, 1 should like to ask the Secretary-General whether pictureS of the type requested are available.

1 have been advised that routine pictures taken by the members of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization relating to the incident which is the subject of this discussion in the Counoil are available, if the Council SO desires.

We have a request frOm the representative of Jordan that these pictures shouldbe made available to members of the Council. If there is no objection, 1 take it that the Seoretary-General Will be asked to comply with th.at request. 1 hear no objection. The pictures, then, Will be made available, It is my understanding from the Secretary-General that the parties have had acoess to these pictures from the observers.

1 should like to say that 1 am grateful to the Secretary-General for his statement. 1 am sure the pictures Will be helpful. They are, of course, United Nations pictures, and it is the proper procedure to have the United Nations representatives present them to the Council.

1 now Cal1 on the repreSentatiVe of Israel. 32, Mr. COMAY (Israel): 1 have just one Correction of fact. At the 1324th meeting, the repreSentatiVS of

1 have the dispatch before me, This is dispatch No. ‘700 coming from Israel via the Associated Press: “Israel announced the raid to have been in brigade strength,”

1 recognize the representative of Israel.

1 cannot be responsible for the accuracy or otherwise of newspaper reports; but, if the representative of Jordan would like the exact text of the officia1 statément,. made by the army spokesman, 1 should be very happy to let him have it. 36. Mr, EL-FARRA (Jordan): This is really oonfusing to me, When the United Nations military observers go to investigate, the answer is “No”, and when we resort to the information, we find again the answer is rlNow, 1 did not want to quote this. 1 wanted the United Nations to be there SO as to cross-examine and investigate, to hear statements and see witnesses. However, the ‘answer Will be found in paragraphs and 30 of the report. Iam sure that my colleagues Will find the time to read those paragraphs.

There are no more speakers on the list for this afternoon. Members of the Council who have been in consultation have indicated that they would like additional time throughout this evening and tomorrowmorning. After discussion withmembers of the Council, it has been agreed to hold our next meeting tomorrow, Tuesday, 22 November, at 3 p.m. The meeting rose at 5.55p.m. r-9 HOW TO OBTAIN UNITED United Nations publications may distributors throughout the world. Write to: United Nations, Sules COMMENT SE PROCURER LES PUBLICATIONS Les publications des Nations Unies agences dépositaires du monde entier. ou adressez-vous à: Nations Unies, Section COMO CONSEGUIR PUBLICACIONES Las publicaciones de las Naciones casas distribuidoras en todas partes dirfjase a: Naciones Unidas, Section Litho in U.N. Frite: $U.S. OS0 (or equivalent in other currencies)