S/PV.1326 Security Council

In accordance with the decision taken previously [1320th meeting], 1 shall, with the consent of the Council, invite the representative of Israel, Ambassador Comay, to take a place at the Council table. prend place à la table du Conseil. At the invitation of the President, Mr. M. Comay fikrael) took a place at the .Council table.

The Security Council Will now continue its consideration of the question inscribed on its agenda. Yesterday, the Council made a request to the Secretary-General to supply the members of the Council with certain photographs relating to the subject-matter of the agenda under consideration. 1 now cal1 upon the Secretary-General,

LMr. President, in response to the request of the Security Council at its 1.325th meeting on the afternoon of 21 November, 1 am submitting herewith two sets of photographs taken by the United Nations military observers in the course of their investigation of the incident of 13 November 1966. It is a customary procedure for the observers to take photographs in conducting their investigations, on which they normally report to the parties only. 1

Maybe it is too much to show fifteen members eighty pictures prepared by the machinery in the area; maybe what you have suggested, Mr. President, would be more convenient. But 1 do have two pictures: one is a coloured picture, and 1 also have another one, taken to show this vioious attack. 1 think it would bepossible to have two pictures shown now, through you, for members of the Council to see what a tragedy is before the Council for consideration, and to see that when Mr. Comay speaks about thirty empty houses his intention was to distort the faots, which are too stubborn to bedistorted. With your permission, Sir, I should like to have these two pictures circulated now to my colleagues, starting with my colleague from Japan.

It was not my intention to defer the examination of the pictures; in view of the fact that 1 was going to announce in a moment that I had no speakers inscribed on my list, 1 wanted to leave it to the individual members of the Councîl to decide what suited them best. It is my proposa1 to leave the pictures available for examination right here. However, if the convenience of any member of the Council is served by examining them in the office of the secretariat, he 1s at liberty to do SO. But they are here for examination, and I am sure there Will be no o’bjection to looking at the pictures to which the representative of Jordan has referred.

Mr. President, since you have no further speakers on your list 6n this most important question, which calls for a most urgent rcmedy, I should like to raise before the Counoil one additional issue, From these pictures, it is clear that almost 140 houses were oompletely destroyed, that more houses were damaged, that a house of worship was very badly damaged; this is now reflected in plctures-more than eighty of them-before the Council. Since it is clear that bombing and shelling took place, 1 think 1 should bring to the attention of the Council the fact that bombing of property and of civilian populations is not permissible under any rule of law. 8. 1 should like to bring to the attention of the Security Council the fact that, if we go back to the proceedings of the Nuremberg Triai, we Will find 9. You now have the facts; and as the five permanent members of the Security Council are here, 1 think they and the Council should be reminded, by a small delegation, representing a small country which relies on a great body called the Security Council for security against the invasion of the Zionist movement and its representatives, that at the Nuremberg Tria1 this indiscriminate bombingofcivilianpopulationswas listed as one of the indictments, and that the war criminals were prosecuted for this as one of the charges. 10. 1 know that this is not a military tribunal, this is a political tribunal.; but I submit that this political tribunal has the primary responsibility for securing peace in the area. 11. The Council is the guardian of the Charter of the United Nations. The hopes and dreams of a11 small Powers are always inspired by the Charter, The hope of security stems from the Charter. 1 must therefore say this, with a11 honesty, with a11 sincerity, with a11 frankness: political expediency should not play any part in the Security Council. It would frustrate the hopes not only of Jordan, a small Member of the United Nations-perhaps one of the smallest-but it Will frustrate the hopes and dreams of many peace-lovlng peoples in this world. Political expediency has no place in the Security Council. 12. I expected to have a draft resolution adopted last week. A crime was committed last Sunday. It was brought before the Security Council on Monday. I was hoping to have a decision, censuring Israel for its crime and condemning this outrageous attaok, on Tuesday. Today, is Wednesday. Tomorrow, Mr. President, is your Thanksgiving Day. The crime of partitioning Palestine was committed on a Thanksgiving Day. But that subject is not before the Council. 13. Al1 that 1 should like to say is that we would like’ the Council to be the responsible organ of the United Nations. 1 should like the Council to decide the case on its merits. Let us not have one decision for a big Power, one for a friend of a big Power and another for a helpless, small Member. This does not help the prestige and dignity of this organ of the United . Nations, 14. 1 did not corne to speak on this question. I came to listen. This afternoon 1 came to listen and to look as a decision was taken by the Security Council and to report with pride that the Security Council did take effective action befitting its dignity. 15. Unfortunately, such is not the case, 1 have to report to my Government that, for some unforeseen 16. Let me be very honest and frank. When there is a clear-tut case, when there is no attempt to blame or to put the victim and the aggressor on an equal footing, responsible members of the Security Council -and, 1 would add, some permanent members of the Security Council-should not be guided in their policy by an attempt to ride two horses at the same time. This is suicidai. It does not serve any big POWer, nor does it befit its dignity. 1 say this, and 1 am still hoping-maybe I am hoping against hope-that this Council Will adopt a decision offering an adequate and effective remedy to the aggrieved, to the victim, to a small State, ta Jordan.

We have listened very carefully to the statement just made by the representative of Jordan, Mr. El-Farra, and in our view the Security Council must treat with the utmost seriousness the situation described to us by a member of the Security Council, who has called upon the Council to take urgent action. 18. We, for our part, fully share the concern and anxiety felt by Jordan as a victim of aggression and consider ii; necessary to emphasize that the Security Council is dealing with a matter which is crystal-clear. The crime committed by Israel against Jordan, a member of our Organization and a member of the Security Council, is SO obvious and SO incontrovertible that it hardly requires any further proof or evidence. 19. We should also like, at this point, to remind the Council of the unanimous condemnation of Israells act of aggression against Jordan, expressed by the members of the Council in the statements they made immediately after the item was placed on the Council’s agenda. 20. The Soviet delegation is bound to say that it cannot understand why the Security Council is not treating this straightforward case in the way it should, but we cari well understand the disillusionment and concern which the Jordanian representative has voiced here at the meetings of the Security Council, including today 1s meeting. 21. Allow me to stress again the full seriousness of the crime committed, for which there is no justification whatever and which brazenly tramples underfoot the basic principles of the Charter of the United Nations. This is a matter which demands immediate consideration and the adoption of a resolution clearly condemning the criminal act of aggression committed by Israel against Jordan.

1 give the floor to the representative of Israel.

First, a factual question. The Council has been told that these photographs, 24. Then the representative of Jordan saw fit to bring into this discussion the Nuremberg Trial. There it was a régime which in cold blood had murdered 6 million of my people that was on trial. That is, perhaps, one reason why we in Israel take it SO seriously when more of our people are bei8g murdered in their homes and fiel& and on the roads as they go about their daily business, And 1 have not heard that these killers, who corne across the borders from Jordan and other surrounding States, are under any instructions to avoid casualties or to spare human lives.

Mr. Comay, for the third or fourth time 1 think, has disputed the number of houses demolished. The clay before yesterday he said it was hearsay evidence; today he said he had net seen the pictures and-even before seeing themthey could not prove anything. Let us, then, forget the pictures. 26. What about General Bull’s report’? He is representing the United Nations in the area and he was asked to make a fact-finding report. The observers went to the village, took pictures and counted the houses-they counted the completely demolished houses, they counted the partially damaged houses and they counted the completely demolished tents, huts and whatnot. Can Mr. Comay answer these questions? Does he or does he not believe the United Nations observers? Does he or does he not believe General Bull? General Bull did not refer to hearsay; he referred to facts and figures-the houses were, counted. 1s it for Mr. Comay to keep on distorting, this question, to keep on disputing the figures7 The number is very clear in the report. 1 said it before and 1 Will repeat it: the report speaks about specific figures, which the observers verified with their own eyes and then reported to the Council. The Council has this document, 1 hope this Will be the last time we hear the question of how many houses. The crime is clear in the pictures, in the report and in statements. If it pleases Mr. Comay, we cari ask one of the members to go to the area today, Count them for him and return. This is my first point. 27. My second point is the Nuremberg Trial. Al1 1 am saying is that this is the same crime imputed to the criminals at the Nuremberg Trial. The elements 28. With reference to the tanks used, at the last meeting 1 referred to the material evidence which proves this. Of course 1 said Patton tanks; 1 still maintain this, and 1 hope I Will be permitted to present proof of it. A film was taken which shows the make and shape of those tanks. It may be the first time in the Security Council’s history, but if 1 cari obtain the film 1 shall request you, Mr. President, to be SO kind as to ask the Council to have patience and view it. It may prove helpful to the Council because members may see the movements of the tanks, the equipment of the tanks and everything about their operation. 29. Al1 the points raised are clearly an attempt to divert the Council’s attention from the issue before it.

1 thank Mr. El-Farra for his comments and 1 am sure that if he has further material which he would like to present to the Council, we would be glad to have it, with the Council’s approval.

May 1 request that the two pictures just introduced by me be incorporated in the record of this meeting?

If there is no objection, it Will be SO decidecl. It was SO decided. l

1 give the floor to the representative of Israel.

1 have no interest in prolonging this discussion unduly. I would reoall that, when I took exception to, or questioned, the statement made by the representative of Jordan that the photographs which the Secretary-General had submitted showed that 140 houses had been demolished, a11 I said was that those pictures do not show anything of the kind. It is a simple statement of fact, and I think that Council members cari judge for thsmselves by looking at those pictures. 35. With reference to the houses, 1 certainly do not want to enter into any discussion on exactly how the United Nations military observers made their statistical findings. The pictures now before the Council indicate that there are, here and there, stones lying about. Specifically how many houses those stones represent is simply a matter which the United Nations observers heard from the people on the spot. 37. The third point 1 want to make is ahout the Patton tanks. 1 have already said on the authority of my Government and 1 want to say quite categorically that not a single tank of this type was used in this incident. And, again, if 1 might refer to the visual evidence, which is contained in these photographs, which are now circulating in the Council, the Council Will note in them that a great number of tank tracks have been photographed-tank tracks which are very visible and easily identifiable and any expert who knows anything about these matters Will be able to tel1 immediately that these are not tracks of Patton tanks. None of these tracks could possibly be identified as a track made by a Patton tank, 38. Lord CA.RADON (United Kingdom): 1 do not wish at this stage to speak on the substance of the matter which has been brought to this Council-and, with great respect, 1 would suggest that, although it is of course extremely important that we should have the full facts before us, no great value Will be secured ky an argument on detail, in regard to the facts of this situation and to the events of which we speak. 39. 1 would go on to say that I think that the representative of Jordan is well justified in telling us in this Council that, after a week’s deliberation on a matter of great seriousness and great urgency, we should be in a position to reach a conclusion, It is well known to members of the Council that there have heen amongst us efforts made to reach a form of words in a resolution which Will carry the support of the Council, and 1 am sure that we commend those efforts. 40. But 1 feel-and I expect that we a11 feel-that after adequate opportunity to express our viewsand a11 of us have now expressed our views-we should now, without delay and without interruption, find means of coming to c conclusion with the least possible delay. 1 would also go on to say that this is one of the occasions, in my experience of the Council, when I believe that it is possible, and should be possible, for this Council to corne to a unanimous conclusion. It does seem to me that, in the seriousness of the situation we are dealing with, a unanimous decision is required. A unanimous decision of this Council Will certainly carry far. greater weight than a resolution supported by only a certain number of our members. 41. Therefore, 1 would, with great respect to those who have worked to find the right answer to the problem which faces us, add my plea to that of the representative of Jordan, that, with the least possible 42. 1, therefore, greatly hope that, in spite of many other urgent matters which we hnve before us in the IJnited Nations at this time, there is nothing SO urgent, nothing SO important as that with which we are dealing in this Council now. 1 doubt whether further dehate will carry us in the direction we wish, because we have had our opportunity, for many days past, of saying what we wish. But, 1 think that it is necessary for us to find means, in consultation amongst ourselves, of seeking a resolution which Will be clear and definite and Will, 1 greatly trust, carry the authority of the unanimous Council with it.

1 am going to be very brief. Mr. Comay referred to a picture he bas. 1 have not seen the picture, but 1 Will accept it. However, 1 should like to raise one question. Was this picture taken after the first homb, or after the second bomb, or after the third? It is very important, YOLI know the jets were covering the Patton tanks and were also bombing and taking pictures. Was this picture No. 1 or No. 2? It is very important. It is easy to cite pictures and figures and speak about numbers, but one thing is certain-paragraph 10 of document S/7593 which reads: “In the village and the vicinity of the village of As Samu the investigating United Nations military ohservers saw”-that is, with their own eyes- “that 125 houses, the village medical clinic, a 6-classroom school and a workshop had been completely demolished. In addition, one mosque and 28 houses had been damuged. Twenty Jordanian army trucks, 2 Jordanian army jeeps and one civilian bus were totally demolished. I’ These are facts. The other day, when I referred to the implications of this attack, he said: no, we bave respect only for the Secretariat and its people in the area. New, Mr. Comay is not accepting the figures, not accepting the pictures, not accepting the statement, not accepting anything. 1 Will not dwell onthis, I leave it to the Council to evaluate this statement or the statements of Mr. Comay in this respectable body, the Security Council. 44. HOW about the casualties? The report tells LE that 3 civilians and 15 military personnel were killed and medical certificates were presented. Mr. Comay may not accept the certificates and say we had already buried our dead to prove to the observers that the Israelis had killed SO many. There is a limit to what the Council cari accept. 1 do not think that the Council cari accept any of these allegations, because a11 of them are belied by the true facts of the report of General Bull.

As you are aware, Mr, President, 1 have already inscribecl Nigeria on the list of speakers for the purpose of making a Statement at our next meeting, on the substance of the matler before this Council. 1 have no intention of anticipating that statement at this time. 47. 1 asked for the floor only because a number of statements that have been made by members of the Council suggest that the delay which has taken place in renching a decision on this matter is attributable to some person or persons unknown. I Share the regret over this delay, but I wish to point out with grent respect to my distinguished collengues that the responsibility for taking a decision on the matter before the Council rests with every single member of that Council. In fairness to some of LLS who bave attempted, in the last few days, to take an initiative in the matter -and no initiative is exclusive, because the fnct that an initiative is being taken by “X” does not prevent “Y” from taking an initiative-and in fairness to those of LLS who hnve been participating in the particular initiative to which 1 refer, it would be unfair to suggest that they have not given as much time or as much energy as lie in their power to expedite progress towards reaching a decision. 48. Anyone who is acquainted with the proceedings of the Security Council is surely fully aware how difficult it cari be to produce a draft resolution to which a11 fifteen members of this august Council cari subscribe-the kind of resolution expected of LLS and which would rencler the best service in the present circumstances. If 1 had to produce a draft resolution merely setting out what 1 feel this Council ought to decide, in the opinion of Nigeria, 1 could do it within ten minutes, Lf I had to do this to the satisfaction of only one or the other party to this dispute, 1 could do it within half an hour. It is quite a different kettle of fish to reconcile the opinions of a11 members of the Security Council, or to try to produce a draft resolution which Will carry enough of the memhers with you and, at the same time, not attract the negative votes of those who have the veto power in this Council. 49, We who take this initiative are aware of these difficulties; we are not daunted by these difficulties, but 1 think it is only fair that we should place on record, not for the information of my distinguished colleapes who, in fact, have better experience than myself, but for 1 the enlightenment of the public which mlght be wondering why it is taking SO long to deal with a case that Seems SO patently clear; it is clear to the representative of Nigeria-but that is the difficulty. 50, I also wish to make one point. EverYone who iS accustomed to the proceedings of the United Nations 51. Finally, I want to assure my friend, the representative of Jordan, of what he already knows: that those of us who are trying to help in this matter have SO far not succeeded, not because we have not used a11 the time that we have at OUF disposal, but for reasons of which he is perfectly aware, and for reasons which 1 deeply regret.

1 should like to say very clearly that we are a11 grateful to my colleague and friend, Chief Adebo, and his other colleagues who are taking a constructive stand on this question and trying to find a formula which reflects the seriousness of the problem and the complaint. 1 am glad that Chief Adebo put his finger on the crux of the matter. He said that the case is SO patently clear, but there are some other reasons of which 1 am aware. He knew exactly what I was referring to; 1 was referring to the very reasons and the circumstances which are now imposing themselves on the attempts of some colleagues in the Council to find a formula which would reflect the gravity of the situation and the seriousness of the crime committed by the Israel armed forces in the area. 53. 1 hope that 1 have made it very clear that we have the highest regard for Chief Adebo, and I am glad that, when he referred to the reasons of which 1 am aware and he is aware, he knows exactly what 1 meant.

This completes the list of speakers. As Chief Adebo has corsectly pointed out, there has been a request for a further opportunity of speaking tomorrow on his part and, 1 am advised, also on the part of others. In the meantime, consultations which have been proceeding continuously between members of the Council throughout this debate Will go on. I have consulted with the members of the Council informafly as we have been conducting this debate, and it is agreed that we should reconvene at 10.30 tomorrow morning to continue our consideration of this matter. The meeting rose at 4.30 p.m. ANNEX Photographs submitted by the representative ANNEXE Photographies présentées par le représentant HOW TO OBTAIN UNITED United Nations publications may distributors throughout the world. Write to: United Nations, Sales COMMENT SE PROCURER LES PUBLICATIONS Les publications des Nations Unies sont agences dépositaires du monde entier. ou adressez-vous a: Nations Unies, Section COMO CONSEGUIR PUBLICACIONES Las publicaciones de las Naciones casas distribuidoras en todas partes dirijase a: Naciones Unidas, Section Litho in U.N. Price: $U.S. 0.50 (or equivalent in other currencies)