PROPOSALS FOR JERUSALEM

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26032, 8 February 1950, Page 5

PROPOSALS FOR JERUSALEM

DISCUSSION BY U.N. COUNCIL ARAB DELEGATES EXPRESS OPPOSITION (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 7. The Geneva correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph*’ reports that the proposals for a solution of the Jerusalem problem put forward by Mr Roger Garreau, president of the United Nations Trusteeship Council, were strenuously opposed by the Egyptian and Iraqi delegates when the Council resumed its discussions yesterday, after a week’s interval. They denounced the proposals, which f>rovide for the division of. Jerusalem nto three zones, as being outside the scope of the General Assembly’s resolution, which the Council, had been called upon to carry out. The Egyptian delegate objected to the proposals because Jerusalem was “the spiritual capital of humanity” and all of it must be placed under United Nations’ - sovereignty. Any decision to divide the city would be null and void. The Iraqi representative said that the plan was less an effort to complete the Assembly’s resolution than an attempt to seek an entirely new solution. It was not the Council’s function to debate new plans. That was a matter for the Assembly’s Political Committee. Mr Garreau’s plan, if accepted, would cause bloodshed and would endanger the peace of the Middle East for many years. “I can assure you that the Arabs will not accept it,” he added. Mr Garreau denied that he had proposed a plan. He had merely submitted suggestions. The Trusteeship Council, as an organ of the United Nations, had powers of its own. It had been given directives, but had been left a margin for interpretation, with authority to make changes where these were considered necessary in the light of prevailing conditions.