U.N. set to condemn Israeli settlements in Arab territories

Press, 29 October 1977, Page 10

U.N. set to condemn Israeli settlements in Arab territories

NZPA-Reuter New York 'Hie U.N. General Assembly will vote today (N.Z. time) on a resolution to condemn the establishment of Israeli settlements in occupied Arab territories and to call for an immediate halt to such practices.

But the only element of’ uncertainty about the vote, t expected to be overwhelm-: jingly in favour of the re-h solution, sponsored by morel] ■han 70 delegations, is how i the United States will cast t its ballot. I Speculation has wavered I between an abstention by the United States, which has ’ frequently' labelled the set- I tlements as an obstacle to , peace, and a vote in favour. The nine members of the j European Common Markets have already announced that ■ j they will support the draft. < The resolution calls on | I Israel to “desist forthwith < from taking any action which < would result in changing thej legal status, geographical I < ] nature, or demographic com-h position of the Arab terri-j Tories occupied since 1967,' including Jerusalem." ii I The territories are Sinai.lt ithe Golan Heights, the Gazall Strip, and the West Bank ofit the Jordan. < The resolution requests the t

United Nations SecretaryGeneral (Dr Kurt Waldheim) ito contact the Israeli Governiment to ensure prompt im- ! piementation of the draft and 'to report back to the General Assembly and the Security Council by December 31 this year. The council would then review the situation in the light of Dr Waldheim’s report. Since the Egyptianinitiated debate began on (Wednesday, an unbroken stream of sneakers has criticised Israel’s settlements policy with varying degrees of severity. The speakers called it a violation of the .fourth Geneva convention of I civilians in time of war and la barrier to a Middle East: 'peace settlement. Israel, which could find itself alone in voting against Ithe resolutions said that, the 'Geneva convention did not apply to any of the territory' of former mandated Pales- ■ tine.

Il said the real issue was, not the settlements, popu-j lated by a total of 6000 Jews amid 1,250,000 Arabs, but Arab refusal to make peace before the settlements were; ever established. Israel also compared the resolution to Nazi. Germany’s laws forbidding Jews to settle on land which they owned. The Arab countries in the United Nations had agreed not to press for a Security Council vote on a plan to establish a Palestinian State in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, well-placed diplomatic sources said. They said that the decision reflected an Arab desire to' avoid a United States-Arab confrontation while efforts! are underway to reconvene the Geneva peace conference. The Arab countries also were weary of creating the impression of an overkill when virtually unanimous censure of Israel is shaping up in the General Assemblj