MOVE CAME AS SURPRISE TO UNITED NATIONS AND MAY COMPLICATE WORK

Wanganui Chronicle, 15 December 1949, Page 5

MOVE CAME AS SURPRISE TO UNITED NATIONS AND MAY COMPLICATE WORK

NEW YORK, Dec. 13 (Recd, 8.30 p.m.)—lsraeli Parliament’s decision to move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem took the United Nations by surprise. The announcement was received two hours before the Trusteeship Council was scheduled to take up the task of tryihg to carry out the General Assembly’s decision for the internationalisation of the Holy City. Mr. Roger Garreau (France), President of the Council, said: “This action by Israel will greatly complicate our work.” Many delegates expect that the next meeting of the Israeli Parliament, held in Jerusalem, will issue a formal proclamation transferring the capital from Tel Aviv. General Carlos Romulo, President of the General Assembly, said that if the capital were actually proclaimed in Jerusalem it would “complicate an already extremely complicated situation in the United Nations.”

Despite the Israeli announcement, the United Nations Trusteeship Council met as scheduled today and decided to spend the next 10 days in drafting a statute for the internationalised Jerusalem under the United Nations administration. Several members. including Britain and the United States, suggested that the drafting be postponed until the council's next session in January. British and United States representatives during the lengthy procedural discussion, reminded everyone that they were both very sceptical about the practicability of the internationalisation.

Fadhll Al Jamil (Iraq) urging the council to begin its work without delay, said’ ’’The Jewish authorities have already started to defy the United Nations.” The Council will hold its first drafting meeting in camera on December 15, and after completing its session in New York, will meet in Geneva on January 31.