501.BB Palestine/11–1147: Telegram
The United States Representative at the United Nations (Austin) to the Secretary of State
priority
1197. Subcommittee I’s working group on implementation this afternoon1 unanimously agreed on following:
[Page 1252]“1. The mandate for Palestine shall terminate on 1 May 1948, and the armed forces of the mandatory power shall be withdrawn from Palestine by that date.
2. Independent Arab and Jewish states shall come into existence in Palestine on 1 July 1948, or at such earlier date subsequent to 1 May 1948 as the UN Commission, referred to below, recommends and the SC approves as desirable and practicable.
3. There shall be a commission appointed by the GA of 3–5 members representing small powers.
4. The functions of the commission shall be to implement the measures recommended by the GA as follows: (The provisions to be included here, after approval by the working group, will be drafted having in mind the recommendations of UNSCOP report, points 5–10 of the Soviet Delegation’s proposals of 3 November and any other suggestions made by members of the working group.)
5. The commission shall assist the mandatory in the performance of its functions up to the termination of the mandate.
6. The commission shall be responsible for the administration of Palestine in the period, if any, between the termination of the mandate and the establishment of the two independent states.
7. The commission shall act under the authority and guidance of the SC. The commission shall be guided in its activities by the recommendations of the GA and by such special instructions within the purview of the recommendations of the GA as the SC may consider necessary to issue. The commission shall render periodic monthly progress reports, or more frequently if desirable, to the SC. (Further clarification of the last two sentences of this paragraph may be made by the working group.)
Note: During the period between the adoption by the GA of the resolution on Palestine and the termination of the mandate, the mandatory power shall be requested by the GA to continue to be responsible for the maintenance of law and order and the conduct of essential public services in Palestine.”
Following are comments by USDel on paragraphs as indicated:
2. Provision for possible earlier independence inserted at instance USDel which expressed desire accomplish independence same date as termination of mandate.
3. It was generally agreed that powers selected for this commission should be states which support partition in the UN.
4. Soviet Delegation proposals of November 3 are contained in US/A/AC.14/144 and my telegram 1135 of November 3.2 USDel plans to propose those modifications of UNSCOP majority plan as are contained in Department’s Annex A revised by USDel—US/A/AC.14/123 of October 24, 1947 plus such other changes as required to bring UNSCOP majority plan into conformity with Subcommittee I’s working group agreement on implementation.
[Page 1253]7. USDel’s acceptance of first sentence in principle was conditional on Russian acceptance of second and third sentences in principle. USDel made this clear in Subcommittee I’s working group and in Subcommittee I itself and stressed that special commission would have full authority to carry out GA recommendations without prior approval by SC, that SC could give instructions within the purview of the GA recommendations to commission, but commission would be free to act in absence of instructions; and that approval of reports of commission by SC would not be necessary.