Foreign Relations of the United States, 1949, The Near East, South Asia, and Africa, Volume VI

501.BB Palestine/9–2349

Memorandum by the Assistant Chief of the Division of International Organization Affairs (Halderman)¹

confidential

[Washington,] September 23, 1949.

Palestine Political and Refugee Problems

problem

The problem is to determine the position of the United States as to action to be taken by the General Assembly with respect to the problems of achieving a political settlement of the Palestine case and the problems of direct relief, repatriation and resettlement of the Palestine refugees. The problem includes the main aspects of the Palestine case except Jerusalem and the Holy Places (see separate papers).

recommendations

1. Due to the interrelationship of the problems under consideration (discussion below), it is desirable that the General Assembly should establish an integrated organization for the future conduct of the Palestine case.

2. A United Nations Palestine Commission should handle the general supervisory and policy making functions. The present terms of reference of the Conciliation Commission might be used with suitable amendments to include the additional authority and responsibilities to be conferred upon it and to define the relationship between it and the other component parts of the integrated organization. The Commission’s operational director in the conduct of operations should be the Agent General referred to in the following recommendation. As regards the composition of the Commission the present states represented on the Conciliation Commission (United States, France and Turkey) might be continued. The Commission’s responsibilities in respect to Jerusalem, if any, will depend upon the action of the General Assembly on that problem.

3. The executive director for the operations of the Organization should be a single individual, designated as Agent General (or some other appropriate title) who would be given broad responsibilities for the direction of (1) the negotiation of a political settlement including boundaries and refugees, (2) the administration of direct relief, (3) programs for development projects bearing relation to the economic dislocations created by the hostilities, including the resettlement and repatriation of refugees, and (4) possible duties in connection with Jersualem. The Agent General would report to and be subject to instruction by the Commission on general policy questions.

4. In respect to the political settlement, the General Assembly would grant authority to the Commission to continue to assist in the negotiations between the parties on all phases. This program would be conducted primarily through the instrumentality of the Agent General.

5. In respect to direct relief the General Assembly should make provision for the machinery necessary for its administration and provide a plan for contributions from United Nations Members (similar to UNRPR). The Agent General should have a general supervisory function in respect of direct relief.

6. In respect to the development projects the General Assembly should take note of the intention of certain governments to provide funds for settlement and development, the projects to be coordinated by an “Authority”, probably consisting of the grantor states. The United States Government contemplates approaching the United Kingdom and France in this context.

7. In the fields of direct relief and development the details of what should be provided by the General Assembly concerning the structure of the component parts of the Organization and the relationship between them, cannot be precisely determined until receipt of the recommendation of the Economic Survey Mission.

8. Under the plan, therefore, there would be four components of the organization for which the Agent General would provide unified direction and coordination. United Nations funds as such would not be used except for the administrative expenses of the Commission, the Agent General and his staff. Funds for direct relief would probably come from the special contributions of United Nations Members. Funds for the development projects would probably come from those states participating in the program, from bank loans, and perhaps other sources including compensation paid for refugee property losses.

discussion

Inter-Dependence of Political and Refugee Aspects of Palestine Problem

The solution of the three problems outstanding in the Palestine case are in effect one problem with progress toward the solution of each to a large degree interdependent. A political settlement is unlikely unless arrangements are in train with respect to the resettlement and repatriation of refugees. Commitments for the resettlement of refugees are in turn dependent upon outside capital assistance for national development projects as well as upon progress toward a political settlement. Contributions toward emergency relief depend upon progress on a program for the resettlement and repatriation program so that an end to relief expenditures would be in sight.

Furthermore, the interdependence of the problems is such that in order to avoid a stalemate, a final solution of any of them must not be contingent upon action on another. On the other hand a program looking toward the solution of each is prerequisite to a program looking toward the solution of the others.

Necessity of Integrated Organization

On the basis of the foregoing assumptions, it is necessary to establish an integrated authority to provide unified direction and control of the programs looking toward the solution of each aspect of the problem. The Conciliation Commission has had broad functions relating to each phase, except relief, but it was not conceived, nor has it functioned as an operating agency. The General Assembly should therefore establish the machinery for the direction required to develop and operate an interrelated program.

component parts of the organization

A. The United Nations Palestine Commission

The United Nations Palestine Commission would probably consist of three states, i.e., the present members of the Conciliation Commission. It would conduct the general supervisory and policy function of the United Nations. It should not be in continuous session but could arrange to meet as necessary either in New York or elsewhere. The Agent General would stand in the position of its Executive in the field for the conduct of negotiations and the conduct of its supervisory functions over the other component parts of the organization.

The principal advantage of a Commission is that it would lend substantial support to the Agent General who will be subject to strong pressures from opposing parties. Government members of the Commission are in a good position to apply pressure directly on the states involved in the dispute. Such pressures might be decisively effective in support of the Agent General.

B. Conciliation

For the exercise of the functions under this heading, a relatively small staff would be required primarily responsible to the Agent General. The cost of this function would be carried in the regular United Nations budget.

C. Direct Relief

The United Nations, in establishing the UNRPR, undertook responsibility for providing direct relief for the refugees until August 31, 1949. Direct relief on a large scale will need to be continued until permanent resettlement and repatriation of the refugees or acceptance by the governments involved of full responsibility for them. A further appeal to governments for funds would not be productive unless projected against the background of a program looking toward the definitive solution of the refugee problem. In as much as the source of funds for relief should have as wide a base as possible, and since the appeal of all governments will need to be on a humanitarian basis, it is therefore proposed that the responsibility for the present functions of UNRPR be a part of the overall organization.

Contributions for this program would be on a voluntary basis.

D. Settlement and Development Authority

The Economic Survey Mission is charged with making recommendations in this context. The development of a suitable agency or authority for coordinating the participation of states (primarily the US, UK and France) in the projects for the resettlement of refugees within the framework of the proposed organization will require substantial preparatory work and negotiation because of the large funds required and because of the complex problem involved in assuring that the projects achieve the desired objectives.

The scope of the work of the “Authority” will require careful definition, particularly in respect to such matters as whether work relief, costs of the movement of refugees to their new countries, and other expenses incident to repatriation and resettlement should be borne by the states participating in this program or treated as expenses of direct relief. A second problem is the relationship between the Agent General and the Authority for purposes of coordination.

Consultations with the British and French are necessary to consider in some detail the problems involved in setting up such an authority and to reach agreement thereon including preliminary agreement on contributions. Such consultations will take place during the course of the Economic Mission, and final decisions cannot be made until at least preliminary results of this work are known.

E. Compensation

The problem of compensation is a distinct field which is nevertheless closely inter-related with the political and refugee aspects of the Palestine problem. In as much as the problem is one to be worked out by negotiation, the Agent General might be given authority to take steps to bring about the determination and fulfillment of obligations in respect of the payment of compensation for loss or damage to property owned by refugees, and to take appropriate measures to effectuate the equitable disposition of the proceeds of any such payments.

1. Transmitted to Mr. Rusk by Messrs. McGhee and Sandifer in a memorandum of September 23, which stated that if Mr. Rusk approved the plan, “we propose that it be discussed with the British and French as soon as possible, both within the Clapp Mission and in Washington.

   “We also propose to furnish the paper to the General Assembly Delegation with the notation that it should not be discussed with other delegations pending consultation with the French and British.” (501.BB Palestine/9–2349)