357.AC/5–3050: Telegram
The United States Representative on the Palestine Conciliation Commission (Palmer) to the Secretary of State
priority
667. Palun 356. Following is text of note approved today by PCC and delivered by USDel personally in Bern to Lebanese Minister, and in Geneva to Jordan and Israeli representatives; by French member to Egyptian representative Geneva; and by Turk member to Syrian representative Geneva:
“The Conciliation Commission for Palestine has examined the replies of the Arab Governments and the Government of Israel to the Commission’s note of 11 May and finds it desirable to clarify the proposals put forward in its memo of 29 March 1950.
The General Assembly of the UN, in its resolution of 11 December 1948 which established the Conciliation Commission and constitutes its charter, requested the Commission ‘at the earliest possible date’. It also called upon the governments ‘to seek agreement by negotiations conducted either with the Conciliation Commission or directly, with a view to the final settlement of all questions outstanding between them’.
It was in response to this request and in accordance with the instructions given in paragraph 6 of that resolution that the Commission, in view of the fact the parties had failed to undertake direct negotiations, invited them to seek in mixed committee under the chairmanship of the Commission, the agreement aimed at by the Assembly.
The Conciliation Commission believes that the parties will recognize the inappropriateness of laying down prerequisite conditions for the initiation of a procedure conforming to the Assembly’s resolution, especially where such conditions refer to principles laid down by that resolution. It should be emphasized that all these principles must be respected and that one of them cannot be singled out for special recognition without impairing the equilibrium of the resolution of 11 December 1948 as a whole.
The Commission feels sure that these principles are recognized by the parties, and that they mean to respect them; but their implementation gives rise to complex problems.
It is with these problems that negotiations in the Mixed Committees would deal.
[Page 916]The Commission is convinced that each government will recognize the urgent need for the establishment of conditions of peace and stability in the Middle East and for bringing to an end the suffering of the refugees.
The Conciliation Commission trusts that in the light of the foregoing considerations it will be possible to proceed with the establishment of the mixed committees without further delays”.
Covering letter to Arab representatives reads “I have the honor to enclose a note which the Conciliation Commission is forwarding today to the representatives of Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and Syria, for transmission to their respective Governments. I should be grateful if this note could be transmitted to your government as soon as possible”.
Following is covering letter to Israeli representative, drafted to indicate that while identical notes addressed to Arab and Israeli Governments, notes are in fact for Arab action and Israeli information.
“I have the honor to inform you that in view of the correspondence exchanged with the parties in connection with the proposals of 29 March 1950, the Conciliation Commission has considered it useful to address to them the enclosed note setting forth certain clarifications of its position with regard to these proposals.
“This note was addressed today to the Government of Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria and the Commission would be grateful if its contents were brought to the attention of the Government of Israel”.