A. Palestine War or the Warfor Israeli Independence: 1948

The first Arab-Israeli War began in November 1947 as a civil war between the Jewish and Arab community in Palestine that ended up drawing the Arab states to an invasion with the expiration of the Mandate for Palestine at midnight on May 14, 1948.

On May 14, David Ben-Gurion, as head of the provisional government, announced the establishment of the State of Israel in the Municipal Museum of Tel Aviv beginning on May 14, 1948, at 12:00 midnight Palestine time before the twenty-four-member Provisional Council (later to become the Knesset). U.S. President Harry S. Truman gave de facto recognition of the state eleven minutes later. The Soviet Union quickly followed suit. Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Transjordan responded by sending their armies into Palestine.

Israeli forces, despite their limited numbers and lack of military equipment, gained an early and decisive advantage in the war. Arab military forces were, in contrast, disorganized and largely ineffective. Israeli forces were able to reopen the road to Jerusalem, gain control of the Coastal Plain, secure the Upper Galilee, and make headway into the Negev. By the end of the war, Israel had secured 23 percent more land than was allotted to it under the 1947 Partition Plan. The remainder of the Palestinian territory was occupied by Egypt and Jordan, with Egypt gaining the Gaza Strip and Transjordan acquiring the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Documents relevant to this period may also be found in: Section 5, Arms Control and Regional Security; Section 6,Jerusalem and the Holy Sites; and Section 8, Status of the Palestinians.

i. 1948 War

Document 67: Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel(May 14, 1948) [available at http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Peace+Process/Guide+to+the +Peace+Process/ Declaration+of+Establishment+of+State+of+Israel.htm]. David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel in Tel Aviv before members of the Provisional Council and others. The declaration, written in Hebrew, was signed by members of the Provisional Council, including such notables as Golda Meyerson (later known as Golda Meir). It went into effect at midnight (Tel Aviv time), when the Mandate for Palestine officially expired.

Document 68: Memo by President Harry S. Truman Recognizing the State of Israel on Behalf of the United States (May 14, 1948) [available at http://www.trumanlibrary. org/whistlestop/study_collections/israel/large/documents/index. php?documentdate=1948-05-14&documentid=48&collectionid=ROI&pagenu mber=1]. In this memo from President Harry S. Truman, the U.S. government officially recognizes the State of Israel.

Document 69: United Nations General Assembly Resolution 186, Appointing a United Nations Mediator in Palestine (May 14, 1948) [G.A. Res. 186, U.N. GAOR, 2d Special Sess., Supp. No. 2, at 5-6, U.N. Doc. A/555 (1948)]. United Nations General

Assembly Resolution 186 affirms the General Assembly’s support for the efforts of the Security Council to secure a truce in Palestine. The resolution relieves the Palestine Commission from further exercise of responsibilities under United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181 and appoints a United Nations mediator in Palestine, Count Folke Bernadotte, and describes his functions.

Document 70: Cablegram to the United Nations from the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States (May 15, 1948) [3 U.N. SCOR, Supp. May, at 83-88, U.N. Doc. S/745 (1948)]. Upon Israel’s Declaration of Independence, the member states of the Arab League issued this statement declaring war on the State of Israel. The statement makes clear that the intent of the invasion is to destroy Israel and not just to defend the portions of Palestine allotted to the Palestinians under the United Nations Partition Plan.

Document 71: National Radio Broadcast by Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion (May 15, 1948) [available at http://www.mfa.gov.il/ mfa/foreign+relations/ israels+foreign+relations+since+1947∕1947-1974∕6+broadcast+to+the+nation+by +prime+minister+ben-gu.htm]. In this radio address delivered the day after the establishment of the State of Israel, Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion calls on Israelis to devote their full strength to building and defending the nation in spite of the impending political and military struggles. Ben-Gurion notes the recognition of Israel by the United States and expresses the hope that other nations will soon follow suit. The address warns of the imminent attack by Arab states against Israel and urgently calls on Israelis to help create a military striking force.

Document 72: Cablegram Addressed to the Secretary-General by Foreign Minister of the Provisional Government of Israel (May 16, 1948) [S/747 of May 16, 1948]. In this cablegram from the foreign minister of the Provisional Government of Israel, Moshe Shertok, to the United Nations secretary-general, Israel proclaims its independence by virtue of the “natural and historic right” of the Jewish people and of General Assembly Resolution 181 (Partition Plan). It conveys the State of Israel’s willingness to formally sign and accept the Partition Plan and also requests admission to the United Nations.

Document 73: United Nations Security Council Resolution 49, Calling for a Cease-Fire in Palestine and a Truce in Jerusalem (May 22, 1948) [S.C. Res. 49, U.N. SCOR, Supp. May, at 97, U.N. Doc. S/773 (1948)]. In Resolution 49, the Security Council calls on concerned parties to implement a cease-fire and to give the highest priority to maintenance of the truce in Jerusalem.

Document 74: United Nations Security Council Resolution 50, Calling for a Cease-Fire (May 29, 1948) [S.C. Res. 50, U.N. SCOR, 3d Sess., Supp. May, at 103-04, U.N. Doc. S/801 (1948)]. In Resolution 50, the Security Council calls for a cessation of all military activities for four weeks, urges concerned governments and authorities to take precautions for the protection of the Holy Places and the city ofJerusalem, instructs the United Nations mediator to supervise the observance of these provisions in concert with the Truce Commission, and decides that these groups should be provided with a sufficient number of military observers. Further, the Security Council decides that if either party rejects the resolution, the situation in Palestine will be considered with a view to action under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter. The observers mentioned in this resolution formed the basis of what later became the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) in Palestine.

Document 75: United Nations Security Council Resolution 53, Appealingfor a Prolongation of the Truce (July 7, 1948) [S.C. Res. 53, U.N. SCOR, 331st mtg., U.N. Doc. S/875 (1948)]. United Nations Security Council Resolution 53 is an appeal to concerned parties to accept in principle a prolongation of the truce as the existing truce, based on Security Council Resolution 50, Iwas due to expire in two days (on July 9, 1948).

Document 76: United Nations Security Council Resolution 56, Outlining Rules of the Truce (August 19,1948) [S.C. Res. 56, U.N. SCOR, Supp. No. 107, 354th mtg., at 50-1, U.N. Doc. S/983 (1948)]. In Resolution 56, the Security Council outlines conditions for a truce between the concerned parties: each party will be responsible for the actions of both regular and irregular forces under its authority or in territory under its control; each party will have legal obligations with regard to arresting and prosecuting violators of the truce; the truce cannot be met with reprisals that further violate the truce; and no party may gain military or political advantage through a violation of the truce.

Document 77: Progress Report of the United Nations Mediator in Palestine (September 16,

1948) [U.N. GAOR, 3d Sess., Supp. No. 11, at 17-19, U.N. Doc. A/648 (1948)]. The United Nations mediator in Palestine, Count Folke Bernadotte, submitted this report detailing the many obstacles to negotiating for peace with Arab and Jewish authorities. Bernadotte outlines his “Seven Basic Premises,” which are policy recommendations on the most divisive issues, including the Jewish state, boundary determinations, the right to repatriation, Jerusalem, and the international responsibility. Under Bernadotte’s plan, Israel is to retain Galilee but surrender much of the Negev and Lydda and Ramle, Jerusalem is to be an international city, and Palestinian refugees are to have the right to return. The day after submitting this plan to the United Nations, Bernadotte was assassinated in Jerusalem.

Document 78: United Nations Security Council Resolution 57, Expressing Deep Shock at the Assassination of United Nations Mediator in Palestine Count Folke Bernadotte (September 18, 1948) [S.C. Res. 57, U.N. SCOR, 358th mtg., U.N. Doc. S/RES/57 (1948)]. In Resolution 57, the Security Council expresses deep shock at the assassination of Count Folke Bernadotte, the United Nations mediator for Palestine, by what was apparently a “criminal group of terrorists.” The succeeding United Nations mediator, Ralph Bunche, in his September 28 report regarding the assassination, writes that the murders are believed to be members of the Lochamei Heruth Israel (LHY or Stern Group), a Jewish extremist group.

Document 79: Law of the State ofIsrael: Area ofJurisdiction and Powers Ordinance (September

22, 1948) [1 LSI 64 (1948)]. This Israeli ordinance extends the application of Israeli law beyond the State of Israel to any part of Palestine that the Minister of Defense proclaims as being held by the Israeli Defense Army.

Document 80: Law ofthe State ofIsrael,: Prevention ofTerrorism Ordinance No.

23, 1948) [1 LSI 76 (1948)]. Israel’s Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance provides a legal definition of terrorism, terrorist organizations, and actions that support terrorism. The ordinance was aimed at stopping paramilitary organizations that were operating independently of the Israeli Army.

Document 81: Cablegram from the Premier and Acting Foreign Secretary ofthe All-Palestine Government to the Secretary-General Concerning the Constitution of the All-Palestine Government (September 28, 1948) [U.N. GAOR 1st Comm., 3d Sess., U.N. Doc. A/ C.1/330 (1948)]. In this cablegram to the United Nations secretary-general, the premier of the All-Palestine government informs the United Nations that the Arabs of Palestine had declared an independent state. The cablegram identifies the borders of the state to be those that were established before the termination of the League of Nations Mandate.

Document 82: United Nations Press Release: Arabs, Jews Reject Mediator’s Report on Palestine (October 7, 1948) [U.N. Press Release, U.N. Dep’t of Public Info., U.N. Doc. PAL/328 (1948)]. In this press release, the United Nations notes the rejection by the six Arab states and Israel of Count Bernadotte’s report on Palestine, with the Arab parties advocating a single sovereign state for Palestine and Israel condemning the proposal to give the Negev to the Arabs.

Document 83: United Nations Security Council Resolution 59, Noting with Concern that Israel Has Not Submitted a Report Concerning the Assassination of Count Folke Bernadotte (October 19, 1948) [S.C. Res. 59, U.N. SCOR, 367th mtg., U.N. Doc. S/1045 (1948)]. In light of the assassination of Count Folke Bernadotte a month prior, the Security Council in this resolution notes its concern that the State of Israel has not submitted a report on the progress of its investigation. The Security Council calls on governments to facilitate the freedom of movement and safety of the UNTSO personnel.

Document 84: Amended Version of Paragraph 18 ofthe Report ofthe Acting United Nations Mediator in Palestine (October 19, 1948) [U.N. SCOR, U.N. Doc. S/PV.367, S/ INF/2/Rev. 1 (III) (1948)]. This report by the Acting United Nations mediator, Ralph Bunche, details problems in the Negev, including the failure to honor the demarcation lines, convoys to theJewish settlements, and the large number of displaced Arabs and their inability to harvest their crops. The report recommends an immediate cease-fire to resolve the situation. Pursuant to the Security Council’s adoption of the mediator’s report, both sides accepted a cease-fire to be effective on October 22, 1948.

Document 85: Preliminary Report from the Acting United Nations Mediator in Palestine to the Secretary-General on Observance of the Truce in the Negeb and in the Lebanese Sector (October 25, 1948) [U.N. SCOR, U.N. Doc. S/1055 (1948)]. This preliminary report documents continued Israeli attacks in the Negev after the October 22 cease-fire date and the continued fighting in the Lebanese Sector following the Israeli rejection of the cease-fire.

Document 86: United Nations Security Council Resolution 61, Calling upon Interested Parties to Establish Permanent Truce Lines (November 4, 1948) [S.C. Res. 61, U.N. SCOR, 377th mtg., U.N. Doc. S/1070 (1948)]. In Resolution 61, the Security Council calls for the negotiation of a permanent truce until a peaceful adjustment of the future situation of Palestine is reached. It also authorizes the acting mediator to establish provisional lines beyond which troops are not to move.

Document 87: Law of the State of Israel: Emergency Regulations (Registration of Inhabitants) (Extension of Validity) Ordinance (November 5, 1948) [2 LSI 8-12 (1948-49)]. This enactment by Israel’s Provisional Council mandates the registration of any person who resides in an area subject to Israeli law. Registration includes the reporting of biographical information and times of departure and return to those areas subject to the ordinance. Failure to register is punishable by imprisonment, fine, or both.

Document 88: United Nations Security Council Resolution 62, Deciding that an Armistice Shall Be Established in All Sectors of Palestine (November 16, 1948) [S.C. Res. 62, U.N. SCOR, 381st mtg., U.N. Doc. S/1080 (1948)]. In Resolution 62, the Security Council establishes an armistice in all of Palestine to facilitate the transition to a permanent peace. It calls on concerned parties to begin negotiations for the establishment of the armistice, including the establishment of demarcations lines and the withdrawal of forces.

Document 89: Law of the State of Israel: Emergency Regulations (Leaving the Country) Ordinance (November 19, 1948) [2 LSI 16 (1948-49)]. With this ordinance, Israel’s Provisional Council extends restrictions on foreign travel until the state of emergency ceases to exist. The restrictions mandate that anyone leaving the country obtain an exit permit from the minister of immigration and provide immigration officers with the authority to board any vehicle in order to detain and question persons trying to leave without proper documentation.

Document 90: Letter from Israel’s Foreign Minister to the United Nations Secretary-General Concerning Israel’s Application for Admission to Membership of the United Nations and Declaration Accepting Obligations under the Charter (November 29, 1948) [U.N. SCOR, U.N. Doc. S/1093 (1948)]. In this letter, Israeli Foreign Minister Moshe Shertok requests the admission of Israel as a member of the United Nations. Along with the request for admission, the foreign minister encloses a declaration accepting the obligations of the United Nations Charter and a pledge to honor its obligations.

Document 91: United Nations Press Release: New Cease-Fire Agreement between Israeli, Iraqi Forces (December 8, 1948) [U.N. Press Release, U.N. Dep’t of Public Info., U.N. Doc. PAL/399 (1948)]. This United Nations press release announces that a cease-fire agreement (“Qalensuwa Agreement”) was brokered between Iraqi and Israeli forces at meetings arranged by United Nations observers outside Tel Aviv. It also notes that progress was made on a potential agreement between Israel and Transjordan.

Document 92: United Nations Security Council Resolution 66, Callingfor an Immediate Cease­Fire and Implementation of Security Council Resolution 61 (December 29, 1948) [S.C. Res. 66, U.N. SCOR, 396th mtg., U.N. Doc. S/1169 (1948)]. United Nations Security Council Resolution 66 calls on concerned governments to declare an immediate cease-fire, to withdraw from positions taken since October 14 in accordance with Resolution 61, and to allow the supervision of the truce by United Nations observers.

Document 93: General Armistice Agreement between Israel and Egypt (February 24, 1949) [42 U.N.T.S. 251]. Negotiations for the Israeli-Egyptian Armistice Agreement were held at Rhodes under the direction of Ralph Bunche, the United Nations mediator for Palestine. This was the first formal truce agreement concluded between an Arab state and Israel, setting the pattern for others with Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria. Because this agreement is not a full peace settlement, however, its demarcation line is not meant to be a political or territorial boundary and is “delineated without prejudice to rights, claims and positions of either Party to the Armistice as regards ultimate settlement of the Palestine Problem.” Colonel Mahmed Seif El Dine and M.K. El Raliniany signed for and on behalf of the government of Egypt. Walter Eytan, Yigael Yadin, and Elias Sasson signed for and on behalf of the government of Israel.

Document 94: General Armistice Agreement between Israel and Lebanon (March 23,

1949) [42 U.N.T.S. 287]. The Armistice Agreement between Israel and Lebanon, signed at Ras En Naqoura, provided guidelines for temporary demarcation lines, as well as the exchange of prisoners of war. Like the other three armistice agreements, it establishes a five-person Mixed Armistice Commission to oversee its implementation of the armistice. Lieutenant-Colonel Mordechai Makleff, Yehoshua Pelman, and Shabtai Rosenne signed on behalf of Israel. Lieutenant­Colonel Toufic Salem and Commandant J. Harb signed on behalf of Lebanon.

Document 95: General Armistice Agreement between Israel and Jordan (April 3, 1949) [42 U.N.T.S. 304]. The Armistice Agreement between Israel and Jordan was signed at Rhodes, Greece, in the presence of the United Nations acting mediator on Palestine and the United Nations chief of staff of the UNTSO. A special committee, composed of two representatives of each party designated by the respective governments, was established for the purpose of formulating agreed plans and arrangements. Colonel Ahmed Sudki El-Jundi and Lieutenant-Colonel Mohamed Maayte signed on behalf of Jordan. Reuven Shiloah, and Lieutenant-Colonel Moshe Dayan signed on behalf of Israel. It is structured much like the other three armistice agreements.

Document 96: General Armistice Agreement between Israel and Syria (July 20, 1949) [42 U.N.T.S. 327]. Syria was the last of the Arab states bordering Israel to sign an armistice agreement with Israel. This armistice agreement draws a demarcation line, provides for exchanges of prisoners of war, and establishes a five-person Mixed Armistice Commission to oversee the implementation of the agreement. It was signed near Mahanayim in the Upper Galilee by Lieutenant-Colonel Mordechai Makleff, Yehoshua Pelman, and Shabtai Rosenne on behalf of the Israeli government and by Colonel Fozi Selo, Lieutenant-Colonel Mohamed Nasser, and Captain Afif Bizri on behalf of the Syrian government. It is structured much like the other three armistice agreements.

ii. Post-WarDevelopments

Document 97: United Nations Security Council Resolution 69, Recommending Israel's Admission to the United Nations (March 4, 1949) [S.C. Res. 69, U.N. SCOR, 409th mtg., U.N. Doc. S/1277 (1949)]. In Resolution 69, the Security Council recommends the admission of Israel to membership in the United Nations. The resolution is supported by nine members of the Security Council, with Egypt voting against it and Britain abstaining. The resolution was adopted despite objections raised on the basis that the draft resolution was not supported by all five permanent members of the Security Council (i.e., Britain, China, France, United States, and USSR) given Britain’s abstention. Such support is required to admit new members, as stipulated in Article 27, paragraph 3, of the United Nations Charter.

Document 98: Report on the Assassination of Count Folke Bernadotte and Colonel Andre Serot Submitted to the Security Council by the Government of Israel (May 2, 1949) [U.N. SCOR, U.N. Doc. S/1315 (1949]. The government of Israel submitted this report on the assassination of Count Folke Bernadotte and his aid Colonel Andre Pierre Serot to the Security Council in accordance with Security Council Resolution 59. It states that an organization calling itself Hazit Hamoledeth (Fatherland Front) had claimed responsibility for the assassination and that the provisional government of Israel had reason to believe that this group was connected to the LHY. On instructions from the government, LHY camps inJerusalem were surrounded and occupied and, by October 23, 1948, 184 LHY members had been arrested in Jerusalem and another eighty-two members in Tel Aviv and other parts. Despite these efforts, no evidence sufficient to warrant a criminal prosecution was found. However, two leaders of LHY were brought before a special military court on charges of committing terrorist activities. The court found that due to the lack of direct evidence, it could not establish that LHY had ordered the assassination of Count Folk Bernadotte. Sections of the judgment of the court is included as an annex. The report emphasizes that Israel does not regard the case as closed.

Document 99: United Nations GeneralAssembly Resolution 273, AdmittingIsraelto Membership in the United Nations (May 11, 1949) [G.A. Res. 273 (III), 3 U.N. GAOR, at 18, U.N. Doc. A/900 (1949)]. In Resolution 273, the General Assembly decides to admit Israel to membership in the United Nations, recognizing that Israel is a peace-loving state that accepts the obligations contained in the United Nations Charter.

Document 100: Progress Report of the United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine (May 12, 1949) [U.N. GAOR Ad Hoc Political Comm., 4th Sess., Annex to the Summary Records of Meeting 2, at 5-9, U.N. Doc. A/927 (1949)]. Ralph Bunch, the acting mediator for Palestine, presented this report to the president of the Security Council, detailing the situation in the Southern Negev as the result of an intensive investigation by UNTSO, undertaken since March 7, 1949. It states that both Transjordan and Israel have committed acts that constitute violations of their truce agreement.

Document 101: Working Paper Prepared by the Secretariat, United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine: The Future of Arab Palestine and the Question of Partition (July 30, 1949) [U.N. Doc. A/AC.25/W.19 (1949)]. This working paper by the Secretariat traces the history of the many partition proposals for Palestine, including those advanced by Britain’s Peel Commission and Woodhead Commission, and the General Assembly’s Partition Plan (i.e., United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181). It highlights the concerned parties’ positions on various proposals and describes the international community’s role in attempting to broker a partition plan that would benefit all parties.

Document 102: United Nations Security Council Resolution 73, Relieving the Acting Mediator of any Further Responsibility in Palestine (August 11, 1949) [S.C. Res. 73, U.N. SCOR, 4th Sess., 437th mtg., at 8, U.N. Doc. S/1376 (1949)]. In Resolution 73, the Security Council finds that the General Armistice Agreements between Israel and Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and Transjordan constitute a step towards permanent peace in Palestine The General Assembly assigns new functions to the UNTSO in Palestine and terminates the role of the United Nations mediator for Palestine.

Document 103: Tripartite Declaration of the United States, Britain, and France (May 25,

1950) [22 Dep’t St. Bull. 886 (1950)]. This tripartite declaration presents the unified positions of the United States, Britain, and France with regard to questions affecting the peace and stability of the Arab states and Israel. The declaration outlines areas of agreement, including that the three governments will not sell arms to states that intend to undertake an act of aggression against another state. Later, in 1956, the United States bows out of this pact in response to Britain and France’s role in the 1956 war.

Document 104: Exchange between the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Government of Israel and the Secretary-General Concerning a Claim for Damage Caused to the United Nations by the Assassination of Count Folke Bernadotte (June 14—22, 1950) [U.N. SCOR, U.N. Doc. S/1506]. In this exchange, the committee appointed by the Israeli government to investigate the assassination of Count Folke Bernadotte finds that the assertion that there had been neglect on the part of the Israeli authorities was unjustified. In this letter from Israel’s minister of foreign affairs, Israel stresses that its failure to find Bernadotte’s assassins should be viewed in light of their status as a young nation with organizational deficiencies. Without admitting the validity of contentions, Israel agrees to pay a remittance of $54,628.00 as reparation to the United Nations. The foreign minister further states that although Israel does not consider the case closed, it is unwilling to reexamine the case.

In his reply, the secretary-general acknowledges both payment to the United Nations and Israel’s expression of regret. The secretary-general also expresses his disappointment that the investigation had failed to result in the apprehension of the assassins and expresses his hope that further investigations will be pursued.

Document 105: Treaty of Joint Defense and Economic Cooperation of the Arab League (June 17, 1950) [1 American Foreign Policy 1950-1955, Basic Documents (U.S. State Dep’t ed., 1957)]. This Joint Defense and Economic Cooperation Treaty was signed by the Arab League member states Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Egypt, and Yemen. it commits contracting states to consider any act of armed aggression made against any one or more of the members or their armed forces to be directed against all the members.

Document 106: Jerusalem Program Adopted at the Twenty-Third Zionist Congress (August 30, 1951) [reprinted in Arab-Israeli Conflict and Conciliation: A Documentary History (Bernard Reich ed., 1995)]. At the twenty-third Zionist Congress, the status of the Zionist movement was a fundamental issue in need of adjustment after Israel gained its independence in 1948. The Jerusalem Program addressed this issue by defining the aims of Zionism. These goals included unifying the Jewish people, gathering them in the State of Israel and strengthening this state as heir historic homeland, promoting spiritual and cultural values and encouraging Hebrew education to preserve the identity of theJewish people, and finally to protect the rights of Jews everywhere. More was added to the Jerusalem program in June of 1968 at the twenty-seventh Zionist Congress.

Document 107: General Progress Report and Supplementary Report of the United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine (Covering the Period from December 11, 1949 to October23, 1950) (October 23, 1950) [U.N. GAOR, 5th Sess., Supp. No. 18, U.N. Doc. A∕1367∕Rev.1 (1950)]. This report of the United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine describes the conciliation efforts undertaken by the Commission from December 11, 1949, to October 23, 1950. It notes that the concerned Arab states have decided to negotiate with Israel as a single block, although Israel would prefer to negotiate individually with each state. The report also covers progress made in the area of ensuring access to the Holy Places and of refugees, consideration for which is guided by Security Council Resolution 194.¹⁴⁹

Document 108: United Nations Security Council Resolution 89, Calling for the Handling of Complaints According to the Procedures of the Armistice Agreements (Egyptian Complaint on Expulsion of Palestinians by Israel) (November 17, 1950) [S.C. Res. 89, U.N. SCOR, 524th mtg., S/1907 (1950)]. In this resolution, the Security Council calls upon the involved parties to present complaints according to the procedures established in the Armistice Agreements, i.e., by consulting the respective Mixed Armistice Commissions. The Security Council responds to Egypt’s complaint about the expulsion of Palestinian Arabs by requesting both parties to implement the findings of the Egyptian-Israel Mixed Armistice Commission and by calling upon the concerned governments not to transfer persons across international borders or armistice lines without prior consultation through the Mixed Armistice Commissions.

Document 109: United Nations Security Council Resolution 92, Calling for a Cease-Fire in the Demilitarized Zone on the Syrian-Israeli Armistice Line (May 8, 1951) [S.C. Res. 92, U.N. SCOR, 545th mtg., U.N. Doc. S/2130 (1951)]. Noting that fighting had broken out in a demilitarized zone established by the Israel-Syrian General Armistice Agreement, the Security Council calls on the parties to implement the cease-fire called for by the chief of staff of the UNTSO in Palestine.¹⁵⁰

Document 110: Progress Report of the United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine (Paris Conference) (November 20, 1951) [U.N. GAOR, 6th Sess., Supp. No. 18, U.N. Doc. A/1985 (1951)]. Efforts were made at a conference in Paris September 13- November 19, 1951, by the United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine to advance relations between the governments of Egypt,Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria and the government of Israel following signature of the four armistice agreements. While these agreements promoted security, they did not provide solutions for contentious issues such as Jerusalem or refugees. Annex C provides the mostly critical comments of the Israeli, Egyptian, Jordanian, Lebanese, and Syrian delegations on the proposals. Based on their responses, the chairman of the commission concludes, “[The commission] has been unsuccessful in its endeavours, since neither party indicated a willingness substantially to recede from their rigid positions and to seek a solution through mediation along the lines spelled out in the Commission’s pattern of proposals.”

Document 111: Law of the State of Israel: World Zionist Organization-Jewish Agency (Status) Law (November24,1952) [7 LSI 3 (1952-53)]. Given the World Zionist Organization’s important and historic role in aiding Jewish immigration and settlement in Israel, this Israeli law formalizes the close relationship and cooperation between the government of the State of Israel and that organization. Paragraph 4 reads, “The State of Israel recognises the World Zionist Organisation as the authorised agency which will continue to operate in the State of Israel for the development and settlement of the country, the absorption of immigrants from the Diaspora and the coordination of the activities in Israel of Jewish institutions and organisations active in those fields.”

Document 112: United Nations Security Council Resolution 100, Asking Israel to Suspend Drainage Work in the Demilitarized Zone (Huleh) (October 27, 1953) [S.C. Res. 100, U.N. SCOR, 631st mtg., U.N. Doc. S/3128 (1953)]. In this resolution, the Security Council deems it desirable that the works started by Israel in the demilitarized zone near Jerusalem be suspended while the Security Council examines the issue. The resolution notes that the government of Israel has undertaken to suspend the works.

Document 113: Pact of Mutual Cooperation between Iraq, Turkey, Britain, Pakistan, and Iran (Baghdad Pact) (February 24, 1955) [233 U.N.T.S. 199]. The Baghdad Pact establishes a security network among Britain and four states in the region—Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, and Turkey. The pact commits these governments to mutual cooperation and protection, as well as nonintervention in each other’s affairs. In part, the pact is meant to curb the rise of Arab nationalism and Soviet influence in the area. Iraq is the pact’s only Arab member; but in 1958, when the Iraqi monarchy was overthrown by a military coup, Iraq withdrew from the pact.