UN Envoy Gussing Rejects Atrocity
Charges Against Israel; Praises Aid
to Refugees, Notes UAR Obstruction

BY SAUL CARSON

the facilities, including trans-
and be increased. UNRWA's efforts
port, required. He expressed dis-
also now have become more indis-
satisfaction, however, over the
pensable than ever."
fact
that,
in
the
areas
occupied
Thant noted that a special re-
UNITED NATIONS, N.Y.—Nils-
by Israel, he could talk to dis-
port would be given to the assem-
Goran Gussing, Secretary-General
placed persons, civilians and
bly by Laurence Michelmore, the
U Thant's special representative
prisoners of war only in the commissioner general of UNRWA.
on the welfare of Arab inhabitants,
company of representatives of The latter is the UN organization
reported Tuesday to the General
the
Israel government. "Particu- that has been providing food, shel-
Assembly that he had found little
larly in the occupied areas," he
ter and some educational services
evidence to support Arab charges
reported,
"it would have been of
to the Arab refugees since 1950.
that Israeli forces expelled local
great psychological importance
Gussing also reported Tuesday
and would have provided for
to the General Assembly that he
franker exchanges for the special
had been rebuffed by Egypt in
representative and for the peo-
his efforts to determine the con-
ple to whom he spoke if he had
dition of Jews in Egypt since the
had the opportunity to meet and
Six-Day War.
talk without witnesses to whom-
He said that when he arrived in
ever he wished. His view was
Israel, he was asked to seek in-
conveyed to Israel government
formation from the Arab govern-
representatives, but without re-
ments about widespread reports of
sult.
maltreatment of Jews in "certain
In area after area, the report Arab states." He reported that, at
showed, the atrocity charges made his request, Thant held that the
by the Arabs against Israel proved June 14 resolution could be in-
without foundation. Here and terpreted as applying to the treat-
there. Gussing noted, as in Syria, ment of both Arabs and Jews in
the government concerned had de- the affected states.
Gussing reported that on Aug.
liberately frightened people into
\
leaving their home areas. In some 17, shortly before he returned to
NILS-GORAN GUSSING
cases. some local Israeli command- NeW York after his Middle East
inhabitants from territories occu- ers, he reported, may have con- visit, he sent a request in writing
pied in the Six-Day June War, and tributed to the uneasiness of the to the governments of Syria and
none to support Arab charges of Arab inhabitants. But charges that Egypt, asking information on the
Israel demolished villages were treatment of Jewish persons in
atrocities by Israeli troops.
Gussing was sent by the secre- not borne out by the facts. except those countries. He indicated that
tary-general to the Arab states and in instances where destruction was he had stressed it would be "par-
Israel in conformity with a June the result of military activity dur- ticularly helpful" to know how "the
personal property of such persons
14 Security Council resolution ing the war.
The report went into details of had been affected by the recent
calling on Israel to insure the
safety, welfare and security of in- population movements in all the war, how many of them might
habitants of the occupied areas. areas visited by Gussing. But he have been and continued to .be
pointed out that, for instance in cdnfined and for what reason and
'The report cited a memoran-
the .Jordan River area, there . was whether they were free to leave
dum he received from Israeli
no specific data about Israel forc- the • country in which they were
authorities outlining Israel's
ing Arabs to cross into the Jordan- resident." lie sent a similar letter
policies for the occupied areas
ian-held East Bank region. On the about Arabs in occupied areas to
as seeking speedy restoration of
other hand, he reported that Arabs the Israel government.
normal civilian life, continued
He declared that during his
were told by Israeli loundspeakers
functioning of existing local
last visit to Cairo. he raised the
mounted on automobiles "that they
Arab authorities, return of West
question
with the Egyptian gov-
might he better off on the East
Bank residents who fled during
ernment, which had by then
Bank."
the war, cooperation with the
received his letter. He reported
Jordanian charges of Israeli
United Nations Relief and Works
that the Egyptian government
looting were discounted largely
Agency, the International Red
"expressed the firm opinion that
the
report.
Gussing
stated
by
Cross and other welfare organi-
the
Security Council resolution
that he found the June War had
zations operating in the areas,
did not apply to the Jewish
resulted in "sufferings" and a
study of the possibilities of solv-
minority" in Egypt. and asked
"tragic" situation for the peoples
ing the Arab refugee problem
clarification of the interpreta-
involved. The people, he stated,
and "buttressing the economic
tion that it did apply, before
had undergone "grave ha rd-
fabric of the towns and the
replying to his letter.
ships." Thant told the assembly,
countryside." -
He added that the Egyptian
in presenting the report:
In his survey of the situation,
"It would be doubly tragic if the government said there were three
Gussing reported, he spent from
July 11 to Sept. 1 visiting every victims of the war should continue categories of Jews in Egypt. They
area relevant to his study. includ- to be victims of the animosities and were those of foreign nationality
ing the capitals of Israel, Jordan, tensions of the parties to the con- or origin, such as French and
Syria and Lebanon, and the areas flict and if efforts to alleviate their Italian citizens, "who were looked
occupied by Israel. His visits in- sufferings were rendered ineffec- after by the ambassadors of their
eluded the Gaza Strip and the tive by any spirit of retaliation or countries of origin" and some of
Sinai Peninsula, now occupied by vindictiveness. It is clear from the whom had already left Egypt; the
Israel, as well as all other regions report that the governments con- stateless Jews, who were under
under Israeli occupation, including cerned have themselves exerted the mandate of the UN commis-
the West Bank of the Jordan River. efforts to help the people affected sioner for refugees, "who has an
He stated he had received "ex- by the war. I very much hope that, office in Cairo;" and "thirdly,
pending some more basic settle- Jews of Egyptian nationality.
cellent cooperation at all levels"
in the countries he visited, and ment. these efforts can go forward These, it was maintained, were

JTA Correspondent at UN

(Direct JTA Teletype Wire
to The Jewish News)

solely the United Arab Republic ment activities and were there-
, fore restricted in their movements
government's responsibility."
Gassing declared in his report for security reasons." He reported
that there were "persistent alle- that he had been invited to visit
gations that 500 to 600 Jewish some Jewish shops and that, dur-
men had been kept in 'retention ing a tour of the shopping district
Damascus, "in the company of
since the beginning of the war and of
held incommunicado, although al- officials of ministries of foreign
affairs and interior, he saw a num-
lowed to correspond by letter with ber of Jewish shops which seemed
their families, and to receive re-
to be working normally." .
lief assistance." He referred to re-
ports that "property of the Jews
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
in Cairo was confiscated."
10—Friday, September 22, 1967
He reported that he had also
discussed the issue with the
permanent representative o f
Egypt at the United Nations
For Some
"and received essentially the
of the
same response."
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During his visit to Damascus on
Aug. 29, he reported, he discussed
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government "welcomed the chance
and
to assure the special representa-
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tive that the Jewish minority in
Syria, numbering about 4.000 and
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mainly concentrated in the cities
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were treated in exactly the same
way as other Syrian citizens."
AT
Ile reported that he had also
been told that "as among the
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SAUL BERGH

Packer Pontiac

•

ilussein Is Coining With New Atrocity Charges

(Direct JTA Teletype Wire
to The Jewish News)

WASHINGTON — King Hussein
of Jordan will visit Washington
later this month to confer with
President Johnson after the king
returns from a trip to Moscow.
according to authoritative sources.
King Hussein was reportedly
designated by the Arab summit
conference at Khartoum to seek
American and Russian support for
the Arab drive to bring about Is-
raeli withdrawal.
According to dispatches received

Recipients of the cables in-
here, the Jordanian government
has opened a drive against Israel eluded Pope Paul VI, Eastern
with the collaboration of Mos- Orthodox Patriarch Athenagoras,
lems and Christian leaders in the Archbishop of Canterbury, and
Jordan. The heads of the Moslem heads of Islamic and Christian
and Christian churches sent cables nations.
to world religious leaders, UN
Jordanian Foreign Minister Adib
Secretary General Thant, and
heads of state protesting that Is- El Amery ended two days of talks
with
Egyptian officials in Cairo.
rael violated holy places in Jeru-
salem. The cabkis demanded that He flew to New York with what
he said was a new peace plan. He
Christian and Moslem shrines in disclosed no details but said the
Jerusalem be "liberated" from plan was aimed at forcing Israeli
withdrawal.
"Zionist aggression."

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