1968_4_arabisraelwar

182 / AMERICAN JEWISH YEAR BOOK, 1968
Secretary General Thant appointed veteran Swedish diplomat Gunnar V.
Jarring as his special representative. Egypt, Jordan, and Israel somewhat
grudgingly accepted the resolution and welcomed Jarring, who, in December,
established headquarters on Cyprus from where he began to shuttle back
and forth to meetings in Amman, Cairo, and Jerusalem. He did not go to
Damascus, since the Syrian government had denounced the UN resolution
and declared that it would have nothing to do with the UN peace envoy.
UNITED STATES POSITION ON
JERUSALEM AND REFUGEES
Although the United States and Israel were in general agreement on the
principles necessary for the establishment of peace in the Middle East, they
did not see eye to eye on some aspects of two important issues that came
before the United Nations—Jerusalem and the return of new refugees.
Jerusalem
On June 7, after Israel recaptured the Old City of Jerusalem, Defense
Minister Dayan stood beside the Western Wall (Wailing Wall) of the ancient
Temple and declared: "We have returned to our holiest of holy places, never
to be parted from it again."
On June 27 the Keneset approved three bills authorizing extension of Israel's
laws, jurisdiction, and public administration over the Old City of Jerusalem
and some surrounding suburbs, which Jordan had occupied and controlled
since the 1948 war. On June 28 Israeli municipal services and jurisdiction
were extended to the entire city.
On the same day the White House issued a statement reiterating President
Johnson's June 19 pronouncement that any peace settlement must include
"adequate recognition of the special interest of the three great religions in
the holy places of Jerusalem." The President therefore "'assumes that before
any unilateral action is taken on the status of Jerusalem there will be appropriate
consultation with religious leaders and others who are deeply concerned."
A State Department statement, considerably harsher in tone, declared that
Israel's "hasty" action cannot be regarded as determining the future of the
Holy Places or the status of Jerusalem in relation to them. It noted that the
United States "never recognized such unilateral actions by any of the states
in the area as governing the international status of Jerusalem. " (Washington
has never officially recognized either the Jordanian annexation of the
Old City or Israel's designation of the new city as its capital. The United
States Embassy has remained in Tel Aviv even though the Keneset and most
government ministries were moved to Jerusalem shortly after the establishment
of the state.)
Foreign Minister Eban explained to the General Assembly the following