1968_4_arabisraelwar

184 / AMERICAN JEWISH YEAR BOOK, 1968
homes or to find them other proper places to live and work." He warned that
there would be no peace in the Middle East unless the problem "is attacked
with new energy by all and, certainly, primarily by those who are immediately
concerned." He added that, "in a climate of peace," the United States
was ready to contribute its "full share" to its solution.
The United States approach was generally consistent with Israel's own
stated position. They differed on the question of the immediate return of
the refugees who crossed the Jordan river to the East Bank after the June
war. The number of those who left their homes on the West Bank during
or in the first weeks after the fighting was estimated at around 150,000. On
July 2 Israel announced that it was prepared as a humanitarian act on its
part to allow the return of West Bank residents who had left between the
outbreak of hostilities on June 5 and July 4 (pp. 123-126).
On July 4 the General Assembly endorsed the Security Council's resolution
on the humanitarian aspects of the war, including the request to Israel to
"facilitate the return of those inhabitants who had fled the areas since the
outbreak of hostilities." The resolution was adopted by a vote of 116 (including
Israel) to 0, Syria and Cuba abstaining.
As a result of a variety of political and practical considerations, which
delayed and impeded Israeli-Jordanian cooperation in the return, Israel in
the end approved applications for the return of only 20,659 persons out of
the 112,250 that had applied. Of these former, only 14,056 actually returned
by the August 31 deadline. However, upon the insistent urging of the United
States government and the UN, Israel agreed on September 11 to allow permit
holders—some 6,600 persons—to come back even after the deadline.
In addition, Israel agreed to give "sympathetic consideration" to requests for
the return of persons with close relatives in Israel-held territory. Aside from
reunion of families, Israel said it was also ready to review the cases of individuals
claiming special hardship. Israel rejected the argument of the United
States and many other delegations at the UN that Israel allow all those who
had left since the six-day war to return.
After the initial Jordanian-Israeli agreement for the return of West Bank
residents, Israel stated, according to Gussing, that it was prepared to discuss
any outstanding issues with Syria and Egypt—including the return of civilians
who had left territories under Israel control—"when talks are initiated"
with these states. Gussing reported that Syria was not prepared to discuss the
question with Israel, and added that the "intense antagonism between Syria
and Israel permeated discussions on every issue and at every level." Syria
insisted that the approximately 100,000 persons who left the Golan Heights
would not return until the territory was given back by Israel. By the end of
the year no agreement was reached with Egypt concerning the 4,000 persons
from the Gaza Strip and some 35,000 from Sinai, who had crossed the Suez
Canal into Egypt.
American and UN pressure on Israel was therefore limited to persons