The Egyptian Government, in a communication to the American Embassy in Cairo, stated it had no intention of interfering with peaceful shipping and that “It goes without saying that this passage (through the Straits of Tiran) will remain free as in the past in conformity with international practice and the recognized principle of international law.” […]
Report of the Director of UNRWA to the Fifth General Assembly stated: “Unless there was a complete change of attitude of the countries and refugees concerned, it appeared unlikely for the time being that any general employment plan would be found which would provide work for the majority of the refugees.” Source: Arab Refugees. (p. […]
In 1950, the UN set up the United Nations Relief and Works Agency as a temporary relief effort for Palestinian refugees. Former UNRWA director Ralph Galloway stated eight years later that: “The Arab states do not want to solve the refugee problem. They want to keep it as an open sore, as a weapon against […]
The First Interim Report of the UN Economic Survey Mission for the Middle East, published in November 1949, stated that the total number of Palestine refugees did not exceed 774,000. This included 48,000 resident in Israel, of whom 17,000 were Palestine Jews driven from their homes by the war. Of the 757,000 Palestine Arab Refugees, […]
The Palestine Conciliation Commission (PCC), appointed by the General Assembly on December 11th, 1948, decided in August 1949 to set up an “Economic Survey Mission for the Middle East” to make recommendations for facilitating the repatriation, resettlement and rehabilitation of the refugees and the payment of compensation to them, “in order to reintegrate the refugees […]
Fawzi Pasha Malki of Jordan stated on December 6, 1949 to the UN Ad Hoc Political Committee: “My delegation believes that no form of internationalization… serves any purpose, as the holy places under the protection and control of my government are safe and secure without any necessity for a special regime.” However, under King Hussein, […]
“The Palestine Post reported that a plan to settle 450,000 Palestine Arab refugees in Syria, 150,000 in Trans-Jordan and 100,000 in Jerusalem under an international regime had been submitted to the Middle East Economic Survey Group by the Group’s deputy chief, Sir Desmond Morton. The proposal made by the Iraqi government to the UN survey […]
Because of the closing of the Suez Canal to Israeli shipping, on August 9, 1949, the UN upheld Israel’s complaint that Egypt was illegally blocking the canal. UN negotiator Ralph Bunche declared: “There should be free movement for legitimate shipping and no vestiges of the wartime blockade should be allowed to remain, as they are […]
The Palestine Conciliation Commission suggested that Israel and the Arab States should agree to negotiate peace treaties, the Arab States replied: “AS THERE HAD NEVER BEEN A FORMAL STATE OF WAR WITH ISRAEL, NO FORMAL PEACE TREATY WITH ISRAEL CAN BE SIGNED.” Source: 73
Syria stated they would accept the terms of the Armistice Agreement negotiated by the other Arab States. Source: 85, p 56.