Zion friends of Israel

The specch of Rapporteur Thor Thors
on the Ad Hoc Committee Rapport
November 26, 1947
(Note: This is only a part of the original UN document A/PV.124)
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HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FOURTH PLENARY MEETING

Held in the General Assembly Hall at Flushing Meadow, New York, on Wednesday,

26 November 1947, at 11 a.m.

President: Mr. O. ARANHA (Brazil)

123. Palestinian question: report of the Ad Hoc Committee
on the Palestinian Question (document A/516)

The PRESIDENT: I call upon the representative of Iceland, Rapporteur, who will present the report of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Palestinian Question.

Mr. THORS (Iceland): I have the honour to present to you the report of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Palestinian Question. The report is contained in document A/516, and, following the custom of the other Committees, I will presume that you have read this report.

Let me mention only that the work of the Committee has been difficult and delicate, and has taken a long time. The Committee commenced its work on 23 September 1947, and completed its task only yesterday. The duties of the Committee were to a large extent performed by two Sub-Committees. The recommendations of the Committee are contained in the report, as you all know.

The majority of the members of the Committee recommend that Palestine be partitioned into two separate independent States, an Arab State and a Jewish State. It is not my duty to explain the details of this plan, the motives of the majority of the Committee, or the proposals presented by the minority of the Committee.

In placing this report before the representatives, I wish to call their attention to the regrettable fact that, as stated in section 14 of the report, any attempt at conciliation between the two parties in this case did not prove fruitful. It seemed to the Conciliation Group which the Committee had elected that both parties were confident as to the success of their case before the General Assembly and, therefore, up to the present moment, conciliation and agreement between the parties could not be reached.

Allow me to express the hope that time and the course of events will in the not too distant future bring about conciliation, understanding and co-operation among the inhabitants of Palestine so that peace and prosperity may prevail in the Holy Land. Whatever will be the decision of this General Assembly today, let us hope that the United Nations is finding a workable, lasting and favourable solution to the problem of Palestine, which today is one of the most difficult problems with which we are faced.
 
.... (The original UN document A/PV.124 continues.)