30th anniversary of UN resolution 242
Regional, Politics, 11/25/1997

On November 22 1967, the UN Security Council passed a resolution on the Arab-Israeli conflict which urged Israel to pull back its troops to the pre-June 4, 1967 lines in return for preparations for involvement in serious discussions about the root of the crisis in a bid to solve it altogether.

Resolution 242 came as a result of the dangerous consequences the 1967 Israeli aggression on Arab countries had yielded. The resolution, in part, expresses the Security Council's deep concern over the deterioration of situations in the Middle East after that incursion, which sent Israeli troops deep into Arab territories.

The resolution says that the Security Council, while expressing continued concern over the dangerous situation in the Middle East, reaffirms the inadmissibility of acquiring lands by force, in order that a just and comprehensive peace may be established.

The resolution says that establishing a just and durable peace in the Middle East requires the implementation of the principles of the UN charter based on these two principles: the withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from the occupied territories, and the end of the state of belligerency and war claims, respect and recognition of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of every state in the region, its political independence and its right to live in peace within secured and recognized borders free of the threat of force.

The security council reaffirmed the need for guaranteeing the freedom of navigation in international water lanes in the region, bringing about a just settlement for the problem of refugees, and securing the political and territorial integrity of every nation in the region through procedures, including the setting up of demilitarized zones.

The secretary general was asked to assign a special representative, to head for the Middle East, conduct talks with parties concerned and remain there until an agreement is reached, the envoy should help in the efforts of finding a peaceful and accepted settlement in accordance with the provision of the UN Resolution 242.

By scrutinizing resolution 242, one would find that the provisions and wording obviously call for Israel's withdrawal from all occupied lands. Israel has made use of this elasticity of the resolution to stress adopting the English version which does not use the definite article "the" with the "occupied territories".

Therefore, Israel announced that it had fulfilled its obligations by withdrawing its forces from the occupied Sinai peninsula, "an occupied Arab territory." Moreover, Israel has utilized the term "Secured borders" by claiming that if these borders could not be secured they are apt to be defended, claiming that Israel could acquire more Arab territories under the pretext of "security." Israel had made these aspirations of acquiring Arab lands clear in the memorandum to the Middle East envoy at the time, Gonar Jarrings in February 1971.

These unilateral interpretations of the terms of the resolution may push someone to believe that the resolution, as a whole had been arranged to serve the ends of Israel. But legally scrutinized, the resolution does have many positive things; some of these are the inadmissibility of acquisition of lands by force, withdrawal of the Israeli armed troops from the occupied Arab territories.

Previous Stories:
  MENA ends with The Doha Declaration   (11/18/1997)
  Syria's central role in peace process stressed   (10/22/1997)
  What is the problem in the Middle East?   (9/19/1997)

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