The country which my delegation has the honour to represent is a firm believer in the United Nations. It bases its foreign policy on the spirit and the letter of the Charter. In the spirit of the Charter we want peace based upon truth and justice. We want peace because we believe that peace means life and war means death for mankind. Peace is especially essential for a young and relatively small country like Iraq that wishes to develop its resources and to make its contribution to humanity and civilization, as it has often done in the past.
52. My country is launching a vast programme of development. We are putting most of our oil revenue into reconstruction and building. In this endeavour we are setting a fine example of international co-operation. Foreign experts, foreign companies and contractors, including British, American, French, Canadian, Dutch, German, Pakistani, Indian, Belgian, Swiss, Scandinavian, as well as representatives of other nations and neighbouring countries, all join in the work of development and construction in a spirit of cooperation and fair dealing. It is a true expression of the spirit and ideals of the United Nations in the realm of reconstruction. We would like to see this peaceful co-operative effort continue and flourish, but we are not as carefree as we would like to be because of the tensions in the international situation.
53. Hardly a day passes without an outrage committed by Israelis against defenceless Arabs on the borders. Hardly a day passes without the shooting and the arrest of Tunisians and Moroccans fighting for the liberty of their homeland. We are most perturbed by communist infiltration and subversive activities both inside Iraq as well as in our neighbouring countries. Communist domination and warfare in China, Korea and Indo-China give us serious warning that we cannot remain carefree while engaged in the progressive development of our country. We must think and prepare for our own security.
54. These worries, which I am sure we share with the rest of the free world, are due to at least two basic causes. The first is that reactionary forces in the world, not appreciating the change in the spirit of the times, have dung to old, outworn policies based on greed, aggression, domination and exploitation of peoples, internally and externally. Internal reaction is exemplified by the wide gap in wealth between the rich and the poor, between the rich who waste or hoard their riches and the poor who do not even enjoy a decent standard of living. External reaction is exemplified by the colonizing Powers that do not recognize the rights of weaker peoples to their own country, to their own homes and property, to freedom and self-determination and to a prosperous and decent standard of living. There is no doubt that the prevalence of the forces of reaction in the world gave birth to forces of destruction, especially of those leading to the destruction of social, moral and religious values. These forces of destruction, as we witness them in Iraq, are led by the so-called Communist elements.
55. We need to face the basic issues that disturb humanity today and agree on a diagnosis and remedy. We usually engage here in specific situations and try to treat them individually, as if they were unrelated to the rest of the world, as if they were isolated and disconnected events. This never-ending treatment of the basic issues involved will never lead the world to peace and stability so that human talent and energy might be directed towards constructive endeavours.
56. Most of the problems facing us in the United Nations arise either from the forces of reaction as represented by the declining old colonialism, or from the new form of subversion and domination represented by international communism, which is deadlier than the old form of colonialism for it aims at enslaving people by dominating them spiritually and mentally, as well as physically. It turns man into an automatic machine to be enslaved and exploited by the State, or it turns the masses into obedient servants of the State to be directed and exploited by a ruling few.
57. These are certainly not what the United Nations Charter stands for. The Charter stands neither for reaction nor for destruction. It stands for the third way, the way of steady evolutionary progress. The United Nations stands for the dignity of man, for the freedom of the individual, spiritually and mentally as well as physically. It stands for the brotherhood of man where there shall be no discrimination on grounds of race, religion, or class. It stands for settling disputes by mediation and negotiation. -It stands for international co-operation in the realm of reconstruction and development, as well as in the liberation of the under-developed and dependent peoples. It is this third way, the way of the United Nations, which must- be made effective and which should be universalized.
58. Looking back on the nine years of the existence of the United Nations, one cannot fail to recognize its many and varied achievements in terms of liberating peoples, in averting bloodshed, localizing wars, and in terms of human relief and technical assistance. We certainly acknowledge with appreciation the contributions of the United Nations to the liberation of Lebanon, Syria, Indonesia and Libya. We certainly appreciate the United Nations intervention in Korea to check aggression. We appreciate the United Nations contribution in the field of helping under-developed countries and dependent peoples to attain higher social and economic levels. The specialized agencies of the United Nations are making considerable contributions to that effect.
59. In this connexion, I wish to register my country’s thanks and gratitude to the high and noble spirit expressed by the United Nations and its several Member States, as well as its agencies, for the material help, relief and sympathy which contributed much to the saving of the city of Baghdad from the disastrous flood of last spring and which helped many flood refugees.
60. Acting in the spirit of the United Nations Charter, the leaders of the United States and the United Kingdom, and those of the Philippines, India, Pakistan, Burma and Ceylon presented the world with a new method for attaining the independence and liberation of dependent peoples, the way of negotiation and agreement, not that of strife and bloodshed. More recently, the Anglo-Egyptian settlement of the longstanding Suez Canal problem was a proof of the patience, wisdom and statesmanship of all the parties concerned. We are especially gratified to see our sister Arab State, Egypt, fulfil its national aspirations, while at the same time recognizing its responsibility towards the future defence of the Arab States. We are also gratified that our neighbour and friend, Iran, has at last settled its oil problem, preserving its national interests. We regret that at Geneva no final settlement of the Korean question could be achieved. We are relieved, however, that a cease-fire both in Korea and Indo-China put an end to bloodshed in those afflicted countries, and we hope that their unity will soon be achieved.
61. We could go on enumerating bright achievements either directly by the United Nations or indirectly by nations motivated by the spirit of the Charter. The problems, however, which today await settlement by the United Nations and which require courageous and responsible statesmanship by Member States are just as significant and numerous, if not more numerous. These problems represent sources of tension and endanger peace and harmony in the world today.
62. From our point of view, the first of these problems is that of Palestine, for it has disturbed peace and harmony in an area which is most vital to the world on account of its strategic importance as well as its material riches, particularly oil. The United Nations, influenced by power politics and Zionist propaganda, partitioned Palestine between the Arabs and the Jews, thus creating a situation which led to the homelessness and destitution of nearly one million Arabs, Moslems and Christians alike, a great injustice to the peace-loving Arabs, the rightful inhabitants of Palestine; Thus Israel came into existence. —
63. But Israel was not satisfied with the United Nations resolutions to which it owes its own existence. Israel has already violated United Nations resolutions by usurping by sheer force territory that was not allotted to it by the United Nations. Its terrorists butchered old men, women and children, exterminated the whole population of villages like Deir Yassin, thus intimidating the defenceless Arab population of Palestine and forcing them to leave their homes. The result is territorial conquest, the homelessness of nearly one million Arabs and the turning of Palestine, the Holy Land, the land of peace, into an arena of war and political strife. Israel transferred its capital to Jerusalem in defiance of the several United Nations resolutions calling for its internationalization. War and shootings from the Israel side even endanger the Holy Places in Jerusalem. Israel shootings and aggression, mainly on the Jordanian borders and sometimes on the Egyptian, Syrian and Lebanese borders, continue to occur with no restraint or retribution. The dastardly attacks on the villages of Qibya and Nahhalin this year, which destroyed homes and killed scores of human beings, including old men, women and children, are eloquent examples of Israeli conduct in the Middle East. The Security Council censured Israel for its lawless massacre of people in Qibya [642nd meeting], but that did not restrain Israel from committing the massacres of Nahhalin and a long series of other attacks. The culprits were never called to account and no indemnity was imposed on Israel.
64. The natural consequence of this state of affairs in Palestine is quite a multiple one. To begin with, it is an insult to humanity and shows disrespect for life, property and law. In the second place, it is a defiance of and an act of disrespect towards the United Nations, and we rightly believe that nothing injured the prestige of the United Nations more than the weak, unjust and ineffective way in which it handled the problem of Palestine. In the third place, it disturbed peace, stability and harmony within the Middle East. In the fourth place, it embittered the relations between the Arab peoples and those nations which were responsible for the creation of Israel and for its continued existence without at least guaranteeing that it abide by the law and by United Nations resolutions. In the fifth place, it wounded the religious sentiments of millions of faithful people in the world who wished to see Palestine as a haven of peace for Moslems, Christians and Jews alike and not a place of religious conflict and desecration and destruction of some of the Holy Sites and Places. The pitiful condition into which the Moslem and Christian refugees of Palestine have fallen cannot fail to embitter the feelings of their co-religionists throughout the world. In the sixth place, it uprooted Jewish people — such as the. Jews of Iraq — from the homes in which they had lived for thousands of years, and created a problem of double loyalty for the Jews of the world at large.
65. Thus, the United Nations handling of the Palestine problem, influenced by political pressure and the voting power of the Zionists, rendered no service as regards the moral, religious and political aspects of humanity. And is the problem solved? We can say, flatly, no. It can never be solved until justice is done to the Arabs of Palestine. The Arabs are as much attached to Palestine as anyone is attached to his home and, in addition, there is a spiritual connexion which can never be abandoned. What can the United Nations do, now that things have reached this regrettable state? Nothing less than to implement its own resolutions. The United Nations must see to it that Israel abandons its arrogance and its aggressive practices against the Arabs.
66. The Arab States are exercising great self-restraint in not retaliating against the frequent incidents of Israel border attacks. We know that Israel’s aim is to provoke the Arabs to an open armed conflict. This we are determined to do our utmost to resist in the interest of world peace. The great Powers which are primarily responsible for the creation of Israel must at least withhold aid to Israel unless it yields to United Nations resolutions and stops shooting innocent Arabs.
67. We wish to express our appreciation of the Truce Supervision Organization, whose unbiased and objective handling of border incidents make it possible for the world to see through neutral eyes Israel aggression and disregard for human rights and law. We regret the termination of the services of General Bennike and, at the same time, congratulate him on his safe departure from his post; for, had he continued his neutral and unbiased service, his destiny might well have been similar to that of the late Count Bernadotte. We trust that General Burns will be as fair and unbiased as his predecessor.
68. There are two bubbles of Zionist propaganda which we wish to explode. The first is that Israel wants peace and that the Arabs do not. This is a complete misrepresentation of the truth. Yes, Israel shouts for peace, but by word and not by deed. In fact, responsible Israelis have often repeated that they do not intend to yield Arab territory allotted to the Arabs by United Nations resolutions. They do not intend to agree to the internationalization of Jerusalem. They do not agree to the principle of the return of those refugees who choose to do so to their own homes. They have never paid for the produce of Arab farms nor for the rental of Arab properly under their control. They have usurped and sold the property of individual Arabs to incoming Jews. They have frozen Arab money in British banks operating in Palestine. They continue to shoot at Jordanian villages bordering on Israel. They treat the Arabs who remained in Israel as Class B citizens and restrict their movements, seize their lands, destroy their villages, including churches and mosques, and restrict their access to health, educational and other social amenities. They rule these Arabs by military force and not by civil authority, denying them elementary civil government. They have turned Arabs in Israel into veritable prisoners of war. Are all these deeds conducive to peace with the Arabs, or do the Israelis want a peace which denies to the Arabs their right to home and property in Palestine? This kind of peace can never be attained. A true peace, based on right and justice and recognition of Arab rights, is not desired by Israel.
69. The second propaganda bubble is that Israel is a bulwark of democracy in the Middle East and a signpost to progress and prosperity in the area. This line of propaganda could very well be exploded through inquiry into the kind of democracy enjoyed by the Arabs who live in Israel, whether they be Christian or Moslem. We have proof that discrimination is practised against those Jews who went to Israel from the Arab world, as well as against those who went there from India. The return of hundreds of Indian Jews to India, as a protest against racial discrimination in Israel, was reported by The New York Times. This is the kind of democracy imported by Israelis into an Arab world which, before the coming of the Zionists, had known no religious or racial discrimination. As for Israel being a signpost to progress, we submit that, with Western money and know-how, progress and development in any part of the Arab world would be no less than that claimed by Israel.
70. It is high time that the leaders of the world realized what grave injustice has been inflicted on the Arabs and recognized the following facts: In the first place, from a religious point of view, Palestine can never become Jewish alone. The whole of Palestine is sacred to Moslems, Christians and Jews alike. Secondly, the Arabs of Palestine, both Moslems and Christians, will never accept a diaspora inflicted upon them in the twentieth century. The United Nations must see to it that at least those territories allotted to the Arabs in the General Assembly’s partition plan of 1947, [resolution 181 B (II)] are restored to the Arabs if partial rectification of the injustice is to be made. Israel must observe United Nations resolutions on Palestine. Thirdly, the United Nations must establish sanctions against those found guilty of the aggressions which take place on the borders between Israel and the Arab States. An aggressor must be punished if aggression is not to be repeated. Fourthly, the United Nations must see to it that Arab private property, revenue from farm produce and rentals, are given to their rightful owners. Fifthly, the United Nations must inquire into the treatment of the Arabs who live in Israel. The great Powers must feel morally responsible for the injustice inflicted on innocent Arabs, as well as for the inhuman and aggressive acts committed by Israel.
71. The Palestine problem provides a reliable barometer with which to measure the moral and human sensitivities of mankind. The condition of the Arab refugees will provide the barometer readings.
72. A second zone of tension which deserves the constant attention of the United Nations is that in Tunisia and Morocco. These two countries, whose peoples have been struggling for freedom and independence, did not receive, at the last session of the Assembly, the attention which they deserved from the United Nations. Their case was not acted upon. We sincerely hope that the people of France and their present Government will see to it that the national aspirations of Tunisia are recognized and that their negotiations with the Tunisian representatives will lead to fruitful results based on co-operation between friends and equals. We regret, however, the continuation of unrest and bloodshed in Morocco as a result of the fact that the French Government has not yet taken any positive steps by way of responding to the national aspirations of Morocco. We sincerely hope that the French Government will see to it that His Majesty Mohammed Ben Youssef, the legitimate Sultan of Morocco, is restored to his throne. His Majesty the Sultan is the spiritual as well as the temporal leader of his people. We were astonished that France, whose tradition of respect for freedom of worship is well known, could interfere with the religious life of the Moslems of Morocco by removing their spiritual leader. We appeal to France to restore the legitimate Sultan and to initiate negotiations with the true representatives of Morocco. The United Nations must give all its support and blessings to such an approach.
73. Perhaps the most serious problem facing the United Nations and the world is the tension between East and West and all that that problem involves in terms of the armaments race, the partition of Germany, the occupation of Austria and the non-admission of some twenty countries which wish to join the United Nations. In our view, these problems and many others like them could be settled on the highest level between the leaders of the great Powers, in accordance with the resolution [377 (V)] of 1950 which was unanimously adopted by the General Assembly and which my delegation, together with that of Syria, had the honour to initiate. In such a meeting, the fears, suspicions and claims of the two camps should be frankly stated, and mutual measures should be provided to dispel those fears and suspicions and to settle those claims. The cold war can come to an end if international communism abandons its dogmatic and totalitarian spirit and stops the work of infiltration and subversion in other lands; that must be done if we are to have peace.
74. We hope that one of the basic functions of the conference which may be called to revise the Charter of the United Nations will be to examine the provisions of the Charter in the light of the ideological conflicts which endanger world peace today and to provide mankind with techniques to implement the ideology already accepted by all the signatories of the Charter — that ideology which is the fruit of the human evolution of the last 5,000 years. The ideology of the Charter recognizes the unity of mankind and admits the truth of the oneness of the world. It does not think in terms of East and West, Europe, Asia and Africa; it is a global ideology. The ideology of the Charter includes respect for the right of the individual to freedom and a decent standard of living, in accordance with the law. The ideology of the Charter recognizes the right of peoples to freedom and self-determination. The ideology of the Charter recognizes co-operation between nations and the settlement of disputes by peaceful means. All of us have accepted this ideology, but how shall we succeed in its implementation? That, in our view, should be one of the primary topics which the United Nations conference to revise the Charter should take up.
75. It is not enough to revise the Charter, and it is not enough to formulate abstract principles. What is more important is to develop the will to act and to practise what we profess, for in the last resort it is action which will achieve the aims and ideals of the United Nations.