Letter from Secretary-General Trygve Lie to the Powers on the situation in Palestine

Writing in his book In the Cause of Peace (New York, 1954), Mr. Trygve Lie said: "The invasion of Palestine by the Arab States was the first armed aggression which the world had seen since the end of the war. The United Nations could not permit such aggression to succeed and at the same time survive as an influential force for peaceful settlement, collective security and meaningful international law" (p. 174). In this spirit, he addressed the following letter to the Foreign Secretaries of the Big Powers on 16 May 1948:

16 May 1948

My dear ... :

The Egyptian Government has declared in a cablegram to the President of the Security Council on 15 May that Egyptian armed forces have entered Palestine and that it has engaged in "armed intervention" in that country. On 16 May I received a cablegram from the Arab League making similar statements on behalf of the Arab States.

Since this matter is now before the Security Council, it is not necessary for me to invoke the provisions of Article 99 of the Charter, under which the Secretary-General may bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security.

I consider it my duty, however, to emphasise to you that this is the first time since the adoption of the Charter that Member States have openly declared that they have engaged in armed intervention outside their own territory.

Moreover, this armed intervention has taken place in a territory which has been the special concern of the United Nations. A Truce Commission appointed by the Security Council has been active in Palestine for some time and it is only a matter of hours since the General Assembly adopted a resolution establishing a United Nations Mediator with the mandate of seeking agreement of the parties to a peaceful adjustment of the situation in Palestine.

The very first of the purposes of the United Nations is to maintain international peace and security. In Article 24 of the Charter the Members conferred on the Security Council primary responsibilities for the maintenance of international peace and security "in order to ensure prompt and effective action by the United Nations."

The opening discussions of the Council on 15 May have shown that there is danger that such prompt and effective action will not be forthcoming unless Members of the Council take a decisive stand in support of the authority of the Charter and of the United Nations.

Hostilities have already begun. There is grave danger that they will increase in intensity, and there is likelihood that other parties will become involved to the menace of the peace of the Middle East.

A failure of the Security Council to act under these circumstances can only result in the most serious injury to the prestige of the United Nations and the hopes for its future effectiveness in keeping the peace elsewhere in the world. Moreover, it may undermine the progress already made by the Council in other security problems with which it is now dealing.

I most earnestly urge that your Government should take account of the extreme seriousness of the situation which now faces the United Nations and of the necessity for prompt action at this crucial moment.

I have sent similar communications to each of the five permanent Members of the Security Council.

Yours sincerely,

Trygve Lie

Source: Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs