(Article by Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gad Ya'acobi, 'Davar', January 20, 1994, pp. 9-10)

THIS YEAR HAS WITNESSED A SIGNIFICANT TURNING POINT IN THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY'S DECISIONS ON MIDDLE EASTERN SUBJECTS; FOR THE FIRST TIME, ISRAEL HAS BEEN PUT ON THE ASSEMBLY'S PERMANENT COMMITTEE (THE INFORMATION COMMITTEE), WITHOUT OPPOSITION.

This past year has been a year of testing and was a turning point for the United Nations and for Israel's relations with the world community. In the UN General Assembly, there has recently been a significant turning point in its decisions on Middle Eastern and Israeli subjects; Israel's relations with UN arms and bodies in operational areas has expanded, and the number of UN members who maintain diplomatic relations with Israel has grown.

This change mainly stems from the agreements between Israel and the PLO and Jordan, from the new policies of the Israeli Government, from initiatives taken from the Israeli UN delegation, and from the fundamental global changes the new world order that encompasses new regional configurations: the reforming eastern Europe, the strengthening of southeast Asia and the unification of Europe. (...)

There have been ups and downs in the relationship between the majority at the UN and Israel since the 1947 UN decision on the partition of the Land of Israel, the setting up of the State of Israel (and Arab states alongside it) and Israel's admission to the UN. A negative stigma was created in Israel about the UN and the distinction between the UN and the majority of its members was blurred. The UN General Assembly represents majorities from among its 185 member countries; the Security Council makes decisions according to the opinions of its 15 members. (...)

Since I have entered into office, we have defined four main objectives: to advance toward normalization in our relations with the UN and its member-states, to increase Israeli participation in the UN's activities, to achieve maximum cooperation with each body or country prepared for it, and to change the position of the UN and its agencies toward Israel and her policies.

In the wake of the global changes and the change in Government policies, we are gradually advancing towards achieving these objectives. One of the first expressions of this, was the removal of the issue of the deportees from the Security Council's agenda after a difficult struggle.

Since the signing of the Declaration of Principles between Israel and the PLO, these processes have been especially pronounced and have recently found expression in the General Assembly. At the beginning of the Assembly's current session, Israel's credentials...were approved without opposition, for the first time since 1981. For the first time in the history of Israel's relationship with the UN, Israel was put on the Assembly's permanent committee (the Information Committee), also here, without opposition.

In the General Assembly's decisions on Middle Eastern subjects, there has been a significant turning point quantitative (voting patterns) and qualitative (in content and wording). Most significant was the passage of a new decision supporting the peace process, a decision intiated by the Israeli UN delegation. 110 countries affixed their signatures to the decision, which was sponsored by the United States, Russia, and Norway. 155 members voted in favor of it. Only Syria, Lebanon, and Libya, voted against; Iraq abstained.

Out of 27 negative decisions, that were annually repeated, 22 decisions were not discussed, were not presented for a vote, or underwent significant changes of content in which the condemnations and criticisms of Israel were taken out. Decisions on the subjects of the intifada, the call to establish an international committee under UN sponsorship, the traditional condemnation of Israel's relations with South Africa, and the main collection of condemnations of Israel, referred to as 'Omnibus A', were not brought to a vote.

Only a third of the General Assembly's members voted in favor of the decisions on the subjects of 'the Syrian Golan Heights', and 'Israel's nuclear weaponry'. (These decisions were accepted, but only by the tiniest of majorities.) In contrast, the decision on the internationalization of Jerusalem was accepted by a large majority, like it is every year. This subject unites most of the member-countries.

Voting patterns on all decisions improved, despite the moderation and change in their content and wording. It is worth emphasizing that for the first time in the history of the UN and our work with it, all the changes were made through a direct and business-like dialogue with the Egyptian Ambassador and the PLO Observer, and with the agreement of the Arab group.

Furthermore, for the first time in many years, an Israeli candidate (Meir Gabai) was chosen as a member of UN's High Administrative Court, in a secret and personal vote in the General Assembly.

Our relations with the UN authorities operating in Israel and the territories: peacekeeping forces (UNIFIL and UNDOF), UNRWA, UNDF, and UNICEF have markedly improved. One of the expressions of this is the scope of UN investments in the territories, which, next year, will reach approximately $450 million, as opposed to this year's $300 million. UNDP will double its investments in economic projects and infrastructure enterprises in the territories from $18 million in 1993 to approximately $40 million in 1994.

Since the agreement between Israel and the PLO, agreements have been signed for the resumption or establishment of diplomatic relations with six countries (Turkmenistan, Laos, Mauritius, Gabon, Burkina-Fasso, and Cambodia) and talks are continuing in a positive trend with other countries (an agreement will be signed in the near future for the resumption of relations with Madagascar). Israel now has diplomatic relations with 139 countries, 134 of whom are members of the UN (out of 189 total member- countries). The development of political and personal connections at the UN has been more numerous. Connections with representatives of countries with which we do not have diplomatic relations (including Arab and Islamic nations) have multiplied. With some, permanent connections have found expression in various channels.

It is worthwhile to continue advancing our case with the member-countries of the UN, so as to enable us to be part of a geo-political group in order that we can vote and be elected to the various UN positions. In the long range, our natural place is in the Asian group, but until that becomes possible, we should be enabled to operate within the framework of the western European group.

The number of Israelis have been chosen and appointed to UN institutions and peace-keeping forces needs to increase and reflect the UN's readiness to open its doors to qualified Israelis. We will work to enhance cooperation both with UN member-states that maintain as well as those that still do not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel. We will continue our close consultations with the United States, Russia, the European group, the Latin American group, and the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States. We will strive to resume or establish diplomatic relations with additional countries. We will also work to expand the cooperation with the operational bodies of the UN and its agencies and will progress from the status of 'client' to that of participant, even on issues in which we are not directly concerned.