Evening star., 1951-05-21
IsroeFs HuIeh Project

Although the ISraeliS have reacted to 1t with
bitterness and alarm there is ample reason to
believe that they will not lose out in the long
run If they abide by the United Nations Security
Councils order to suspend their swamp drainage
operations in the demilitarized zone around Lake
Huleh.
The area in question is in the northernmost
part of Israel bordering on Syria. The drainage
work-in itself an excellent enterprise designed
to increase the countrys extremely limited water
resources and to convert malarial marshland into
rich agricultural soil capable of supporting
large number of Jewish families-has been the
key factor in the recent outbreak OF Israeli
syrian violence So the Security Council, by a
vote of 10 to CRussia abstaining), has called
upon the Tel Aviv government to halt its recla-
nation activities in this sensitive region until an
agreement is worked out through the Mixed Ar
mistice Commission.
But the Israelis, holding that the truce be-
tween themselves and the syrians is strictly
military and has no bearing whatever on the
continuation of peaceful drainage operations in
the Huleh swamp, look upon the Councils sus
pension order as great injustice. Regarding it
as an appeasement gesture to the Arab League,
they fear that Syria will persistently block agree
ment in the Mixed Armistice Commission and
thus, in effect, be able to veto the reclamation
project. What they suspect-perhaps not with
out reason-is that the Damascus government
would like to impede the development of their
water resources and that it would favor the
perpetuation of the malarial marshes as buffer
area, a kind of no-man's land incapable of sup
porting Jewish settlements near the border.
This Israeli fear, however, appears to be
more than little exaggerated. At any rate as
explained by Sir Gladwyn Jebb OF Britain, the
be encountered in working out a satisfactory
agreement, the main point at issue seeming to
be how best to compensate the Arab owners of
certain relatively small segments of land lying
In the path of the drainage operations. Accord
tngly, in Sir Gladwyn's Judgment, those opera
tions will have to be suspended for only few
weeks "at most" AS for the possibility of Syrian
obstructioniSm in the Mixed Arnistice Commits
sion, he has emphasized that in that case Israel
could appeal to the Council-which would not
be "unsympathetic"-for authority to resume the
reclamation activities.
There can be little doubt that such an appeal,
II necessary, would be acted upon favorably. For
Tel Avivs case as far as possession of the Huleh
swamp is concerned, is undeniably a strong one
In terms of principles and acts embodied in inter-
national agreements that date back many years.
Certainly-as pointed out by Abba Eban, the
CioA ASl aol ueleSdIe W Iile ". Mule SUBSTANCE
of those agreements is that the region is eco
nomically vital to and falls within Israel, not
Syria, whose abundant rivers dwarf Israels
meager water resources"
Everything considered, therefore the 1sraelis
ought to cooperate with the Security Council.
If they do, it is hardly conceivable that the
Council will support any Syrian effort-f one
develops-to block their legitimate Huleh opera
tions. # they do not they will have no one but
themselves to blame for the consequences.