The State of Israel - U.N resolutions

Introduction
This page lists out U.N resolutions which have involved Israel, for simplicity these resolutions have been summarised. The intention of this page is to present disparate information clearly and spark debate.
This page was emailed to a number of friends on 19th November 2010 and their responses have been appended to this page.




Background
The modern state of Israel was approved by the U.N in November 1947 which sought to divide Palestine into two states, one Arab and one Jewish. The Jewish community accepted the plan, but the Arab League and Arab Higher Committee rejected it. In May 1948 the Jewish agency proclaimed independence naming the country Israel. The next day a war was declared the armies of four Arab countries—Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq—attacked Israel, launching the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. After a year of fighting, a ceasefire was declared and temporary borders, known as the Green Line, was established. Jordan annexed what became known as the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and Egypt took control of the Gaza Strip. The region has been a focus for the U.N ever since, since 1948.



UN Focus
Of the 1822 resolutions passed by the U.N between 1948 and 2009, 235 have involved Israel, which equates to 13% of all resolutions. This percentage rises if we look at 1948 to 1994 then 20% of all UN resolutions involved Israel.

The numbers appear to indicate that the UN is Middle East centric, other areas of the world have issues which could benefit from increased UN involvement and possibly intervention. This bias towards the Middle East is (in this writers opinion) doing a disservice to the rest of the world. The United Nations should represent all members equally.



U.N Resolutions

Graph

Graph illustrating UN resolutions passed per year, red line represents the number of resolutions involving Israel.

U.N Resolutions between 1948 and 2009




Annual Summary of Security Council Resolutions Involving/Referencing Israel

Year

Number of resolutions in year

Number of resolutions which have involved Israel

Percentage of resolutions involving Israel

1946

15

0

0.00%

1947

21

0

0.00%

1948

28

15

53.00%

1949

12

3

25.00%

1950

11

1

9.00%

1951

7

3

42.00%

1952

2

0

0.00%

1953

5

2

40.00%

1954

2

0

0.00%

1955

5

3

60.00%

1956

11

3

27.00%

1957

5

0

0.00%

1958

5

1

20.00%

1959

1

0

0.00%

1960

27

1

3.00%

1961

10

1

10.00%

1962

7

1

14.00%

1963

8

0

0.00%

1964

13

0

0.00%

1965

20

0

0.00%

1966

12

1

8.00%

1967

12

7

58.00%

1968

17

8

47.00%

1969

13

4

30.00%

1970

15

3

20.00%

1971

16

1

6.00%

1972

16

3

18.00%

1973

19

8

42.00%

1974

21

5

24.00%

1975

17

5

29.00%

1976

17

3

18.00%

1977

19

3

16.00%

1978

20

7

35.00%

1979

17

7

41.00%

1980

22

11

50.00%

1981

14

6

43.00%

1982

28

13

46.00%

1983

16

5

31.00%

1984

13

4

31.00%

1985

20

5

25.00%

1986

13

6

46.00%

1987

12

5

42.00%

1988

19

7

37.00%

1989

19

6

32.00%

1990

36

7

19.00%

1991

41

5

12.00%

1992

73

4

5.00%

1993

92

5

5.00%

1994

76

1

1.00%

1995

65

0

0.00%

1996

56

0

0.00%

1997

53

0

0.00%

1998

72

0

0.00%

1999

64

0

0.00%

2000

49

4

8.00%

2001

51

3

6.00%

2002

67

8

12.00%

2003

66

5

8.00%

2004

52

5

10.00%

2005

70

4

6.00%

2006

86

7

8.00%

2007

55

3

5.00%

2008

65

3

5.00%

2009

47

4

9.00%


United Nations General Assembly resolution summary


Date

Res. No

Title

Summary

29/11/47

181

recommending partition of the British Mandate into Jewish and Arab states


11/12/48

194

conditional right of return of refugees


11/05/49

273

admission of Israel to the UN


09/12/49

303(IV)

International Regime for Jerusalem


14/07/67

2253

(ES-V)

The Situation in Jerusalem


1974

3236

Recognizes the right of the Palestinian people to regain its rights.


10/11/74

3375

Invitation to the Palestine Liberation Organization to participate in the efforts for peace in the Middle East.


10/11/74

3376

Stressed "the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people".


10/11/74

3379

equating Zionism with racism.


16/12/91

4686

annulled Res. 3379



United Nations Security Council Resolutions detailed summary



Date

Res. No

Title

Summary

05/03/48

42

The Palestine Question

Requests recommendations for the Palestine Commission

01/04/48

43

The Palestine Question

Recognizes "increasing violence and disorder in Palestine" and requests that representatives of "the Jewish Agency for Palestine and the Arab Higher Committee" arrange, with the Security Council, "a truce between the Arab and Jewish Communities of Palestine

01/04/48

44

The Palestine Question

Requests SG to convoke a special session of the GA to consider further the question of the future government of Palestine.

17/04/48

46

The Palestine Question

Calls upon all persons and organisations in Palestine, and especially up the Arab Higher Committee and the Jewish Agency to cease all military activity

23/04/48

48

The Palestine Question

Calls all parties to comply with specific terms of a truce in Palestine

22/05/48

49

The Palestine Question

Calls all parties to comply with specific terms of a truce in Palestine within 36 hours on 22 May 1948

29/05/48

50

The Palestine Question

Calls all parties to order a cessation of acts of armed force for a period of 4 weeks.

Calls up all Governments and euthoristies to undertake not to mobilise or submit men of military age.

Calls upon all Governments to refran from exporting war materials into 8 countries in the region.

Urges all Governments to take every possible precaution for the protection of Holy Places and the City of Jerusalem

07/07/48

53

The Palestine Question


15/07/48

54

The Palestine Question


19/08/48

56

The Palestine Question


18/09/48

57

The Palestine Question


19/10/48

59

The Palestine Question


29/10/48

60

The Palestine Question


04/11/48

61

The Palestine Question


29/12/48

66

The Palestine Question


04/03/49

69

Admission of new Members to the UN: Israel


11/08/49

72

The Palestine Question


11/08/49

73

The Palestine Question


17/11/50

89

The Palestine Question


08/05/51

92

The Palestine Question


18/05/51

93

The Palestine Question


01/09/51

95

The Palestine Question


27/10/53

100

The Palestine Question


24/11/53

101

The Palestine Question


29/03/55

106

The Palestine Question


30/03/55

107

The Palestine Question


08/08/55

108

The Palestine Question


19/01/56

111

The Palestine Question


04/04/56

113

The Palestine Question


04/06/56

114

The Palestine Question


22/01/58

127

The Palestine Question


23/06/60

138

Question relating to the case of Adolf Eichmann


11/04/61

162

The Palestine Question


09/04/62

171

The Palestine Question


25/11/66

228

The Palestine Question


06/06/67

233

The situation in the Middle East


07/06/67

234

The situation in the Middle East


09/06/67

235

The situation in the Middle East


11/06/67

236

The situation in the Middle East


14/06/67

237

The situation in the Middle East


25/10/67

240

The situation in the Middle East


22/11/67

242

The situation in the Middle East


24/03/68

248

The situation in the Middle East


27/04/68

250

The situation in the Middle East


02/05/68

251

The situation in the Middle East


21/05/68

252

The situation in the Middle East


16/08/68

256

The situation in the Middle East


18/09/68

258

The situation in the Middle East


27/09/68

259

The situation in the Middle East


31/12/68

262

The situation in the Middle East


01/04/69

265

The situation in the Middle East


03/03/69

267

The situation in the Middle East


26/08/69

270

The situation in the Middle East


15/09/69

271

The situation in the Middle East


12/05/70

279

The situation in the Middle East


19/05/70

280

The situation in the Middle East


05/09/70

285

The situation in the Middle East


25/09/71

298

The situation in the Middle East

1. Noting with concern Israel's non-compliance with resolutions

2. Reaffirms resolution 252 and 267

3. Deplores the failure of Israel to respect previous resolutions

4. Confirms that change of status of Jerusalem is invalid

5. Urgently calls upon Israel to rescind all previous measures which purport to change in status of Jerusalem

28/02/72

313

The Situation in the Middle East


26/06/72

315

The Situation in the Middle East


21/06/72

317

The Situation in the Middle East


20/04/73

331

The Situation in the Middle East

1. Requests SG to submit report

2. Decide to meet again

3. Requests SR

21/04/73

332

The Situation in the Middle East

Recalling the General Armistice Agreement between Israel and Lebanon of 23/3/49 . Recalling resolutions 233,234,262,280, and 316.


1. Express deep concern over all acts of violence

2. Condemns repeated military atacks conducted by Israel against Lebanon

3. Calls upon Israel to stop military attacks on Lebanon

15/08/73

337

On Seizure of a Lebanese Airliner

Recalling resolutions 262 and 286


1. Condemns Israel for violating sovereignty, for force able diversion and seizure or Lebanese airliner.

2. Considers that Israel actions violate

a) Lebanese-Israeli Armistice Agreement of 1949

b) cease-fire resolutions of the SC 1967

c) provisions of the Charter of the UN

d) principles of international lay and morality

22/10/73

338

Cease-Fire in the Middle East

Calls for a cease-fire

23/10/73

339

Cease-Fire between Egypt and Israel

Calls for a cease-fire

25/10/73

340

UN Emergency Force for the Middle East

1. Demands a cease-fire

2. Requests SG to increase number of UN military observers

3. Request setup of force

4. Requests SG to report to council

27/10/73

341

On Establishment of UNEF

1. Approves SG report

2. Decides force to be setup (as per SG report)

15/12/73

344

Peace Conference in the Middle East

General expressions of hope, confidence and requests SG keeps Council informed of developments

08/04/74

346

Egypt-Israel


24/04/74

347

Israel-Lebanon


31/05/74

350

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic

established the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, to monitor the ceasefire between Israel and Syria in the wake of the Yom Kippur War

23/10/74

362

Egypt-Israel

decides to extend the mandate of the United Nations Emergency Force for another six months

29/11/74

363

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic

regarding the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force

17/04/75

368

Egypt-Israel


28/05/75

369

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic


24/07/75

371

Egypt-Israel


23/10/75

378

Egypt-Israel


30/11/75

381

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic


28/05/76

390

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic


22/10/76

396

Egypt-Israel


30/11/76

398

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic


26/05/77

408

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic


21/10/77

416

Egypt-Israel


30/11/77

420

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic


19/03/78

425

Israel-Lebanon


19/03/78

426

Israel-Lebanon


03/05/78

427

Israel-Lebanon


31/05/78

429

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic


18/09/78

434

Israel-Lebanon


23/10/78

438

Egypt-Israel


30/11/78

441

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic


19/01/79

444

Israel-Lebanon


22/03/79

446

Territories occupied by Israel

determines' that Israeli settlements are a 'serious obstruction' to peace and calls on Israel to abide by the Fourth Geneva Convention"

30/05/79

449

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic


14/06/79

450

Israel-Lebanon


20/07/79

452

Territories occupied by Israel


30/11/79

456

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic


19/12/79

459

Israel-Lebanon


01/03/80

465

Territories occupied by Israel


24/04/80

467

Israel-Lebanon


08/05/80

468

Territories occupied by Israel


20/05/80

469

Territories occupied by Israel


30/05/80

470

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic


05/06/80

471

Territories occupied by Israel


17/06/80

474

Israel-Lebanon


30/06/80

476

Territories occupied by Israel


20/08/80

478

Territories occupied by Israel


26/11/80

481

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic


17/12/80

483

Israel-Lebanon


19/12/80

484

Territories occupied by Israel


22/05/81

485

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic


19/06/81

487

Iraq-Israel


19/06/81

488

Israel-Lebanon


23/11/81

493

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic


17/12/81

497

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic


18/12/81

498

Israel-Lebanon


25/02/82

501

Israel-Lebanon


26/05/82

506

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic


05/06/82

508

Israel-Lebanon


06/06/82

509

Israel-Lebanon


18/06/82

511

Israel-Lebanon


29/07/82

515

Israel-Lebanon


01/08/82

516

Israel-Lebanon


04/08/82

517

Israel-Lebanon


12/08/82

518

Israel-Lebanon


17/08/82

519

Israel-Lebanon


17/09/82

520

Israel-Lebanon


18/10/82

523

Israel-Lebanon


29/11/82

524

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic


18/01/83

529

Israel-Lebanon


26/05/83

531

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic


18/07/83

536

Israel-Lebanon


18/10/83

538

Israel-Lebanon


29/11/83

543

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic


19/04/84

549

Israel-Lebanon


30/05/84

551

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic


12/10/84

555

Israel-Lebanon


28/11/84

557

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic


17/04/85

561

Israel-Lebanon


21/05/85

563

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic


04/10/85

573

Israel-Tunisia


17/10/85

575

Israel-Lebanon


21/11/85

576

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic


18/04/86

583

Israel-Lebanon


29/05/86

584

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic


18/07/86

586

Israel-Lebanon


23/09/86

587

Israel-Lebanon


26/11/86

590

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic


08/12/86

592

Territories occupied by Israel


15/01/87

594

Israel-Lebanon


29/05/87

596

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic


31/07/87

599

Israel-Lebanon


25/11/87

603

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic


22/12/87

605

Territories occupied by Israel


05/01/88

607

Territories occupied by Israel


14/01/88

608

Territories occupied by Israel


29/01/88

609

Israel-Lebanon


25/04/88

611

Israel-Tunisia


09/05/88

613

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic


29/07/88

617

Israel-Lebanon


30/11/88

624

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic


30/01/89

630

Israel-Lebanon


30/05/89

633

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic


06/07/89

636

Territories occupied by Israel


31/07/89

639

Israel-Lebanon


30/08/89

641

Territories occupied by Israel


29/11/89

645

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic


31/01/90

648

Israel-Lebanon

The Security Council extends the mandate of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon until July 31, 1990

31/05/90

655

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic


31/07/90

759

Israel-Lebanon


27/09/90

672

Territories occupied by Israel


12/10/90

673

Territories occupied by Israel


24/10/90

673

Territories occupied by Israel


30/11/90

679

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic


20/12/90

681

Territories occupied by Israel


30/01/91

684

Israel-Lebanon


30/05/91

695

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic


30/06/91

700

Israel-Lebanon


31/07/91

701

Israel-Lebanon


29/11/91

722

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic


06/01/92

726

Territories occupied by Israel


29/01/92

734

Israel-Lebanon


29/05/92

756

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic


30/07/92

768

Israel-Lebanon


25/11/92

790

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic


18/12/92

799

Territories occupied by Israel


28/01/93

803

Israel-Lebanon


28/07/93

852

Israel-Lebanon


29/11/93

887

Israel-Syrian Arab Republic


18/03/94

904

On measures to guarantee the safety and protection of the Palestinian civilians in territories occupied by Israel


31/05/00

1300

The situation in the Middle East


27/07/00

1310

The situation in the Middle East


07/10/00

1322

on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question


27/11/00

1328

The situation in the Middle East


30/01/01

1337

The situation in the Middle East


30/05/01

1351

The situation in the Middle East


31/07/01

1365

The situation in the Middle East


27/11/01

1381

The situation in the Middle East


28/01/02

1391

The situation in the Middle East


12/03/02

1397

The situation in the Middle East


30/03/02

1402

The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question


04/04/02

1403

The situation in the Middle East The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question


19/04/02

1405

The situation in the Middle East The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question


30/07/02

1428

The situation in the Middle East


24/09/02

1435

The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question


17/12/02

1451

The situation in the Middle East


30/01/03

1461

The situation in the Middle East


26/06/03

1488

The situation in the Middle East


31/07/03

1496

The situation in the Middle East


19/11/03

1515

The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question


22/12/03

1520

The situation in the Middle East


30/01/04

1525

The situation in the Middle East


29/06/04

1550

The situation in the Middle East


29/07/04

1553

The situation in the Middle East


02/09/04

1559

The situation in the Middle East


15/12/04

1578

The situation in the Middle East


28/01/05

1583

The situation in the Middle East


07/04/05

1595

The situation in the Middle East


29/07/05

1614

The situation in the Middle East


21/12/05

1648

The situation in the Middle East


31/01/06

1655

The situation in the Middle East


17/05/06

1680

The situation in the Middle East


13/06/06

1685

The situation in the Middle East


15/06/06

1686

The situation in the Middle East


31/07/06

1697

The situation in the Middle East


11/08/06

1701

The situation in the Middle East


15/12/06

1729

The situation in the Middle East


30/06/07

1759

The situation in the Middle East


24/08/07

1773

The situation in the Middle East


14/12/07

1788

The situation in the Middle East


27/06/08

1821

The situation in the Middle East


27/08/08

1832

The situation in the Middle East


12/12/08

1848

The situation in the Middle East


08/01/09

1860

The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question


23/06/09

1875

The situation in the Middle East


27/08/09

1884

The situation in the Middle East


16/12/09

1899

The situation in the Middle East





Conclusion
The numbers appear to indicate that the UN is Middle East centric, other areas of the world have issues which could benefit from increased UN involvement and possibly intervention. This bias towards the Middle East is (in this writers opinion) doing a disservice to the rest of the world. The United Nations should represent all members equally.



Responses

Bharat
Thank you Sanjeev

A good debate is good, I think you have mellowed considerably since your previous monthly e mails, your conclusion is factual, however, I feel you could be a little harder on the UN issue.

The Middle East has oil and the Suez canal and the two are important items for the trading nations of the world. Especially so for trade between Europe and the Far East and the Far East and the Eastern shores of the Americas, thus it is not surprising that a lot of UN resolutions have been passed. Furthermore the newly created state of Israel which is essentially a democracy in the western mold is surrounded by not so democratic oil rich Arab states, states with whom we in the West would normally not have had good relations were it not for the oil and trading opportunities, such as arms sales.

The above is a very important issue as there are a lot of people feeling disenfranchised and hence the instability in the Middle East and elsewhere, it is a failure of the UN and especially so of its permanent members to secure a just deal for the Arab / Palestine/ Israel issue. Whilst the UN may be in focus, the former Palestine leader too cannot escape blame in that I understand he was once offered almost all that the Palestine people were fighting for and he turned this down and now many more settlements later the offer on the table is for a lot less.

The UN permanent members, USA, China, UK, France and Russia and rotating non permanent members do not represent the global population fairly, perhaps it was never meant to be fully representative (in which case they should say so) I am suggesting that it is time a more universally representative body was created, which was representative of the worlds populations rather than representative of where the wealth is.

I feel the UN has had its day, we cannot have the permanent members of the UN dictating terms to the rest of the world, having said all this I do not know how we would reform the UN or create a more representative body.