December 4, 1995
Section A of the resolution dealt with
Jerusalem and called for the implementation of
previous UN resolutions on the city. Israel was
the only dissenter. 133 nations voted in favor,
13 abstained (including the United States) and 29
were absent. Section B dealt with the Golan
Heights. It ignored Israel-Syrian talks and
called on Israel to withdraw from the Heights.
This section was supported by 66 nations, 2 voted
against (Israel and the United States) and 79
abstained. This section effectively failed to win
the required two-thirds majority. Those who
abstained argued that the wording of section B
pre-judged the current negotiations.
A
Jerusalem
The General Assembly
Recalling its resolutions 36/120 E of 10
December 1981, 37/123 C of 16 December 1982,
38/180 C of 19 December 1983, 39/146 C of 14
December 1984, 40/168 C of 16 December 1985,
41/162 C of 4 December 1986, 42/209 D of 11
December 1987,43/54 C of 6 December 1988, 4/40 C
of 4 December 1989, 45/83 C of 13 December 1990,
46/82 B of 16 December 1991, 47/63 B of 11
December 1992, 48/59 A of 14 December 1993 and
49/87 A of 16 December 1994, in which it
determined that all legislative and
administrative measures and actions taken by
Israel, the occupying Power, which had altered or
purported to alter the character and status of
the Holy City of Jerusalem, in particular the
so-called "Basic Law" on Jerusalem and
the proclamation of Jerusalem as the capital of
Israel, were null and void and must be rescinded
forthwith,
Recalling also Security Council resolution 478
(1980) of 20 August 1980, in which the Council,
inter alia, decided not to recognize the
"Basic Law" and called upon those
States that had established diplomatic missions
at Jerusalem to withdraw such missions from the
Holy City,
Having considered the report of the
Secretary-General of 24 October l995,
1. Determines that the decision of Israel to
impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration
on the Holy City of Jerusalem is illegal and
therefore null and void and has no validity
whatsoever;
2. Deplores the transfer by some States of
their diplomatic missions to Jerusalem in
violation of Security Council resolution 478
(1980), and their refusal to comply with the
provisions of that resolution;
3. Calls once more upon those States to abide
by the provisions of the relevant United Nations
resolutions, in conformity with the Charter of
the United Nations;
4. Requests the Secretary-General to report to
the General Assembly at its fifty-first session
on the implementation of the present resolution.
B
The Syrian Golan
The General Assembly
Having considered the item entitled "The
situation in the Middle East", Taking note
of the report of the Secretary-General of 24
October 1995, Recalling Security Council
resolution 497 (1981) of 17 December 1981,
Reaffirming the fundamental principle of the
inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory
by force,
Reaffirming once more the applicability of the
Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of
Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August
1949, to the occupied Syrian Golan,
Deeply concerned that Israel has not withdrawn
from the Syrian Golan, which has been under
occupation since 1967, contrary to the relevant
Security Council and General Assembly
resolutions,
Noting with satisfaction the convening at
Madrid of the Peace Conference on the Middle East
on the basis of Security Council resolutions 242
(1967) of 22 November 1967 and 338 (1973) of 22
October 1973, with the hope that substantial and
concrete progress will be achieved on the Syrian
and Lebanese tracks for the realization of a
just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the
region,
1. Declares that Israel has failed so far to
comply with Security Council resolution 497
(1981);
2. Declares also that the Knesset decision of
11 November 1991 annexing the occupied Syrian
Golan constitutes a grave violation of Security
Council resolution 497 (1981) and therefore is
null and void and has no validity whatsoever, and
calls upon Israel to rescind it;
3. Reaffirms its determination that all
relevant provisions of the Regulations annexed to
the Hague Convention of 1907, and the Geneva
Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian
Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949,
continue to apply to the Syrian territory
occupied by Israel since 1967, and calls upon the
parties thereto to respect and ensure respect for
their obligations under those instruments in all
circumstances;
4. Determines once more that the continued
occupation of the Syrian Golan and its de facto
annexation constitute a stumbling-block in the
way of achieving a just, comprehensive and
lasting peace in the region;
5. Demands once more that Israel withdraw from
all the occupied Syrian Golan to the line of 4
June 1967 in implementation of the relevant
Security Council resolutions;
6. Requests the Secretary-General to report to
the General Assembly at its fifty-first session
on the implementation of the present resolution.
Source: Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs