General Assembly – Preliminary Consideration of Israel’s Application

After referral from the Security Council, Israel’s application for membership was at first the subject of back and forth procedural shifts.The General Committee of the General Assembly (which, under the rules, has a role in setting the agenda) met from 5 to 8 Apr 1949 regarding agenda items for the remainder of the Third Session. In its Report of 9 Apr 1949, the Committee recommended that the General Assembly consider Israel’s application for membership without referral to a committee. Nevertheless, the General Assembly, at its 191st Plenary Meeting on 13 Apr 1949 decided to refer the matter to the First Committee.In late April 1949, the allocation of committee tasks again came up for consideration by the General Committee and, in its 29 Apr 1949 Report, recommended reallocation of Israel’s application from the First Committee to the Ad Hoc Political Committee. The General Assembly reviewed that recommendation in its 204th  and 205th Plenary Meetings on 2 May 1949 and adopted it with 29 voting in favor, 18 opposed, and 5 abstaining. The Ad Hoc Political Committee then took up substantive consideration of Israel’s application.