UN vote: Israel not 'peace loving'

The UN General Assembly approved by a vote of 86 to 20 a resolution criticizing Israel for ''not being a peace-loving nation,'' and calling on Israel to allow a UN delegation to investigate alleged human rights violations against Palestinians in occupied territories.

Monitor correspondent Louis Wiznitzer reports Syria backed off its anticipated call for the expulsion of Israel from the United Nations and sponsored the milder measure instead, on the 34th anniversary of Israeli independence. Key third world diplomats as well as UN Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar managed to impress upon Syria, behind the scenes, the fact that a move to expel Israel could have serious consequences for the UN, since the United States would likely carry out its threat to suspend financial contributions to it.

The United States, Canada, and the European Common Market nations voted against the resolution. Thirty-six countries, including Egypt, abstained from the vote.