ABSTRACT
The first Lausanne meeting between the Israeli delegation and the PCC took place at the Hotel Beau Rivage on 27 April 1949, It was a straightforward affair which covered familiar ground. Israeli delegate Gershon Hirsch (later Avner) described it as beginning with heartfelt greetings and Ethridge's renewed request for a declaration of Israel's stand on refugees, Jerusalem and boundaries. On the major issues, Hirsch's reply contained nothing the commissioners had not heard before. The Israeli delegation expressed its hope that the proceedings for Israel's admission to the UN would not be allowed to interfere with the progress of the current talks, and declared that it was not willing to negotiate with Syria at Lausanne until after the signing of an armistice agreement between the two countries. 2
