Israel’s Views on Negev Massacre Presented to British Government

The British Government was formally apprised here of the views of the Israel Government on the Arab massacre of 11 Jews in the Negev bus ambush. Eliahu Elath, the Israel Ambassador, called at the Foreign Office and conferred with Selwyn Lloyd, the Minister of State, about the situation.

The press here reports that the feeling is prevalent in Tel Aviv that if the Western Powers do not–either directly or through the United Nations–root cut the causes of unrest in the Middle East, the Israel Government will be forced to take matters into its own hands. The dispatches say that the Israel Government is expected to make a strong appeal to the Western Powers to use their influence with the Arab states to maintain peace along Israel’s borders and particularly to bring their influence to bear on Jordan to attend the United Nations-convoked Israel-Jordan conference.

The newspapers also report that at the Cabinet meeting in Jerusalem yesterday, the majority of the Ministers favored continuation of political action aimed at condemnation of the Government of Jordan as responsible for last week’s Negev bus massacre. The majority felt that there should be no recourse to any other form of action until the results of the political campaign became apparent, the report said.

ZIONISTS, AGUDISTS ASK BRITAIN TO CHECK ARAB KILLING OF JEWS

The Zionist Federation of Great Britain called today upon the British Government “to use all their influence with the Government of Jordan to put an end to the constant violation of Israel’s borders and hostile acts and warlike aggression against Israel.” The federation’s resolution also urged Britain to persuade the Jordanians to attend the meeting with Israel being convened by the United Nations Secretary General under the terms of the Israel-Jordan armistice “with a view to radically improving the tense situation on the Israel-Jordan border.”

The resolution also draws the government’s attention to the gravity of the situation and voices the hope that the British Government will warn the Jordan authorities of the “danger of serious consequences if speedy and energetic action is not taken to remedy the present state of affairs. “

The Agudas Israel World Organization last night called on the British Government, “together with the free governments of the world, ” to bring an “immediate end to the shedding of innocent Jewish blood.” The Agudah statement also expressed shock at the bus killings and extended sympathy to the bereaved families.

The London Daily Telegraph said in an editorial that the time had come to put relations between the states of Israel and Jordan on a permanent basis. The paper declared that “the partition of Palestine, which was inevitable from 1937 onwards, must now be accepted as an irreversible fact. Israel has established its ‘notch in the Arab world.’ This implies that a permanent home for those Arabs who don’t wish to make Israel their home must be found in the Arab countries,” the editorial continued. “The new wealth that has come from the discoveries of oil makes it possible for the Arab nations to solve this problem–if they choose.”