Egypt today defied the Security Council by refusing to alter its position regarding freedom of passage for Israel ships through the Suez Canal. After seven members of the Council–including all the major Western Powers–had re-affirmed their support of the 1951 resolution of the Council guaranteeing freedom of passage through the waterway, Omar Loutfi, head of the Egyptian delegation, insisted that Egypt will interpret regulations regarding the Suez Canal as it sees fit.
Sir Leslie Knox Munro of New Zealand, president of the Council, told Egypt that it is inconceivable that Israel ships or crews would ever try to sabotage the Canal. Mr. Loutfi made such an accusation at the last meeting of the Council on January 4. Today, after Munro had called such suspicions groundless, Mr. Loutfi insisted that Israel sailors might mine the Canal, scuttle a ship to block it, send “terrorists” into Egyptian territory, or otherwise use the Canal for “sabotage or espionage.”
Regarding the Israel vessel Bat Galim, seized by Egypt, the Egyptian delegate told the Council that Egypt would be willing to discuss with Gen. E.L.M. Burns, chief of staff of the United Nations truce supervision organization in Palestine, the matter of further disposition of the ship. Israel circles indicated that they would not enter into further discussions about the Bat Galim with Gen. Burns, insisting that Egypt must release it.
At today’s meeting the 1951 resolution was re-affirmed by Fernand van Langenhove of Belgium, Dr. Victor A. Belaunde of Peru, and Sir Leslie. At the last meeting of the Council similar reaffirmations were voiced on behalf of the United States, Britain, France and Brazil.
Israel delegation chief Abba S. Eban made a brief statement at today’s meeting, reviewing his government’s insistence that the Canal must be kept open for all shipping and recalling Egypt’s violation of Mixed Armistice Commission rulings ordering it to release the freighter Bat Galim which it seized last September 28.
Mr. Eban pointed out that once the Israel-Egyptian Mixed Armistice Commission had ruled that the Bat Galim’s journey was “legitimate, innocent and peaceful,” there was moral and logical reason to expect Egypt to facilitate the journey of the vessel to Haifa, a journey which should never have been impeded in the first place, he added.
It was therefore disappointing to record, said Mr. Eban, that Egypt continued to frustrate an innocent and legitimate journey in an international waterways although the Security Council’s resolution of 1951 and all other instruments affecting the Canal made clear that the right of free passage belonged to all nations-including Israel-and not just to nations on whom Egypt conferred it. Israel, he declared, was not prepared to renounce its right to equality with other nations in this regard.
Mr. Loutfi, in his answer, declared “my government has gone to the limit,” and virtually defied the Council to get the Bat Galim released, except on Egypt’s own terms.
Sir Leslie summarized the opinion expressed in the Council regarding reaffirmation of the 1951 resolution and pointed out that Gen. Burns would be willing to use his good offices if Egypt and Israel agreed to let him handle the Bat Galim case.
It was noted that A.A., Sobolev, acting chairman of the Soviet Union’s delegation, has to date said not a single word in the Council chamber either for or against Egypt’s stand regarding the Suez Canal. In 1954, the Soviet Union twice vetoed Security Council resolutions favoring Israel.
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