Britain Opposes Injection of Arab-israel Dispute into Suez Issue

The Suez Canal crisis is “wholly separate from the Arab-Israel dispute,” British Foreign Office spokesman Sir George Young declared today. He warned that any attempt to inject that dispute “would not be helpful to a settlement” of the Suez problem.

Sir George said that the forthcoming conference of 24 nations on the Suez Canal issue would in no way prejudice a final settlement of the Arab-Israel conflict. This is being interpreted here as an assurance to the Arab states.

The Foreign Office spokesman said that it was the intention of the United States, Britain and France, however, to assure that the Suez Canal is operated in accordance with the international convention of 1888 which guarantees free passage to ships of all nations at all times. Egypt had barred Israeli ships long before she seized the Suez Canal.

The Egyptian blockade of the Suez Canal against Israeli shipping assumed major significance for Britain today following receipt of reports from Cairo that Egypt is considering bringing the Suez Canal case to the United Nations Security Council. In this connection, it is taken for granted here that Britain would argue that Egypt had no moral right to appear before the Security Council on the Suez Canal issue because for five years she has been flouting a resolution adopted by the Council requesting freedom of passage for Israeli shipping through the Canal.

That Israel is becoming an object of concern to Britain is also demonstrated in a number of editorials in the British press today. The papers point out that Egypt must not forget that she is already under censure by the Security Council for interfering with ships and cargoes destined for Israel.

BRITAIN URGED TO CONCLUDE 25-YEAR DEFENSE PACT WITH ISRAEL

Expressing distrust in Egypt’s promises of eventually permitting free passage to the ships of any nation, the British press stresses that Egypt is maintaining her blockade against Israel despite the fact that the 1888 convention on the Suez Canal reads: “The canal shall never be subjected to exercise of rights of blockade.”

Meanwhile, Commander Stephen King-Hall, former MP and a retired distinguished naval officer, today advocated in the Manchester Guardian that Britain sign a 25-year mutual defense treaty with Israel, including provisions for Britain to use Haifa as a base and the right to station troops in Israel.

Such a move, Commander King-Hall asserted, would cause the other Arab states to turn against Egyptian President Nasser. He added that the United States could not object to such an arrangement because “we shall only be putting teeth into the Tripartite Declaration.”