Hammarskjold-ben Gurion Parleys End Without Agreements on Key Issues

As United Nations Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold concluded his two days of continuous conversations here with Prime Minister David Ben Gurion and other ranking government leaders, it became evident that the talks had resulted in not a single agreement on key points.

While an official communique issued by both sides declared that there had been “a frank and complete exchange of views,” and that “specific cases” relating to Arab-Israel tensions had been discussed, authoritative observers here noted that:

1. Israel had brought up again and had received no real assurances about its insistence that Egypt’s claim to “rights of belligerence” is a violation of the UN Charter.

2. Israel did not agree with Mr. Hammarskjold’s request to resume participation in the Mixed Armistice Commissions between Israel on the one hand and, on the other, Egypt, Jordan and Syria. Israel insisted that the entire armistice had been broken down by the Arab provocations which preceded this country’s Sinai campaign last fall.

3. Israel still insists on a barbed wire fence along the entire Gaza Strip border–while the UN wants to erect such a fence only along some sections of that border, as demanded by Egypt.

4. Israel will not negotiate the matter of stationing units of the United Nations Emergency Force along its side of the armistice line.

One other point understood to have been brought up by Mr. Hammarskjold was his dissatisfaction with the manner in which the Israeli press has referred to him. He indicated he felt he had been depicted as anti-Israel and, at times, anti-Jewish.

However, when the conferences were over, all emerged smiling. Mr. Ben Gurion told correspondents, while crowds cheered him, “the work is finished.” Mr. Hammarskjold, asked whether anything was accomplished, smiled and said: “Do I look unhappy?”

It was understood here that the Secretary General will report formally to the United Nations membership about his conversations here.