Israel Determined to Make a Stand on Ababa, UN Security Council Told

The Security Council will resume tomorrow afternoon its debate on the crisis in the Middle East having before it two resolutions, one presented by the United States aiming to secure a “breathing spell” for more diplomatic negotiations to prevent the Arab countries and Israel from entering into a shooting war, and the other presented by Egypt which insists on keeping the Gulf of Ababa closed to Israeli ships as well as to other maritime nations carrying cargo to and from the Israel port of Eilat.

Gideon Rafael, head of the Israeli delegation to the United Nations, addressing the Security Council yesterday afternoon, said that “Israel is determined to make its stand on the Gulf of Ababa; nothing less than complete non-interference with free and innocent passage through the Gulf of Ababa is acceptable to the Government of Israel.”

Mr. Rafael explained that the Israeli port of Eilat, lying at the Gulf of Ababa, is “a thrives port and industrial center in Israel’s outlet to the Red Sea and links Israel with Africa and Asia He stressed the fact that Eilat is the terminal of an oil pipeline connecting it with Haifa and that the maritime trade passing through Eilat is the basis of the city’s economic life.

“Severing this artery,” he said, “is an act as grave as an attempt to truncate part of out territory.” He charged the Arabs with following the same line as was used by the Nazis in 193## when they took over Danzig. “At that time the Nazis launched the theme ‘Why fight for Danzig’. Now we hear the Arabs saying ‘Why fight for Eilat’,” Mr. Rafael said, pointing out that “the world paid a high price” for submitting to Nazi propaganda at that time.

The Israeli diplomat insisted that the Security Council act immediately to secure the withdrawal of the Arab forces to their previous positions. He noted that belligerence is outlawed under the existing Arab-Israel agreements which established the borders between Israel and the neighboring Arab states. “I would remind the Arab representatives that their only valid basis for the Egyptian presence in the Gaza area and for the Jordanian presence on the West Bank is in the armistice regime,” he said. “They should, therefore, be more prudent before they disregard the significance and sanctity of the armistice demarcation line.”

Ambassador Roger Seymour of France told the Security Council that his Government will maintain objectivity but is not indifferent to the crisis.

He said the ties between France and the Arab countries have enabled France to understand the vigilance with which the Arabs intended to maintain dignity and independence and that France also wanted to affirm assurance of the continuing existence of Israel. The immediate goal of the Council was to obtain a breathing spell to prevent the crisis from worsening, he stated, stressing that it would be wrong for the Security Council to ignore the special responsibilities of the big powers and that it would be useless, even dangerous to vote on draft resolutions on which it was doubtful that any agreement is likely.

British Prime Minister Harold Wilson, meanwhile conferred on the Middle East crisis here yesterday with United Nations Secretary-General Du Thant and with Denmark’s UN representative Hans Tabor who is this month’s president of the Security Council, After leaving the United Nations following his more than three hours of talks, the British Premier said that the problem was to avert disaster, “The situation is extremely grave and one false step may lead to a serious conflict,” he said.