Wilson Declares Mideast Settlement Must Provide for Freedom of Navigation

Prime Minister Harold Wilson said in Parliament today that “any lasting settlement in the Middle East must provide for freedom of passage in international waterways for the ships of all nations.”

The Prime Minister made his remark in reply to questions from Laborite MP Emanuel Shinwell and Conservative Sir Knox Cunningham. They had asked what the Government’s position was on reopening the Suez Canal to ships of all nations and whether it had consulted with the Commonwealth prime ministers and the President of the United States on ways of ensuring unmolested use of the Canal.

Replying to another question related to the Middle East crisis from Laborite Edward Roland, the Prime Minister said the sinking of the Israeli destroyer Elath had made a very difficult situation more so and it would not be helpful for the Government to express an opinion on this and subsequent events since its concern was to get the parties together and pave the way for a lasting peace.

A request from Conservative MP Neil Martin for assurances that there would be no financial aid to Egypt until British ships stranded in the Great Bitter Lake at the southern end of the Suez Canal are released was referred by the Prime Minister to the Foreign Secretary.

Steps taken by the Government to bring about a Middle East settlement were outlined by Minister of State G. Roberts in a written reply to questions by Conservative MP Knox Cunningham. He said that the Government has been “in close and constant touch” with other interested governments, that it had continued to urge an early meeting of the Security Council to adopt a “balanced resolution” calling for the appointment of a U.N. representative to the Middle East and that the representatives of the Foreign Secretary have had personal consultations with the U.N. Secretary-General and with the representatives of many nations in New York.