Israel Accuses Egypt of ‘deliberate Provocation’ in Canal Survey Attempt

Israel charged today in a letter to United Nations Secretary-General U Thant that the Egyptian action in sending boats from Lake Timsah northward in the Suez Canal on Jan. 30 was “an act of direct and deliberate provocation.” It asserted that the action “can only be interpreted as being part of a calculated plan to sabotage the evacuation of the stranded ships.” The Israeli letter, signed by Ambassador Joseph Tekoah, head of the Israeli mission, was in reply to a charge by Egypt that Israel was responsible for the failure of attempts to free 15 freighters of various nationalities stranded in the canal since the June war. The Egyptian attempt to move boats into the north end of the canal met with Israel’s resistance and was followed by a 90 minute artillery duel.

In his letter, Ambassador Tekoah said “for twenty years, the United Arab Republic has been waging war against Israel. For twenty years it has barred the Suez Canal to Israeli shipping and to cargoes destined to and from Israel. Last summer, the UAR led the other Arab states in an attempt to destroy the State of Israel. On June 6, 1967, it stopped all navigation in the Suez Canal. It deliberately blocked up the canal and in that way, the 15 vessels in question became stranded. Israel has no responsibility for the blocking of the Suez Canal and has no interest at all that these vessels should remain stranded in it. The Government of Israel is in favor of the early opening of the Suez Canal for the free and unimpeded navigation of the ships and cargoes of all nations. Until that is achieved, Israel must insist that the conditions created in the Suez Canal under the cease-fire and the arrangement concerning navigation in the canal reached in the summer of 1967, be fully respected.”

Ambassador Tekoah pointed out that under that agreement, the sailing of any ship in the canal by Israel or Egypt was a breach of the agreement unless the other party agreed. He said that Egypt was “fully aware of its own commitments in this matter” and equally aware of Israel’s agreement to proposals from Ambassador Gunnar Jarring, the U.N. envoy, to allow the southward exit of the stranded ships as a one-time operation without prejudice to the existing agreement. The letter concluded by restating Israel’s policy as favoring the southward release of the stranded vessels and “free passage in the Suez Canal open to all shipping including her own.” It pledged cooperation for such a policy.