Brown Says Israel Should Try for Cease Fire Now; Jews Wrong to Attack Nasser

George Brown, the voluble deputy leader of the British Labor Party and a former Foreign Secretary, drew more heckling than applause when he addressed a meeting of the Labor Friends of Israel in the House of Commons yesterday–and seemed to enjoy it. “Every Englishman will fight to the last Frenchman; every Kuwaiti will fight to the last Egyptian and every Western Jew will fight to the last Israeli,” he declared at one point. “That’s an insult,” shouted Brown’s listeners. “Shut up,” Mr. Brown shouted back.

The subject of his talk was his recent visit to Israel and Arab capitals. He urged British Jews, “For heaven’s sake, say to Israel, ‘Try at this moment to get a cease-fire and a basis for talks,’ I don’t believe that bombing is going to get you anywhere.” Mr. Brown maintained that President Gamel Abdel Nasser, of Egypt, was the only Arab leader capable of making an agreement with Israel. “The Jews are wrong to attack Nasser. I think he is an honest man,” Mr. Brown said, adding that he was also very fond of Israeli Premier Golda Meir. “I think the Israelis know they need Nasser and Nasser knows that he needs Hussein,” Mr. Brown said referring to King Hussein, of Jordan. He said no one knew how many wars the Arabs could afford to lose, “but I do know that Israel can only lose one.”