Foreign Secretary Sir Alec Douglas-Home told the House of Commons today that the British government would be quick to take the initiative if the “slightest opening” appeared in the stalled Jarring peace talks. “It is now more necessary than ever that these negotiations should be enabled to make progress and the government will continue to play their full part in encouraging the parties to this end, both in bilateral discussions and through the Four Power talks in New York,” Sir Alec said. He noted that United Nations special Mideast intermediary Dr. Gunnar V. Jarring still sought a commitment from Israel on withdrawal from Arab territories according to the terms of the Nov. 22, 1967 Security Council Resolution 242. Earlier Sir Alec confirmed that he has accepted an invitation to visit Israel though no date has been set. He will visit Cairo late next August or early September. In the House of Lords, former Labor Foreign Secretary Lord George Brown called today for a statement clarifying the intent of Resolution 242 which, he said, provided for Egyptian sovereignty over certain areas and safeguards for Israel’s security.
Lord Lothian, Undersecretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth office, observed that Dr. Jarring asked both Israel and Egypt for conditional commitments on withdrawal and peace respectively but so far has received a commitment only from Egypt. Lord Shinwell, former Defense Minister, suggested that Dr. Jarring continue his efforts to bring about direct negotiations between Israel and Egypt because they “represent the only chance for reaching a successful conclusion.” Minister of State Joseph Godber said today that “the status of Jerusalem must be discussed as an important aspect of the settlement which the British government is anxious to see achieved in the Middle East as a whole.” He made that remark in a written reply to Labor MP Christopher Mayhew who had called on the Foreign Secretary to condemn Israeli plans to construct Jewish housing in East Jerusalem as “an act injurious to peace in the area.” Godber noted that the Security Council has already censured in the strongest terms all unilateral measures taken to change the status of Jerusalem.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
