The Lebanese Government has made a direct appeal to Pope Pius XII to use the “good offices” of the Vatican with the Western Powers to prevent the American and British Ambassadors to Israel from presenting their credentials to the Israel Chief of State in Jerusalem, it was reported here today.
The dispatches said that the Lebanese Foreign Minister had handed a memorandum to this effect to the Papal Nuncio in Beirut Saturday for transmission to the Pope. The Lebanese note made the point that presentation of credentials in Jerusalem implied “recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.”
The Times of London, in a dispatch from Amman today, commented that Anglo American assurances to Arab League diplomats that the presentation of credentials in Jerusalem would not mean recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and the keeping of their respective embassies in Tel Aviv have apparently done little to allay Arab apprehensions. “The Arabs are unwilling to accept the explanation that it is the necessary procedure of protocol and this week-end has seen much diplomatic activity in the northern Arab states, ” the Times said.
A Syrian protest by Foreign Minister el Atassi to the American and British envoys in Damascus on the credentials issue was reported from Damascus. Other dispatches from Beirut and Damascus spoke of exchanges among various Arab League diplomats in those capitals.
In the Jordan Parliament, Premier el Suda declared Saturday that there would be no peace negotiations with Israel “unless the Arabs have secured their rights.”
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