Background Report Effect of Carrington’s Resignation on Relations Between Britain, Israel

Foreign Secretary Lord Carrington and two of his junior ministers resigned from the government today in a dromatic acceptance of responsibility for mishandling the Falkland Islands crisis.

The new Foreign Secretary will be Francis Pym, leader of the House of Commons, who last year resigned as Defense Secretary in protest against the government’s heavy defense cuts.

Carrington’s resignation, which comes less than a week after his two-day visit to Israel, calls into question British foreign policy of the past three years, including this government’s aspirations to influence events in the Middle East through the European Economic Community (EEC).

With two-thirds of the Royal Navy heading south with orders to confront the Argentine forces, it is too soon to forecast the outcome of Britain’s worst crisis since Suez. If Britain fails to recapture the Falkland Islands, this could lead to the fall of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s government and a general election. John Nott, the Defense Secretary, also offered to resign, but the Prime Minister ordered him to stay at his post.

Although Carrington has for some time been associated with the pro-Arab tendency of British foreign policy, Israeli circles here have taken no pleasure in his resignation.

It had been hoped both on the British and Israeli sides that the frankness, cordiality and good humor of Carrington’s talks in Jerusalem had marked a promising turning point in contacts between the two countries.

One Israeli official speaking privately expressed admiration at the speedy resignation offers by Carrington and Nott, and compared them with the reluctance of Israeli ministers to accept blame for Israel’s early reverses in the Yom Kippur War.

Although the outcome of the Falkland Islands crisis is unpredictable, it has shaken Britain’s self-confidence to the roots and will have incalculable effects on its role in other parts of the world, including the Middle East.