Premier David Ben Gurion has sharply criticized United Nations Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold, accusing him of a biased approach to questions of observance of the Arab-Israel armistice agreements.
Replying to questioners in the Knesset, Mr. Ben Gurion declared that while Mr. Hammarskjold was insistent on maintaining the juridical status of the Egypt-Israel armistice agreement when it was in Egypt’s interest, he refused to maintain the legal status when it involved Article 8 of the Jordan-Israel armistice agreement concerning freedom of approach to holy places under Jordan’s control.
The Israeli Premier charged that Mr. Hammarskjold had even refused to report to the United Nations Israel’s complaint on this score raised during the course of the Secretary General’s last visit to this country.
Senior Government officials said today that there was no point in conducting discussions with Mr. Hammarskjold so long as there was no reply to the question Israel had insisted the UN official put to Egypt – whether Egypt still considered itself in a state of war with Israel.
Mr. Hammarskjold is aware that should he wish to come to Israel, he would be welcome, they commented, but expressed doubt that in view of Col. Nasser’s intractability, Mr. Hammarskjold would wish to come here.
(It was disclosed at United Nations headquarters that Mr. Hammarskjold will leave Cairo tomorrow for Beirut and will return to New York Thursday. Dr. Ralph J. Bunche, UN Under Secretary, will remain in Cairo.)
All available information here indicates that Col. Nasser remained adamant on all issues involving the Suez Canal, the Strait of Tiran and the question of belligerent rights. The Hammarskjold-Nasser talks did not even progress to the stage where they could properly be called “negotiations,” it was stated. All that happened was that Nasser presented Egypt’s views to the Secretary General.
There is every indication, it was said, here, that Egypt does not intend to abandon belligerency. Officials here insist that Nasser “cannot be allowed to use UNEF as a shield behind which to continue belligerency.”
Officials noted here with satisfaction, statements by Canadian External Affairs Minister Lester Pearson that Canada would not continue to participate in UNEF if the force was not permitted to carry cut the functions assigned it by the General Assembly. A spokesman said in this connection that UNEF’s tasks within the Gaza Strip at present are restricted to guarding UNEF and relief agency installations.
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