Ben Gurion Successfully Defends Foreign Policy in Special Knesset Session

Israel’s foreign policy seeks to maintain the status quo in the Middle East, to strengthen the country’s security position and to win as many friends as possible throughout the world, Prime Minister David Ben Gurion declared last night in a successful defense of his Government’s position against a heavy Opposition attack mounted at an emergency session of the Knesset.

A Herut Party resolution calling for a full-dress emergency foreign policy debate was defeated 61 to 37 and the issue was referred to the Knesset’s Committee for Security and Foreign Affairs.

Both Premier Ben Gurion and Foreign Minister Golda Meir made a spirited defense of their foreign policy and, in particular, defended the vote cast by Abba S. Eban, head of the Israel delegation at the emergency session of the United Nations General Assembly for the Arab states’ resolution on settlement of the Middle East question.

Mr. Ben Gurion conceded that although Israel wanted to maintain the status quo, there was a danger that it would be undermined. On the security question, he said that the Israel Government was actively seeking arms and, despite difficulties, its efforts in this direction had not been in vain.

The Premier charged that criticism of the Israeli vote for the Sudanese resolution was exaggerated. He denied that the resolution revived the Arab League. The unanimous General Assembly vote, he noted, committed the Arab States to non-intervention in the affairs of other states and led to the current peace mission of United Nations Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold.

Mrs. Meir pointed out that opposition would only have isolated Israel.

PREMIER DEFENDS GOVERNMENT PERMISSION FOR BRITISH OVERFLIGHTS

Mr. Ben Gurion defended the Government policy permitting foreign planes to overfly Israel territory. He commented that Israel was a sovereign state and had the right to accord permission to anyone it wanted to use its airspace.

Five Opposition spokesmen took the Knesset floor to urge an emergency debate on the political situation resulting from the turn of events in the Arab world, the United Nations vote which they said revived the Arab League and the threat to Israel posed by the expansionism of President Nasser of the United Arab Republic.

The attack on the Government was opened by Haim Landau, of the Herut Party, second largest in the Knesset. He accused the Government of failing to consult with the Knesset on vital matters. Dr. Peretz Bernstein, General Zionist Party leader, supported this argument and also complained of confusion in the Government’s attitude on British overflights. He condemned the Israeli vote for the Sudanese resolution as a sign of weakness.

Moshe Unna, spokesman for the National Religious Party, complained that the Government disregarded public opinion. He warned that since the present coalition operates on a narrow majority it must agree to a policy debate in the Knesset.

Finance Minister Levi Eshkol, dealing with the second issue on which the Opposition had sought the special Knesset session, denied that the Government had offered to sell the 45 million pound Fertilizers and Chemical Limited for 22 million pounds.

Mr. Eshkol said that while the figures were correct, their interpretation was not. He said 20 million pounds represented the Government investment in the plant which it expects to get back through redemption of bonds by American investors. He termed the remainder company obligations which the investors would take over along with the assets.