President Habib Bourguiba of Tunisia called on the Arab countries this weekend to end their state of belligerence against Israel and proposed that Gamal Abdel Nasser resign as President of Egypt “in the best interests of a compromise with Israel and a solution of the Middle East crisis.” The Tunisian leader told the Paris daily, Figaro, that if Nasser resigned, “if would be better for Egypt and would make a solution easier.” He said there was a possibility of cooperation between Israel and the Arab states but, to achieve such a goal, “we would need other men.” Saying it was “impossible” that Israel would not be prepared for “peace or cooperation” with the Arab states, he added that, in that unlikely event, the Arabs would be in a better position for war.
Mr. Bourguiba said in a second interview with the Stadtanzeiger of Cologne, that the Arab states must end their state of belligerence against Israel if they are to retrieve their territories now occupied by Israel. He expressed “regret” over the belligerency policy that isolated the Arab states at the United Nations and “cost them much sympathy.”
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