Britain Awaits Outcome of Security Council Meeting on U.S. Proposal

The British Government does not intend to announce any action on the Arab-Israel situation until after recommendations offered for today’s scheduled meeting of the United Nations Security Council are carried out, it was indicated today in the British Parliament by Foreign Secretary Selwyn Lloyd.

(At the time this Passover issue of the JTA Bulletin went to press, the UN Security Council meeting had not yet opened. Lebanon and Syria were reported to be seeking a delay on action which today’s meeting was scheduled to have taken by approving a United States proposal that Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold be authorized to proceed to the Middle East to mediate between the Arab countries and Israel to prevent the outbreak of war.)

Speaking in the House of Commons, Foreign Secretary Lloyd said it would be better to await the proceedings of the Security Council before saying anything about the new plan which the British Government has prepared for dealing with armistice violations along the Arab-Israel frontiers. The British Government, he stated, is concerned at the present moment with maintaining peace.

When some MP’s urged that the British Government take stronger action on Egyptian interference with Israeli shipping, Mr. Lloyd declared that the Security Council had adopted various resolutions condemning both Israel and Egypt; but which had not had much effect. He added that the matter resolved itself primarily to a question of whether Arab-Israel peace could be kept by strengthening the UN truce supervision organization.

The Foreign Secretary did not deny that there is a general impression a broad that the United States and France are following somewhat different policies than Britain on the Arab-Israel situation. He agreed that it was desirable to seek a common line of action.