The British Cabinet met today for the third time in four days to consider the Middle East crisis. It is understood that the Cabinet is concerned with plans to bolster Britain’s Middle East position without open United States assistance.
Political circles report that all day yesterday the British Government exchanged messages with the State Department to obtain some form of support, but that all the United States would agree to do was to dispatch the 1,800 Marines to duty with the Mediterranean Fleet. This meant that when he faced Parliament yesterday, Prime Minister Sir Anthony Eden had nothing positive to offer in defense of the Middle East situation in which Britain finds itself. It is considered certain here that neither Britain nor the U.S. would risk further Arab enmity by granting Israel arms requests.
The Zionist Federation of Britain today condemned the refusal of the British Government to supply Israel with defensive arms. At the same time, the federation proclaimed the week of March 18 “Demand Arms for Israel Week” and scheduled a mass rally here on March 20 to protest the government’s policy. In a statement issued at the conclusion of an emergency meeting today, the officers of the federation explained that the purpose of these activities was to bring to public attention the grave situation in the Middle East and the responsibility which rests on the British Government as a result of its policy.
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