Prime Minister Harold Wilson told the House of Commons today that he saw “some difficulties” in Tunisian President Habib Bourguiba’s proposals that the Arab countries recognize Israel and negotiate a peace agreement with Israel.
He made the statement during House questioning of the Government on Middle East problems, including the issue of Arab attempts to divert the headwaters in their territories of the Jordan River to deny its waters to Israel, and the Arab refugee problem.
Robert Maxwell, a Labor Member of Parliament, asked what “positive initiative” the British Government was taking to support President Bourguiba’s effort to settle a dispute which had been “smouldering for so long.” The Prime Minister then replied that his Government “would of course consider what the President was suggesting but I myself on a first reading of it, see some difficulties in what he is proposing.”
The Prime Minister was asked by Conservative MP Sir John Langford-Holt whether he would make a statement on his talks with Premier Levi Eshkol of Israel earlier this year. Mr. Wilson replied with a general statement that the visit had provided him and Foreign Secretary Michael Stewart “with a welcome opportunity to discuss with him, in accordance with the friendly relations between our two countries, a wide range of subjects of mutual interest and concern, especially Anglo-Israel relations and the situation in the Middle East.”
The Prime Minister added that he did discuss the water question “thoroughly” with Premier Eshkol “and of course there are continuing discussions all the time between British Government officials abroad and some of the other countries concerned.” He reiterated his Government’s view that the issue of Arab water diversions “must be settled by agreement, and that, if there is an event which is regarded as provocative” by Israel “it should be taken to the United Nations and not be the subject of an attempt to settle it by armed conflict or any means of that kind.”
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