Britain tonight called for a “suitably constituted conference to determine best how to achieve” a settlement of the entire Middle East situation which would recognize the legitimate interests of the Arab countries as well as of Israel. That was the “realistic” way to solve the present Middle East crisis, Sir Pierson Dixon, British delegate here, told the first emergency special session of the General Assembly which convened here late this afternoon.
Sir Pierson opposed the resolution placed on the agenda to consider the grave situation “created by action undertaken against Egypt.” The resolution was understood to be aimed at the British-French-Israel military actions against Egypt.
Over and over again, Sir Pierson assured the representatives of 76 countries assembled here at the first session of this kind ever held by the UN that Britain considers Israel’s invasion of Egypt as a violation of the Israel-Egypt armistice agreement. Israel’s “adventure” was a very real threat to freedom off passage through the Suez Canal, Sir Pierson stated.
“By our swift intervention,” he declared, “Israel’s advance has already been halted.” Sir. Pierson also condemned what he called Egypt’s efforts “to establish hegemony over the Middle East after annihilating Israel.”
(At the time the Bulletin went to press, Secretary of State John Foster Dulles had not arrived at the General Assembly to deliver a scheduled address.)
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