Unless a new incident arises to provide Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin with an excuse to delay the step, Britain’s de facto recognition of Israel is set to take place not later than next Monday.
The Foreign Office is using the intervening time for intense diplomatic activity to exert maximum concessions from the United States as the price for the decision, it was learned here today.
The first concession reportedly received is Washington’s agreement to recognize Transjordan at the same time Britain recognizes Israel. But this is really a minor issue compared with the much bigger Middle East plans being hatched here.
Bevin’s plan is still to try to get Israel to give up part of the Negev in exchange for all of Galilee. After his latest concessions, the Foreign Office hopes that the State Department will agree to new proposals which would create an Anglo-American guarantee of Arab frontiers based on a smaller Israeli state.
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