Common Market Ministers Decide Not to Take Up Israel’s Bid at Present

The European Economic Community’s Council of Ministers today decided not to take up at the current session Israel’s request for the immediate opening of negotiations that would lead to a link between Israel and the European Common Market.

The delay was voted in spite of high hopes in Israeli circles who had received repeated pledges from statesmen representing the six-nation EEC that Israel’s case would be taken up at the Council of Ministers session which opened here Monday.

The Council decided, instead, not to examine Israel’s request, in view of the complex situation still prevailing as to the EEC’s general philosophy. It is understood that the Council will not act on Israel’s request until a final decision is taken on the admission of Britain to the Euromart. Only after the case of Britain has been disposed of will the Council examine cases of other countries such as Israel. It was hoped that Israel’s case may be considered by the Council at its next session, scheduled for April.

Yesterday, Professor Walter Hallstein, of West Germany, president of the EEC executive committee, conferred with Levi Eshkol, Israel’s Finance Minister. The latter has held a series of top-level conferences here and in Paris since last Friday. Mr. Eshkol returned to Israel last night.

(From Washington it was reported today that information reaching there from Cairo indicated that the Arab countries are determined to exercise maximum pressure on the European countries affiliated with the Common Market to prevent any EEC arrangement with Israel. The Cairo information said that Arab ambassadors to the European Economic Community countries have delivered notes to the governments of these countries in which the Arab rulers threatened to boycott any country which will support an arrangement linking Israel to the Common Market).