The British Government does not support the idea of an Israel-Jordan meeting at this time and believes that “it would be better to allow a little time to elapse” before an attempt is made to “bring the parties together on more reasonable conditions,” Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden declared in Commons today.
Replying to questions by several Laborite MP’s, Mr. Eden said that “we have to let the feelings created by the Kibya incident subside to some extent before we attempt successful negotiations.”
He was questioned, among others, by Herbert Morrison, Foreign Secretary in the last Labor government, who asked whether the government on its own or through the United Nations was doing something to advance beyond the armistice agreements in Palestine to peace settlements. Another questioner was Barnett Janner, Laborite and president of the British Zionist Federation, who wanted the government to help expedite the Israel-Jordan meeting.
The Foreign Secretary said: “The meeting called for (by Israel) is obligatory on the two parties. We have to understand how much the scar of the Kibya event still exists and allow it to heal over before we can usefully produce any important result.”
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