Aubrey S. Eban, Israeli delegate to the United Nations, denied at a press conference here today reports that the United States had notified Israel of an intention to reconsider recognition of the Jewish state if its troops moved into Egyptian territory.
Declining to say whether Washington had been in touch with the Israeli Government regarding the alleged penetration of Egypt, Eban emphasized that all recent communications from Washington to Tel Aviv evidenced “the desire of the United States to maintain the closest relations with Israel.” Eban left Tel Aviv yesterday on the way to Lake Success for the Security Council meeting.
In commenting on the British attitude, Eban said: “First, Israel has no intention of occupying or annexing any part of the territory of Egypt or any other Arab state. Second, Egypt and not Israel is the aggressor.” Be deplored the fact that “the invasion and deep penetration of Israeli territory by Egyptian troops didn’t evoke protests from London.”
“It doesn’t matter,” he said, “if Arab troops invade and bomb Israel, but if, in repelling aggression, Jewish troops temporarily enter Egypt, England sees a threat to international peace.” He asserted that Israel’s task at Lake Success will be to explain the current Negev developments in the light of international law and the United Nations Charter. Israel, he added, considers the presence of Egyptian troops In the Negev a threat to its territorial and political integrity which is expressly for-bidden by the Charter.
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