News Brief

EBAN DUE IN WASHINGTON TODAY; RUSHES BACK FROM ISRAEL

Ambassador Eban, who came here for consultations and home leave and intended to remain in Israel for several weeks, rushed back to Washington this morning after staying here only two days. He was sent back to his post by Premier Ben Gurion who also ordered Shimon Peress, his top defense aide and director general of the Ministry of Defense, to Paris. Mr. Eban reached London by plane this morning and immediately departed for the United States.

Meanwhile, Moshe Carmel, Achdut Avodah leader who holds the Transportation portfolio in Premier David Ben Gurion’s government, called today for a renewal of Israel’s bid for modern armaments “since the world is beginning to understand that Israel is the only stable base of democracy in the Middle East.”

The left-of-center leader, who apparently still wants to avoid an open advocacy of military assistance from the West, asserted that the Anglo-American landings cannot offer a solution of Israel-Arab relations nor halt the Arab unification movement. Therefore, he stressed, Israel must make a “supreme effort” to obtain weapons.

The still more left-of-center Mapam, meanwhile, warned against any direct or indirect intervention by Israel in the current inter-Arab and East-West struggles. Meeting last night at Mishmar Haemek, the party political committee described Israel’s grant of permission to Britain to fly troops over Israel into Jordan as a “grave mistake.” Such entanglement by Israel is apt to present “incalculable dangers,” the committee said.

While such criticism of the government’s action might normally lead to a Cabinet crisis, it was learned that the Mapam and the Achdut Avodah–which also opposed the British overflights–have decided not to quit the government “in the face of the grave situation.”