Eban Presents Report to Cabinet on American-israel Relations

Abba S. Eban, Israel’s chief delegate to the United Nations and its Ambassador to Washington, today reported to the Cabinet on Israel-United States relations.

At a public meeting of the Israel-America Friendship League, earlier, Ambassador Eban stated that the U.S. has no intention of departing from its policy of friendship for Israel, but that Israel must understand America’s difficulties, foremost among which is the Arab world’s policy of holding itself aloof from the West.

Although the U.S, has no reason to apologize to the Arab world, Mr. Eban emphasized, United States policy has had to take into account the fact that the Arab states professed fear of Israel and demanded safeguards against ber. It is therefore Israel’s main task to make it plain that Arab friendship cannot be ob ined at Israel’s expense, be added.

Israel, on the other hand, is not hostile to national liberation, social reform and the economic independence of the region, he pointed out. None of these aims can be advanced by stultifying American-Israel friendship, he continued.

Touching on the Jerusalem problem, Mr. Eban said that since the United States attitude on Jerusalem is consistent with Israel’s, it is “hard” to see why the Foreign Ministry’s move to Jerusalem was opposed by Washington. The Arabs had shelled Jerusalem and had conspired to destroy it and therefore were not entitled to any consideration, the Ambassador declared. They had thwarted internationalization of the city and stood in the way of the only effective solution of its problem.

American aid to Israel was a “model of positiveness,” he asserted. Israel has every reason to appreciate the caution exercised by American legislators dealing with the aid question, Mr. Eban said.