Foreign Minister Abba Eban told the Knesset (Parliament) yesterday that Israel still was ready to permit the freeing of 15 merchant ships stranded in the Suez Canal since the 103-mile waterway was closed during the June, 1967 Arab-Israel war. Mr. Eban. replying to questions, said he had reiterated this position to British officials who raised the issue during recent talks in London. He said Israel attached no conditions to a possible survey by the Egyptians to clear a channel and permit the ships to leave by way of the canal’s southern entrance.
But Israel will permit re-opening of the canal along its entire length only on a basis of “law and equality” – meaning that ships of all nations including Israel’s would be allowed to navigate it, Mr. Eban said. Egypt has rejected this demand and has said that it would re-open the canal only if Israeli occupation forces withdraw from its east bank.
An agreement to free the stranded ships was negotiated last year by the United Nations special envoy, Ambassador Gunnar V. Jarring. Israel said it would permit a survey by the Egyptians preparatory to opening a channel to the southern end of the canal. However, when the Egyptian craft began to survey a northern exit, Israeli forces fired on them and the clearing operation was abandoned. Israel maintains that under the cease-fire agreement neither it nor Egypt can take any unilateral action regarding the canal.
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