Eban Visits State Dept. Asks U.S. Security Guarantee for Israel

Israel Ambassador Abba Eban today asked the State Department to keep the balance of power between Israel and the Arab states from being changed further. He called on Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs George V. Allen for an85-minute talk at the State Department.

Mr. Eban referred to a statement by Secretary of State John Foster Dulles at a press conference last week in which Mr. Dulles said mutual fears could best be remedied by a security guarantee rather than by an arms race. Ambassador Eban made known that he asked Mr. Allen what the Department intended to do to follow up on this statement by Secretary Dulles. Israel sources said that Israel is seeking to purchase arms through the existing reimbursable channels in order to redress the imbalance of power created by the flow of Czech arms to Egypt.

The Ambassador said Mr. Allen gave him a full account of his appraisal of prospects relating to the Egyptian arms deal with the Communist bloc. Mr. Eban made known he did not conclude the discussions today and said they were at an intermediate stage. He revealed that very soon he would have a new talk with either Secretary Dulles or Mr. Allen. The main purpose of today’s conversation, the Israel envoy said, was to discuss the position in the Middle East in the light of Mr. Allen’s visit to Cairo.

Mr. Eban said he explained to Mr. Allen, as he recently explained to Secretary Dulles, that Israel regards the new Egyptian arms transaction as a threat to security. He outlined Israel’s thinking and the implications of the new situation. He was accompanied by Col. Katriel Salmon, Israel military attache, and Gideon Rafael, Middle Eastern Affairs advisor of the Israel Foreign Ministry.