Israel Ambassador Abba Eban today discussed the present situation regarding the drainage of Huleh marshes and Syrian protests with Under Secretary of State Walter Bedell Smith and Robert Murphy, Assistant Secretary of State for United Nations Affairs. Details of the discussion were not made known.
Meanwhile, State Department officials studied the Arab threats against Israel, as expressed in the Arab press, in connection with Israel’s refusal to be intimidated ### halting work on the Huleh project.
The Lebanese newspaper “Al-Sharq” published a long article under the headline: #### to action. Shishakli. All Arabs support you. The time has arrived to put #### Zionism.” In Iraq, the publication “Al-Saa” said: “Iraq is prepared to ### Syria and to send its troops at the first signal of alarm in order to destroy ### Aviv Government.” ### official organ of Premier Mohammed Naguib, “Al-Tahrir,” said in Cairo The time is now past when Sheraton (Israel Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett) was able to threaten every Arab state separately. He now has to talk to all Arabs together. In this position, he resembles an ant threatening to overwhelm a mountain.”
Egypt’s most important newspaper, “Al-Ahram,” expressed the view that “the Tel Aviv Government has recently become very insolent, which compels the Arabs to put an end to this insolence. Although Egypt is not situated on the Jordan River it fully shares the attitude of Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan toward the Tel Aviv Government and is prepared to implement the mutual security pact.”
The Syrian newspaper “Al-Zaman” reported that “the Syrian Army is ready to begin work for the purpose of diverting the Jordan River from its natural course into Syrian territory. This will not be difficult with the aid of modern methods. The Zionists will then realize they have wasted many millions without obtaining any profit.”
A Jordanian newspaper, “Al-Difa,” said: “This sharp dispute constitutes a test for Gen. Bennike who now has to prove his neutrality and publish his firm decision on this matter.”
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