When Sir Anthony Eden, the Foreign Secretary, returns to his desk tomorrow after attending the Bangkok conference, first priority will be given to an examination of the present Israel-Arab situation, Foreign Office sources indicated today.
Diplomatic circles here predicted that the return of Sir Anthony to London and of Secretary of State John Foster Dulles to Washington would be followed by “close and earnest appraisal” by both governments of what is to be done to prevent the Middle East conflict from blowing up into a full-scale war.
Foreign Office officials voice the view that the Gaza affair was part of the deteriorating pattern of Israel-Arab relations. Few believe there is any possibility of placing Israel-Arab relations on a peaceful basis within the foreseeable future. They consequently are concerned over measures to prevent further incidents.
Sir Anthony was understood to be concerned over the attitude toward Israel he found among the Arab leaders with whom he sought to discuss the situation in Cairo, Bagdad and Beirut. Far from being willing to discuss terms of settlement with Israel, it is understood, these Arab leaders showed unwillingness even to discuss the situation with the British statesman.
A number of suggestions-some of which have been considered before-are due for re-examination here in the search for measures to prevent further border incidents along Israel’s frontiers.
These proposals include the strengthening of the United Nations truce supervision force in Palestine and its reconstitution as a preventive force rather than a merely investigative body; construction of barbed-wire or other types of barricades at points where border clashes may occur, and the introduction of some system of sanctions against offending states.
There is a belief here that some kind of Western pronouncement on the Israel-Arab situation may be forthcoming soon and perhaps some concrete action.
Meanwhile, considerable attention was being given here to the move by Egypt, Syria and Saudi Arabia to replace or re-establish the Arab League. The three governments announced agreement on measures to “strengthen the Arab structure politically, militarily and economically.”
The announcement stressed that the three states had agreed not to join the Turkish-Iraqi pact or any other pact, but would establish an Arab defense organization. The three-state agreement also calls for joint armies, a single currency and other forms of union.
In Damascus today, the Syrian Foreign Minister asserted that Iraq would be permitted to join the new alliance, which would be directed against Israel primarily, only if it renounced its pact with Turkey.
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