The Egyptian delegation at the United Nations today informed the UN Security Council that the crew of the Israel vessel “Bat Galim” seized by Egypt would be set free on January 1, and that the ship will also be released. No date for the release of the ship was mentioned.
The Egyptian move followed an announcement earlier in the day that the UN Security Council would meet on January 4, 1955, to consider Israel’s grievances against Egypt in connection with the anti-Israel blockade of the Suez Canal with special reference to the seizure of “Bat Galim.” Setting the date for the session on January 4 removed Lebanon’s Dr. Charles Malik from further direct participation in the case since Lebanon’s seat on the Security Council expires December 31.
The letter sent by the Egyptian delegation to the Security Council was addressed to Dr. Malik, who is still Council president for the remainder of this month. It reads as follows:
“The Egyptian authorities are in the process of making the necessary preparations to turn over on January 1, 1955, to the Israeli authorities through the intermediary of the Mixed Armistice Commission the crew of the Bat Galim. The Egyptian Government is also prepared to release the Bat Galim. The Egyptian Government, as I have already stated in the letter of December 4, is still prepared to release the cargo.”
ISRAEL SETS CONDITIONS FOR CANCELLATION OF U.N. COUNCIL MEETING
Arab circles here expect that the meeting of the Security Council announced for January 4. will now be cancelled since Egypt pledged to release the vessel. However, the Israel delegation at the UN issued a statement declaring:
“Israel will be ready to discuss cancellation of the Security Council meeting only if and after release of the Bat Galim, its crew and cargo together, and when the Bat Galim with its crew and cargo has started northward through the Suez Canal to its original destination, which is Haifa.”
Dr. Malik, who has been the Arab League’s mouthpiece in the Security Council has only a week left to help his colleagues in the Arab League in their anti-Israel strategy. Lebanon’s place on the Council will be taken on January 1 by Iran. Two other present Council members, Denmark and Colombia, are leaving the Council. Their places are being taken by Belgium and Peru. The president of the Council will be Leslie Knox Munro of New Zealand.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
