A French Foreign Office spokesman has condemned Egyptian interference with Israeli-bound shipping through the Suez Canal, following receipt of an Israeli note to the French Government on the seizure of a cargo of kosher beef confiscated from an Italian vessel bound from Eritrea to Haifa. “Freedom of shipping through an international waterway is an unquestionable principle which must be respected,” the spokesman emphasized.
It was learned, however, that France is not disposed to make an individual demarche to the Egyptian Government over the incident, as requested by the Israeli note, which was sent to the Big Three. France feels that such an individual protest would be useless and that only joint action by the great powers will bring results. Britain, however, is known not to be interested in such a move at this time.
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