Mrs. Golda Meir, Israel’s Foreign Minister, called in Soviet Ambassador Mihail Bodrov today, presumably for clarifications of the statements affecting Israel made by Soviet Premier Khrushchev in Cairo on Monday. Israel is particularly interested in the Soviet leader’s declaration of support for the Arab opposition to Israel’s national water carrier project.
The Soviet Premier referred to Israel’s “diversion” of Jordan River water for the project, and it was assumed Mrs. Meir would stress to the Soviet envoy that Israel will use only the amount of water allotted to it under the plan developed by the late Eric Johnston as a special envoy of then President Eisenhower. The plan was approved at the technical level by both Israel and the Arab states concerned, but rejected by the Arab rulers for political reasons.
It was assumed that, after the Cabinet receives from Mrs. Meir a report on whatever the Soviet envoy says in such clarification, it will discuss the question of a public response to the Soviet Premier’s statements.
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