Golda Meir Condemns in Knesset Egypt’s New Agt of Piracy at Suez

Israel will continue to insist on the right of passage through the Suez Canal and will not be deterred by the “piracy” of President Nasser of the United Arab Republic from reasserting this right in the future, Mrs. Golda Meir, Israel Foreign Minister, declared tonight in a report to the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament.

Mrs. Meir had been scheduled to speak tomorrow on the newest Suez Canal impasse created by the UAR detention Friday of the Greek freighter, the S.S. Astypalea, which was bound for Djibuti. French Somaliland, with a cargo of Israel cement. However, Mrs. Levi Eshkol, wife of Israel’s Finance Minister, died this morning, and the session scheduled for tomorrow was cancelled to permit Knesset members to attend the funeral.

Mrs. Meir indicated that Israel would send additional cargoes for Suez Canal transit. She also reviewed current developments, including the detention since last May 21 of the Danish ship, the Inge Toft, the negotiations that followed and the background against which the Astypalea was dispatched to Port Said.

The Israel cargo on the Greek ship was sent under conditions suggested by United Nations Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold, who reportedly reached an agreement last summer with Nasser through which passage of Israel cargoes was to be permitted if the cargoes were purchased freight on board Haifa, the port of origin in Israel. The cement on the Astypalea was shipped FOB Haifa and therefore not the property of Israel or of any Israel firm.

Cairo Radio, in a broadcast monitored here, said today that the United Arab Republic had cancelled the agreement with Mr. Hammarskjold when Israel sought to use it last Friday. The broadcast admitted that the arrangement had been made but was cancelled, because “Israel should know that only the United Arab Republic can permit or forbid passage through the Suez Canal.”