Mikhail Bodrov, Soviet Ambassador to Israel, and Walworth Barbour, United States Ambassador to this country, conferred here separately with Foreign Minister Golda Meir this weekend. Each is understood to have discussed with Mrs. Meir the views of their respective governments regarding the current U. S. A-USSR Cuba crisis, and the role being played in the Cuban events by Acting Secretary General U Thant, of the United Nations. Both conferences were considered part of the diplomatic routine whereby envoys keep other governments informed of important international developments.
Mrs. Meir is scheduled to open a foreign policy debate in the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament, this week. Yesterday’s meeting of the Cabinet yielded to demands of two opposition parties, the Liberals and Herut, who demanded that the debate on foreign policy begin now, before Mrs. Meir’s return to United Nations Headquarters to participate in the debate slated there on the Arab refugee problem.
Mrs. Meir’s Knesset address, launching the debate, is likely to deal primarily with the various facets of the Arab refugee problem, and with a resolution that will probably be introduced at the UN, calling again for direct peace talks between the Arab states and Israel. However, it was deemed certain that the Israel Government’s role in the current world crisis would be brought up during the debate by members of opposition parties.
Subsequent to the conferences held by Mrs. Meir with the Ambassadors from Moscow and Washington, Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, who is also Minister of Defense, held a conference here with Lord Louis Mountbatten, chief of the British Combined General Staff.
Lord Louis had come to Israel primarily to attend ceremonies in the Galilee, dedicating a Jewish National Fund forest in memory of his deceased wife, Countess Edwina. After the dedication, however, he flew here by helicopter to see Mr. Ben-Gurion. He met also with two of Israel’s other defense chiefs. During the Galilee ceremony, one of the participants was Deputy Minister of Defense Shimon Peres. Later, Lord Louis was the guest of honor at a luncheon given by General Zvi Tsur, Chief of Staff of Israel’s defense forces.
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