The Israel Cabinet spent five hours today discussing the Eisenhower Doctrine. Afterwards, it issued a noncommittal communique revealing the subject of its meeting, but failing to indicate the nature of the decision it reached, or even if it had come to a decision.
It is quite obvious that when James P. Richards, President Eisenhower’s special ambassador to the Middle East who went there to sound out reaction to the Eisenhower Doctrine, reports to the President tomorrow he will not be able to give him Israel’s reply. When a Cabinet decision is reached, it will be conveyed to Washington by Ambassador Abba Eban.
Circles close to the Mapai Party today pooh-poohed reports of an impending Cabinet crisis over objections by Mapam and Achdut Avodah, left-wing parties in the government coalition, to adherence to the Eisenhower Doctrine. They predicted with considerable assurance that a formula would be found acceptable to both Washington and the left-wing coalition parties.
Informed circles have insisted that opposition to joining any arrangement resulting from the Eisenhower Doctrine has arisen on several levels: from the left-wing parties, within the Mapai and in the Foreign Ministry. The left-wing opposition, raised on ideological and political grounds, was expressed last night when a Mapam delegation spent an hour at Premier David Ben Gurion’s residence outlining its position.
The objections within Mr. Ben Gurion’s own party and in the Foreign Office are based on practical considerations involving Israel-Soviet relations and the Soviet attitude toward the question of the emigration of Jews from Eastern Europe. While there is little doubt that the Premier favors adherence to the U.S. doctrine, policy makers are trying to work out a course which will improve Israel’s position both in relation to the Arab states and in relation to the USSR.
It was indicated that the discussion within the Cabinet today was strictly on political aspects of the problem. It is understood that even in the most favorable of circumstances, Israel’s share of funds available through the new Eisenhower Middle East program would be negligible.
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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.
