The Israel Cabinet heard today analyses of the international situation and Israel’s position within it in reports by Premier David Ben Gurion and Foreign Minister Golda Meir. They dwelt particularly on the diplomatic activity stirred up around Israel’s complaint to the United Nations Security Council against Syrian attacks.
Observers here speculated today that the Cabinet had also discussed the implication of Assistant Secretary of State William Rountree’s tour of the Middle East in which he is pointedly avoiding visiting Israel. Last week, Mr. Rountree declared that the purpose of his trip is to improve relations with the Arabs, particularly President Nasser. The Arabs have seized on this statement to claim that his skipping Israel on the Middle East itinerary is meant to show he is courting Arab goodwill.
It is also felt in these circles that Cairo’s claim Washington is interested in building up Nasser as a lesser evil than Bagdad’s pro-Communist Kassem, cannot be rejected out of hand. Israeli circles keep stressing that Washington should remember that it was Nasser and his subversive activities which laid the Middle East open to Soviet penetration.
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