Israel Denies Saudi Arabia’s Complaints to United Nations

Taking note of four complaints made recently by Saudi Arabia alleging that Israel naval units have violated her territorial waters, Ambassador Abba Eban, Israel representative to the United Nations, in a letter to the President of the Security Council, today denied “these allegations categorically.”

“The incidents alleged have never taken place,” the letter stated. “Israel’s naval forces are under strict instructions not to violate the territorial waters of Saudi Arabia and not under any circumstances to attack other vessels or coastal positions. Similarly, all Israel aircraft are under strict orders to respect the air space of all other countries. Israel’s policy, as repeatedly affirmed, is to contribute to the fullest extent to the maintenance of peace and tranquillity in these international waters.

“The Government of Israel regrets particularly that the Government of Saudi Arabia should have seen fit to inject a religious issue by stating that the ‘location’ of the ‘aggressive acts’ which it alleges had occurred ‘engulf the traditional land and sea routes of Moslem sea pilgrimages’ to Mecca,” the letter continued. “The Government of Israel, so far from interfering in any way with the traditional pilgrimage, has declared its desire to place all possible facilities at its disposal. A full statement to this effect was recently made by the Israel Minister for Foreign Affairs. Never on a single occasion has Israel prejudiced the Mecca pilgrimage in any way, nor has she any intention of doing so.

“It is the honest hope of the Government of Israel that all littoral states of the Gulf of Akaba will do everything in their power to ensure the continuance of the present peace and tranquillity of the Gulf, “the letter concludes.