Israel Determined to Put Its Large Irrigation Plan into Effect

Mrs. Golda Meir, Israel’s Foreign Minister, declared last night on a nationwide television interview that Israel would go through with its national irrigation project and that if the Arabs tried to prevent the project by force “we shall defend ourselves whenever attacked and for whatever reason.”

She was asked whether an effort to enlist the support of the British Government for the project, which will tap the Jordan River, was one of the reasons for her visit to Britain. She replied that she thought the British did not need any persuasion.

She pointed out that the project was within the agreed allocation and that “not one drop more” was being taken that was originally allocated to Israel under the plan developed ten years ago by the late Eric Johnston, as a special emissary of then President Eisenhower. The plan for regional use of the Jordan River was approved at the technical level by both the Arab countries and Israel but later rejected by the Arab governments.

Mrs. Meir also was asked about the effects of the visit in January to Israel by Pope Paul VI. She said Israel had been honored to have the Pope but that one should not expect over night changes in the Middle East because of the visit. She added that the Israel-Arab deadlock would continue until the Arabs decided that Israel existed and would continue to exist.

She said it was for the Great Powers and also the smaller ones to impress on the Arab rulers that just as war was no solution to world problems it was no solution to Middle East problems.

Mrs. Meir lunched today with Foreign Secretary R. A. Butler and later went with the Foreign Secretary to meet with Premier Sir Alec Douglas-Home. It was indicated that both meetings were very friendly and that there were useful exchanges of views.