Israel Ambassador Eliahu Elath conferred today with British Foreign Secretary Selwyn Lloyd. The 90-minute session was officially described as a review of current affairs.
Political observers, however, assume that the Ambassador expressed Israel’s apprehension over the British Government’s recent revival of proposals for a settlement of the Arab-Israel conflict at the expense of Israeli territorial adjustments. There is no doubt these observers believe, that Israel’s continued objection to such proposals–offered by former Prime Minister Sir Anthony Eden in his famous Guildhall speech–were drawn to Mr. Lloyd’s attention.
The British attitude, it is felt, is bound to be used by extremists in the Arab camp and, instead of contributing to stability in the Middle East, will hamper attempts by United Nations Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold to get the Arabs to live up to their obligations under the armistice agreements.
Objections to a revival of the Guildhall plan is expected to come from the Conservative benches as well as from the Labor Party whose leader, Hugh Gaitskell, recently insisted that any border change would have to be made with the consent of all parties involved Despite the policy of appeasement in reference to Suez passage for Israel and in Shell Oil Company’s abandonment of its Israeli commitments, there is considerable opposition within and without the government, particularly in the press.
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