Israel is Urged to Lease Part of Negev to Britain for Military Base; Advantages Cited

A suggestion that the Government of Israel lease a piece of land in the southern part of the Negev to Britain as a military base was made today by Ian Mikado, member of the British Parliament and one of the leaders of the Labor Zionist movement in England.

Mr. Mikado is expanding his suggestion in an article which will appear tomorrow in the Tribune, a weekly publication. He points out that such an arrangement would “be an answer to King Farouk of Egypt” who is now attempting to oust Britain from protecting the Suez Canal.

The problem of finding a new military base in the Middle East need never have arisan for Britain if Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin had not “blindly and persistently backed the wrong side” in the Israel-Arab conflict, the British M.P. writes. However, he expresses the belief that in view of the improved Anglo-Israel relations the question could be reconsidered.

The leasing of a base in the Negev to Britain by Israel, plus the expenditures which British troops would make while on leave in Israel, would give the Jewish state a steady supply of British currency, Mr. Mikado argues. It will put a friendly force between Israel and Egypt, and would lead to the improvement of relations between Israel and Jordan, he claims.

Anticipating Israel’s objections, Mr. Mikado says that it would pay for Israel to have Britain as a friend, and although all land in the Negev is needed for settlement purposes, a military base would occupy only a small area which could not be irrigated or colonized for many years.

The British Member of Parliament mentioned the fact that Britain, during the war, leased bases to the United States and this did not prevent the British Government from taking an extremely independent line with America. He dismissed the idea of the British Army becoming a potential threat to Israel’s independence.