Following conversations between the U.S. State Department and the British Foreign Office, the results of which have been communicated to the U.N. Conciliation Commission here, the Commissioners informed the Israeli delegation last night that they proposed to add a British member to the fact-finding committee scheduled to leave this weekend for the Middle East. The committee originally consisted of French, Turkish and American experts.
The suggestion brought a strong protest from the Israeli delegation. It was pointed out that this committee would require freedom of movement and opportunity to survey conditions in all parts of Israel. Within a few days after the British announcement of the proposed resumption of the supply of arms to Arab states, it is proposed to include a Briton as an impartial member of an important technical committee, an Israeli delegation spokesman said.
So long as the British Government is tied by treaties to Arab interests, it remains a party to the dispute and cannot under any formula play the role of impartial conciliator at the same time, the Israeli spokesman added. This incident brought to a head the Israeli suspicion that efforts are being made to introduce the British factor once more into the whole Palestine question.
Discussions between Washington and London on this subject first took place over two months ago, but other matters delayed formation of the committee. The United States view is that a British member of the committee would greatly facilitate its work in countries where the committee might otherwise be coolly received–particularly Iraq and Transjordan.
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