Foreign Ministry sources tonight confirmed Washington reports that the Israel Embassy transmitted to the United States State Department a note on Israel’s views on the Middle East. The Israel note was understood to be a “position paper” similar to those being submitted to the new Administration by most foreign embassies.
(In Washington it was reported that Israel Ambassador Avraham Harman met yesterday with G. Lewis Jones, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. Details of the discussion were not disclosed. A number of Arab ambassadors have met with State Department officials recently.)
It was presumed that the Israel note reiterated Israel’s known position as to the bases for Middle East stability. These include economic development of the area, maintenance of Israel’s strength to make President Nasser of the United Arab Republic aware of the doubtful gains of aggression and steps necessary to strengthen other Arab nations defending their independence against Nasser’s “subversion,”
Israel reportedly was not unhappy that the new Administration apparently had decided to “go slow” on Middle East problems since it is felt here that the Middle East, for the time being, is not a source of acute danger. Israel officials also were reported to believe that it was a wise move on the part of the Kennedy Administration to make to make a careful study of all outstanding Middle East problems before considering any action.
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