The Israel Cabinet met today for four hours and will meet again tomorrow “for final conclusions” in connection with Israel’s pledges to withdraw her armed forces from the Gulf of Akaba and the Gaza Strip. These pledges were mad last Friday by Israel’s Foreign Minister Mrs. Golda Meir in a statement at the United Nations General Assembly. Arrangements for withdrawal, however, were snagged by a statement at the same session of the Assembly by United States delegate Henry Cabot Lodge.
Mrs. Meir made it clear 11 her declaration that Israeli troops would withdraw on the “assumption” that the United Nations would assume responsibility for the territory until there is a peace settlement or a definite agreement on the future of the Gaza Strip. ” However, Mr. lodge told the Assembly that the future of the Gaza Strip “trust be worked out within the framework of the armistice agreement” between Israel and the Arab states.
The two main points of difference between what Israel expected Mr. Lodge to say and what he said are believed to be: I. Ambassador Lodge was not supposed to make any reference to the armistice agreement in view of the fact that UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold maintained that Egypt has the right to return to Gaza under the armistice pact. Mr. Lodge mentioned the armistice agreement three times. 2. Mr. Lodge was expected by Israel to declare that the United States doesn’t expect Egypt to return to the Gaza Strip. He failed to mention this.
CABINET STUDIES NEW APPEAL FROM EISENHOWER TO BEN GURION
Today’s meeting of the Cabinet was devoted to a study of an appeal sent last night by President Eisenhower to Premier David Ben Gurion calling for “the utmost speed” in carrying out Israel’s pledged withdrawal and promising that the United States would try to assure that Israel’s hopes do “prove not to be in vain.” President Eisenhower addressed the appeal to Mr. Ben Gurion following an urgent conference by telephone with Secretary of State John Foster Dulles from whom Israel Ambassador Abba Eban sought “clarification” on Mr. Lodge’s statement in the UN Assembly.
The Cabinet also had before it a report from Mr. Eban on his talk yesterday with Secretary Dulles.He is understood that the report was not entirely satisfactory and that the Israel Government apparently hopes to obtain further clarification from Washington within the coming 24 hours. It is also understood that Premier Ben Gurion may make a statement tomorrow to the Israel Parliament, which will meet immediately after the Cabinet reaches its final decision on withdrawal.
GENERAL ZIONISTS AND HERUT SEEK RESIGNATION OF BEN GURION CABINET
The Eisenhower letter to Mr. Ben Gurion softened somewhat the negative impression created in Israel by Ambassador Lodge’s statement at the United Nations. The evening newspapers took a somewhat milder tone tonight. However, the right-wing- Herut Party, which is not represented in the government, continued to call mass meetings throughout the country for tomorrow to demand the resignation of the Ben Gurion Cabinet. Similarly, the General Zionist Party, which is also in the opposition, decided tonight to put forward a motion of non-confidence in the government at tomorrow’s session of Parliament.
The Achdut Avodah, the left-wing group in the Cabinet, which was reported last night to have indicated that it will vote in Parliament against the government’s decision to withdraw the Israel troops from the Ceza and Akaba areas, today adopted a “wait-and-see” attitude, thus preventing for the time being a split within the Cabinet. At the same time, Achdut Avodah leaders, addressing a conference today of Gaza Strip settlements, said that the evacuation of the Gaza area by Israel is worse that any possible sanctions against Israel.
The question of withdrawal is not now its so much a question of external relationships, but an internal problem. There is no unanimity in the Cabinet–not even within the Mapai–whether the assurances thus far obtained are satisfactory, government sources indicated today. If the Cabinet is unable to reach a clear-cut decision, it is expected that the entire question will be thrown into the Knesset for a vote. In the event
a majority does not support troop withdrawal, the entire understanding in this regard will be disrupted, government sources said.
The position of the various government parties on the withdrawal agreement as it stands at the moment is, reportedly: Mapai, divided; Progressives, approve; Poale Mizrachi, undecided; Achdut Avodah and Mapam, officially undecided but inclined to oppose the terms of the current agreement.
In a message to the opening session of the Women’s International Zionist Organization which started its world convention here last night, Premier Ben Gurion declared that he could not yet give assurances that Israel’s Struggle for security from the Gaza Strip and freedom of navigation of the Akaba waterway would end as Israel desired or not. The Premier said that beside Israel’s creative force and deep belief in its ability and in the future, the people of Israel have “great hopes in the mutual feelings between Israel and the Jews abroad.”
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