Israel today called upon Maj. Gen, E.L.M. Burns, chief of staff of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization, to take the initiative in bringing Israel and Egypt together to discuss practical measures to implement the Security Council’s orders in reference to the release of the Bat Galim, the Israel freighter seized by Egypt in Suez waters last September.
Dr. Walter Eytan, director general of Israel’s Foreign Ministry, summoned Gen. Burns to the Foreign Office and told him that Israel accepts the summation of the Bat Galim case made at the Security Council meeting of January 13–when Sir Leslie Knox Munro of New Zealand, Council president, noted that the majority of the Council felt that the 1951 resolution ordering Egypt to keep the Suez Canal open to Israel shipping was still in force.
Dr. Eytan called Gen. Burns’ attention to the fact that in the summation it was stated that he could offer his good offices to help settle the problem in accordance with the Council’s instructions. He added that Israel was ready to discuss with Egypt all practical measures for the release of the Bat Galim and its passage through the Suez Canal, since no other arrangement would fit in with the Council’s decision of 1951 and with Sir Leslie’s summation. He noted that any other solution would also violate the decisions of the Israel-Egyptian Mixed Armistice Commission.
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