Israel Wants U. N. Forces to Remain in Sinai and Gaza; Opposes Changes

Israel prefers the status quo of United Nations Emergency Force stationing in Sinai at the mouth of the Gulf of Akaba and along the Gaza Strip border, Ambassador Abba S. Eban said today at a press conference. He emphasized that Israel would not favor any effort at changes in the present situation.

The Ambassador, who is returning to the United States at the end of the week, will seek an early meeting with Secretary of State Dulles. He said he wanted to inform Mr. Dulies of Israel’s views, aspirations and anxieties concerning current Middle East developments, particularly Israel’s stand that both Arab camps, whether armed by Western Powers or by the Soviets, were “indistinguishable in their hostility” toward Israel. He declined to discuss whether Israel would seek arms from the Eisenhower Administration.

The envoy declared that if the Arab refugee problem arises at the forthcoming UN General Assembly, Israel will stress the position that the problem is solvable. Israel, he stated, feels the United States could be influential in seeking a solution for the refugee problem through resettlement and utilization of the Jordan River water potential along the lines of the plan proposed by Eric Johnston as special Presidential envoy a few years ago.

Declaring that Israel sees little difference in the threat to Israel as between Egypt and Syria since both were violently hostile and both had received huge amounts of Soviet arms, Mr. Eban said that one of the subjects of his talks in Washington would be clarification of American views and evaluations on Syrian developments following the visit by Loy Henderson, Undersecretary of State to the Middle East and talks by Raymond Hare, American Ambassador to Egypt, with Egyptian officials in Cairo.