Israel will postpone its work on diversion of the Jordan River along the Israel-Syrian and Israel-Jordan borders pending the arrival of Eric Johnston, President Eisenhower’s personal envoy to the Middle East, in the area in a new attempt to settle the question of Israel-Arab regional development of the Jordan River, Premier David Ben Gurion declared yesterday in an interview with a correspondent of the New York Times in Israel.
“If Mr. Johnston is coming we will give him time,” the Premier said. “If it can be done by agreement, it is better. “Israel had warned the United States that it would resume work on the Jordan River project, all on its own territory, if the Arabs did not agree to Ambassador Johnston’s proposal’s, which Israel has long since accepted in principle. (In Washington it was announced today that Mr. Johnston will leave the U. S. next week to visit Asiatic countries, but will not stop in Israel or the Arab countries. His trip was estimated to last five weeks.)
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