The most urgent cause of concern to the Israel Embassy here is currently the possibility of American munitions grants to the Arab League states–an undertaking for which funds were provided in the new Mutual Security Act. This matter, it was learned today from informed sources, has been consistently discussed by Israeli officials with the State Department.
The return of Ambassador Abba Eban from Israel has given rise to speculation that this problem will be pursued personally by Mr. Eban and stressed at his next meeting with Secretary of State John Foster Dulles. Israel’s general position is that arms shipments to Arab states which continue to maintain a belligerent attitude toward Israel would not serve the cause of world peace.
There has been cited here President Eisenhower’s warning to the former Iranian Government of Mohammed Mossadegh that American military and economic aid would depend on that country’s agreement to alter certain policies which America felt injurious to world stability. Some Israelis feel that if the United States took that stand in the case of Iran, a similar requirement might now be applied in connection with aid to Arab League states which jeopardize international security by waging economic warfare against Israel.
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